NW Valley Times

Marco Mendoza and the GCU Army ROTC Color Guard posted the colors at the Veterans Forum of Honoring America's Veterans, hosted at Grand Canyon University (GCU), on Wednesday. Mendoza and fellow cadets from GCU’s Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps honored the 2,996 people who died on 9/11 by planting American flags on the lawn adjacent to GCU Ballpark early Monday morning.

The flags spelled out "9/11," and on social media, the Thunder Battalion posted the words “Never Forget.”

Paula Pedene, executive director of Honoring America's Veterans, said the organization's forum helps connect veterans' engagement groups. For Mendoza, 9/11 is a time of camaraderie with the community and other servicemen and servicewomen. It’s also a day to “give them that same respect” that he receives from them.

Mendoza, a junior advertising/graphic design major, felt the weight and importance of the day again on Wednesday morning as he and other cadets posted the colors in a reverent ceremony for Honoring America’s Veterans at GCU's business complex.

Honoring America’s Veterans is known for its signature event, the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade. The organization honors veterans through community events such as Wednesday’s Veterans Forum at GCU.

“We know that GCU supports veterans because GCU’s ROTC has been in the parade for years, and we’re honored to have them,” said Navy veteran Paula Pedene.

To celebrate veterans on 9/11 seemed appropriate, Pedene noted. “It’s just an important day, and an important time to pull everyone together again as a country and make sure that we’re recognizing and thanking those who support us.”

The Veterans Forum brings together representatives from veterans support organizations and businesses with strong veterans engagement groups or affinity groups. Representatives from USAA, Cigna, Banner University Care, Bank of America, APS, and Humana attended Wednesday's event.

“What we try to do is support those groups because what we have found is that those groups are our best supporters; they come out in droves to volunteer for the parade,” Pedene said. “We need 300 volunteers to manage that large-scale special event."

The event included a breakfast for attendees, an invocation by GCU Provost Dr. Randy Gibb; talks by Dana Allmond of Arizona Department of Veterans Services; Josh Landspurg of FireVet; Paul Smiley of Sonoran Technology; and a panel discussion featuring Patrick Fitzhugh of USAA Phoenix; Pamela Castro of Cigna; and John Spiekermeier of Banner University Family Care.

Dee Kaspor, GCU’s Veterans Resource Manager, attended to reconnect with various veterans support groups. Her department caters to veterans' needs ranging from help with bills to food assistance.

Trish Shipley, ROTC coordinator and Navy veteran, reflected on how 9/11 united the country like no other time since then. Speaker Josh Landspurg shared his personal experience from high school during 9/11 to his deployments in Afghanistan.

Landspurg emphasized unity: “Let’s never forget that regardless of what you look like...we’re all Americans.” Panel speaker Patrick Fitzhugh echoed this sentiment when explaining why he joined the U.S. Air Force: “Because of the 2,996 lives lost that day.”

Internal Communications Manager Lana Sweeten-Shults can be reached at [email protected] or at 602-639-7901.

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