CU honors our veterans and service men and women
The University Memorial Center is Colorado鈥檚 鈥�... living memorial honoring the service and sacrifice of Colorado veterans.鈥� 鈥� from UMC Mission Statement, 2013
The University Memorial Center听was rededicated as Colorado鈥檚 Official Veterans Memorial at the Veterans Day Ceremony held November 11, 2013, in the UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom.听The University of Colorado 色吧亚洲, the Office of Veteran Services, the UMC, distinguished speakers, guests and the public recognized the contributions made by Colorado Veterans and active-duty service members.听Featured speakers included Rear Admiral Kerry M. Metz, Commander, Special Operations Command North; Major General H. Michael Edwards, the听Adjutant General for Colorado; Dr. Michael Grant, PhD, Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education; Ben Purser, University of Colorado 色吧亚洲 Student Veterans Association President; and Tyler Romero, UMC Board Chair.听A Joint ROTC Color Guard presented the colors.
The UMC Veterans Lounge听
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In 1947, Colorado Governor Lee Knous proclaimed the planned University of Colorado student union a memorial to 鈥渢hose who served in these great wars.鈥�
And so the CU student center was named 鈥淯niversity Memorial Center鈥� (UMC) in tribute to all Colorado veterans, men and women, who have served or are currently serving our country.听A Veterans Lounge, located on the second floor of the UMC next to the Reception Desk, displays dedication plaques memorializing these听Colorado veterans who died in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, the conflict in Korea, the Persian/Gulf Wars, the conflict in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan. There is also a plaque recognizing CU鈥檚 involvement in the U.S. Japanese/Oriental Language School. The UMC continues to work with CU鈥檚 Department of Veterans Affairs to honor the memory of Coloradoans involved in current conflicts.
In the UMC Veterans Lounge you鈥檒l see many original artifacts from the USS Colorado, the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 38th state. Among the artifacts are the Ship鈥檚 bell and stern pilot wheel.听In 2002,听the USS Colorado Alumni Association听donated a听waterline one-meter scale model of the USS Colorado, constructed by听Dave Runkle in 1988.听On November 11, 2004, the USS Colorado Association also presented the ship's听48-star 鈥淪unday Flag鈥� to the University Memorial Center.
色吧亚洲 the USS Colorado听
The听USS Colorado (BB-45) was undergoing overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard when Japan鈥檚 attack on Pearl Harbor opened the Pacific War. She was stationed on the U.S. West Coast during March 鈥� August 1942, then steamed west to Pearl Harbor.
From November 1942 to September 1943, she was one of the older battleships deployed to the South Pacific to guard against possible Japanese offensive actions in that area. In November 1943,听Colorado took part in the Tarawa invasion. She supported the landings at Kwajalein and Eniwetok in January and February 1944 and the Marianas operation in June and July.听
On July 24, 1944, while bombarding Tinian, she was hit by enemy shore batteries, suffering serious casualties among exposed personnel topside.
Colorado鈥檚 next combat duty was off Leyte in November 1944, where she was hit by two 鈥淜amikaze鈥� suicide planes late in the month. Remaining in the combat zone, she supported the Mindoro invasion in December and the Lingayen Gulf landings in January. During March, April and May 1945,听Colorado鈥檚 16-inch guns bombarded Okinawa in support of U.S. troops ashore. In August and September 1945, she covered the occupation of Japan, then departed for the United States. In total, 93 men lost their lives aboard the USS Colorado during WWII.听
Following transport service in late 1945, she was inactivated.听USS Colorado听was decommissioned in January 1947.