MCC to host Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 10
McHenry County College will host a Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony beginning with patriotic music by the MCC Concert Band and Chorus at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in the MCC gym/multi-purpose room, Building A, 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
Community members and student veterans, along with faculty, staff and guests, will gather for the program that will include speakers, patriotic music, posting of the colors by a combined service color guard, and bagpipes and drum music. In addition to recognizing veterans, visitors will have an opportunity to mingle and meet other veterans at a reception following the ceremony.
The keynote speaker is retired Col. Craig A. Wilcox, whose military career spanned 24 years in the U.S. Air Force. He served his final assignment as Support Group Commander of the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where he supported the president of the United States and Air Force One as well as other high ranking national and military leaders while they traveled on Air Force Two and Air Force corporate jets. In this role, he led 373 military personnel and civilians in two squadrons and provided global command and control communications.
Some of his career highlights include being hand selected to command the team tasked to establish the first air base in enemy territory in Iraq, and he also commanded the first yearlong deployment to provide combat communications to aircraft operations in Iraq. The results of his work includes operational satellites in space today that were made possible by the technology that he and his teams tested over a decade ago.
Col. Wilcox earned two master's degrees and a master's degree in business administration. He is currently a leadership instructor for Air University. He resides in McHenry.
"Our annual Veterans Day program is one of several efforts at the college to honor our country's military veterans," said Don Curfman, instructor and adviser for the Student Veterans Association at MCC. "We also help veterans transition from the military service to college with our student organization and our Student Veterans Resource Center."
The MCC Student Veteran Resource Center will host a grand reopening featuring an open house and a ribbon cutting immediately following the Veterans Day ceremony in Room C122. The grand reopening is to celebrate the remodeling made possible from a $10,000 grant as part of a nationwide Vet Center Initiative by Student Veterans of America and The Home Depot Foundation to support veteran centers on college campuses. Community members and employees are welcome to stop in during the day.
"Many student veterans have put in volunteer hours to renovate, paint and spruce up the Center," Curfman said. "Only with the combined efforts of all the student veterans at MCC is the Student Veterans Resource Center possible."
In addition, MCC's chapter of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges is sponsoring individually wrapped snacks, bottled water, reusable bottles and instant soups collection drive as a way to give thanks to MCC's student veterans for serving our country. Red and blue bins are placed throughout campus.
Donations will be accepted through Nov. 18. Also, gift cards from Jewel, Wal-Mart and gas cards are being accepted on campus in Room A210.
The events are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served after the program. For information, contact the MCC Veterans Day Committee at (815) 479-7635.