USM Air Force ROTC Cadets to Participate in Hattiesburg Veterans Day Vigil

Members of The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), the 432nd AFROTC Cadet Squadron, will participate in the annual 24-hour Veterans Day Vigil at Veterans Memorial Park, standing guard from Sunday, Nov. 11 beginning at 11 a.m. until 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 12. Veterans Memorial Park is located at 399 Pine Street, at the entrance to historic downtown Hattiesburg.

The vigil provides cadets in the USM Air Force ROTC and community members an opportunity to celebrate veterans from the Hattiesburg area. The cadets will also participate in a Remembrance Ceremony Sunday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m., during which the names of all 173 veterans listed on the memorial's four pillars will be read aloud in commemoration of their service.

The public is invited to view the vigil and attend the ceremony.   

Jeffery Regan, a senior from Petal, Miss. who serves as Cadet Wing Commander for Detachment 432, said he and his fellow cadets take great pride in having the opportunity to participate in the vigil.  

“It gives us a chance to show our commitment and gratitude to those who have served,” said Regan, a business administration major. “For myself, I see it as a great honor. Coming from a family with many veterans is one thing, but being able to follow in their footsteps is another. I encourage everyone to come to downtown Hattiesburg for these events, and show their support for our veterans."

For more information about these events, contact the Department of Aerospace Studies at 601.266.4468. To learn more about the department and the USM Air Force ROTC, visit https://www.usm.edu/afrotc-det-432.