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Follow us down memory lane as we celebrate 10 years of serving our veteran and military students.


2011

Tuskegee Airmen

(Polsky Practical Enrichment Series Event)

Honoring the History and Service of the Tuskegee Airmen. Guest speakers from the Heart of America Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. shared the history of the significance, dedicated service and courage of the famed Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilots who fought in the aerial war over North Africa and Europe and flew more than 15,000 sorties and completed more than 1500 missions.

National Remembrance Roll Call

As a part of a nationwide college campus event, JCCC Veterans Club coordinated the reading of the 6,200+ casualties of Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Students, staff and faculty participated in the reading of names throughout the day in the COM Plaza.

Volunteers standing at a podium outside COMS reading a list of names of fallen service members


2012

Premier of “Heart of a Warrior,” documentary about Navajo Code Talkers

This JCCC written and produced film documents the life story of Navajo Code Talker Samuel Sandoval from his childhood on the reservation and experience in the mission school system to his heroic contributions to World War II.

Sam Sandoval

Veterans Speak Panel

The Veterans Speak Panel, a group of student veterans representing various branches of the military, share their experiences with students and the campus community.

Veterans Week panel


2013

“Beyond Glory” with Stephen Lang

In partnership with JCCC’s Performing Arts Series, Stephen Lang’s performance featured the stories of eight Medal of Honor recipients in his one-man show adapted from Larry Smith's bestselling book, “Beyond Glory.”

Title image for Beyond Glory with a photo of Stephen Lang

Veterans Week Panel

Four veterans who took part in the panel


2014

Combat Arts: My Experience Making Art with Combat Veterans, by Elizabeth Washburn

(Polsky Practical Personal Enrichment Series Event)

Artist Elizabeth Washburn worked with JCCC student veterans over the course of 3 days to create a mural that speaks to their military experience. The mural was presented at this event and now hangs in the hallway of the third floor of the Commons Building. She also spoke about founding Combat Arts San Diego to veterans access to the arts as a means of self-expression and healing.

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Student Veterans cut Ribbon on their New Center

The grand opening of the JCCC Veteran and Military Student Resource Center kicked off Veterans Week 2014.  Located in COM 305, the Center is a one-stop shop for veteran and military-affiliated student services, peer advising and a student lounge.

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2015

Darden Smith and Songwriting With Soldiers

(Polsky Practical Personal Enrichment Series Event)

Smith conducted songwriting workshops with veteran students at JCCC who became his songwriting partners. They collaborated on songs about their experiences, combat and the return home.

#22PUSHUPS

Active Minds and the Veterans Club teamed up to raise awareness about the veteran suicide epidemic by participating in #22PUSHUPS, a veteran suicide awareness event.

View a playlist of all the groups who met the challenge!



2018

Vietnam-Era Veterans Oral History Project: A Panel Discussion

(Polsky Practical Personal Enrichment Series Event)

In 2018, JCCC’s Kansas Studies Institute and Veteran Services received a grant from Kansas Humanities for documenting oral histories of Vietnam Era veterans. Our first oral history project focused on the oral histories of JCCC employee veterans David Svajda, Robert Robins and Larry Stanfield. Our Veterans Week event featured the three Vietnam-Era vets and a moderator discussing their experiences of military service.


2019

In Their Own Words … Kansas Veterans’ Oral Histories

(Polsky Practical Personal Enrichment Series Event)

The Kansas Studies Institute and Veteran Services continued their partnership to document local veteran oral histories in 2019. This year Vietnam and WWII veterans shared their military experiences in Hudson Auditorium. Veterans Tim Barnhart and Carl Snyder took part in a panel discussion with moderator Scott Weaver.