RENO, Nev. — Student veterans at the University of Nevada, Reno marked Veterans Week Tuesday with an annual ceremony retiring American flags no longer fit to fly. The student-led event honored the flag and gave the campus community a chance to hear what Veterans Day means to those who served.
Earlier in the week, organizers planted 1,000 flags in the shape of Nevada on the lawn of Gateway Plaza. The display has been held annually since 2012 to recognize people who choose to serve in the United States.
John Pratt, interim director of UNR Veteran Services , said the retirement ceremony shows how to give a flag that has reached the end of its service a respectful send-off.
UNR holds a flag retirement ceremony, cutting the stripes off a flag to burn. (Tyler Pflibsen/News 4-FOX11)
“You don't throw it in the closet. You don't throw it away. You give it the dignity and respect that it deserves and requires,” Pratt said.
Pratt said the flag represents the country and the people who serve. He said the ceremony is also a way for student veterans to represent their community in front of fellow students.
“When you come on the campus, it's no longer about your unit, your team, it is about you,” Pratt said. “And this is a hard place to navigate if you're not familiar with it.”
Jake Medlock, a student veteran and senior student staff member with UNR Veteran Services, said moving from military to civilian life and then into college was daunting.
“It was a little daunting transitioning from military to civilian life and then into school as well. No one really tells you what to do,” Medlock said. He said the Veteran Services community helped him through that transition.
UNR Veteran Services helps veterans and family members before they enroll and after they arrive on campus. Pratt said the office can help students register for classes and find resources. The department serves undergraduate and graduate students who are veterans or currently serving on active duty, in the Reserve or National Guard. It also provides college-readiness and employment services to veterans and qualified dependents.
1,000 flags in shape of Nevada outside of the University of Nevada, Reno. (Tyler Pflibsen/News 4-FOX11)
For Medlock, Veterans Day is a reminder that his service mattered.
“Veterans Day to me is just that reminder that what I did was actually somewhat meaningful, even though it kind of sucked for me,” Medlock said. “It is nice every year to have that one day where everyone's like, ‘Hey, thank you for what you did.’”
Tuesday was also the Marine Corps birthday. Pratt, a Marine veteran, said the day is a point of pride for those who served. He recalled that even during a period when he and his father were out of touch, they still exchanged messages on the birthday because his father was a two-tour Vietnam veteran.
Medlock said he hopes people without military ties see veterans as part of the campus community. He also encourages veterans considering college to talk with people who have made the transition and find a community on campus.
“We are civilians as well,” Medlock said. “We want to be around you and interact with you.”