Last month, UTM took a major hit when we learned that we would be losing our branch of the Army’s ROTC program.
Needless to say, faculty, students and Martin residents just aren’t having it. UTM isn’t giving up the ROTC without a fight, which speaks volumes for how we in the city of Martin feel about the armed forces.
Regardless, The Pacer would like to officially declare that we support the men and women of the U.S. military. And despite the unfortunate plans to close the ROTC in 2015, we stand firm in our support.
And with Veterans Day so close by, we couldn’t think of a better time to thank all those who served in the U.S. military. We at The Pacer hope your Veterans Day is spent appreciating the soldiers closest to you.
While we’re on the topic, some of you may have noticed that school closings in honor of Veterans Day are surprisingly rare compared to its May counterpart, Memorial Day.
For those of you that don’t know, Memorial Day is observed in honor of soldiers lost in battle, while Veterans Day is dedicated to all soldiers serving in the military during times of war and peace.
Both holidays are of great importance to American culture, yet only one of the two warrants nationwide school closings. The Pacer would like to know why.
It’s true that Memorial Day has existed in some form or another for much longer than Veterans Day. Still, time alone is no longer a valid argument when we learn that the idea of a day for enlisted American soldiers has been around for nearly 100 years now.
So why are schools permitted to choose whether or not enlisted soldiers are worth closing school for, but always close in memory of past soldiers as a rule of thumb?
School closings or not, The Pacer would like to wish all enlisted men and women a happy Veterans Day. We’ll see you in class Monday.
