PCC to Hold March 30 Ceremony Honoring Fallen Troops
March 20, 2012
Tucson, AZ -- PCC’s Downtown Campus will host a special ceremony on March 30 in memory of America’s military men and women who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The name of each of our fallen heroes will be read, followed by the ringing of a bell. This ceremony is being held in conjunction with a March 31 citywide parade to salute the veterans and active-duty personnel in the U.S. armed services who fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom–Afghanistan war.
The remembrance service will begin at 7 a.m. in the courtyard of Downtown Campus, 1255 N. Stone Ave. We anticipate it will take 10-12 hours to read the names of the approximately 6,400 Americans who have lost their lives in these wars. This event is open to the public. A special invitation is extended to all Gold Star families to attend regardless of when a loved one perished.
“On this day, we will honor the memory of those men and women who have sacrificed their lives and served their country with honor,” said Jerry Haynes, vice president for student development at Downtown Campus. “We welcome all who wish to participate or simply sit with us to remember these heroes. This is the perfect lead-in to Saturday, when we celebrate all who returned home. We couldn’t be more proud to acknowledge and celebrate our fellow countrymen and women. These are simple gestures that are long overdue.”
To volunteer to help read the names of the fallen, contact Jerry Haynes by phone, 206-7263, or email, jehaynes@pima.edu.
Many members of the PCC community -- students and employees who served in the military – are also planning to participate in the Tucson’s Welcome Home Veterans Parade on March 31.
About 10 Motorcycle Rider Education instructors will be participating in the parade.
"I know the kind of sacrifices our military members make in supporting our country,” said Ron Terrien, veteran and instructor for Pima’s Motorcycle Rider Education. “I don’t think we can ever thank them enough. It is important to do what we can to let them know their service is appreciated.”
The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. in downtown Tucson. The parade route will start north on Stone Avenue and continue on Pennington Street, then move west on Franklin street turning south on Main Avenue, east on Alameda street, and south on Church to end back on Pennington and Stone.
For more information on the parade, see www.thankyousazvets.org/.
CONTACT:
C.J. Karamargin
Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations
(520) 206-4850
ckaramargin@pima.edu