By Tamika RobinsonFeature Editor
This past summer a memorial dedicated to veterans was built on the Winona campus of Saint Mary’s University.
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The memorial was deisgned by Art Department Chair Preston Lawing. “The building of it actually lasted for about three months. We started in April and dedicated it in early June,” said Meg Richtman, director of alumni relations and university liaison to the Alumni Association.
When passing the memorial, one will notice five pillars, each with a different message and meaning.
The first pillar explains why SMU built the memorial. The second pillar commemorates the V-12 program. The V-12 program was used on the campus in the 1940s to train Navy officers, Richtman explained. This program sustained the university’s existence because so many men were absent from college because of the war.
The third pillar lists SMU alumni who died serving the United States. A picture of the Rooney and Ditter Barracks is on the fourth pillar. “They (the barracks) were built and brought to campus when our men and women came back from serving, and they were veteran housing,” said Richtman.
The final pillar “talks about how we as Catholics honor our veterans,” Richtman said. On it is a statement of the catechism.
Richtman said the Alumni Association and its board of directors hopes students will not forget about those who have served our country during times of war.
“It’s a big part of our history. It’s reality today that, whatever your belief is on war, we have people who are giving their lives and giving their time away from their families, and we feel very strongly that people need to know that that is a part of our community, our Lasallian community as well. We don’t want them to forget about those people, specifically our community members and alumni who’ve died while serving our country,” Richtman stated.
Richtman also said that they hope the memorial will be a place where students can do some reflecting, and that it has offered some beauty to the campus.
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