Oglethorpe University Honors Veterans With Week-Long Commemoration November 5, 2012

Oglethorpe University commemorates Veterans Day with a week-long event series called “Our Country, Our Voices: Oglethorpe Honors Our Veterans” beginning with a Veterans’ Open House on Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, from 12 noon-7:00 p.m. Various veterans’ assistance groups will be on site throughout the day, and the Oglethorpe Veterans’ Club will be accepting final donations for their clothing and coat drive to benefit homeless veterans. A giveaway of gift items from area businesses will benefit veterans’ services. At 6:00 p.m., there will be a panel discussion called “Transitioning to Civilian Life” by veterans of the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. They will discuss the challenges faced by veterans when transitioning to civilian life.

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, starting at 7:00 p.m., Dr. Karen Schmeichel, Associate Professor of Biology at Oglethorpe, will present about the hotly debated and complex subject of the widespread use by American troops during the Vietnam conflict of the defoliant called “Agent Orange” and its far reaching effects.

Lastly, starting at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 15., OUMA will host a screening of the award-winning 2009 film “Agent Orange: 30 Years Later” by John Trinh with open discussion to follow. The events are held in conjunction with the current exhibition “Burden of Proof: National Identity and the Legacy of War,” which runs through December 9, 2012 at the OU Museum of Art.