Delane Cleveland, reporting
Channel 12
November 10, 2011
On a chilly Thursday morning, students, school officials, and veterans gathered for a flag-raising ceremony on the campus of North Hennepin Community College.
"We just like to raise awareness and let people know that Veterans Day is very important and veterans are everywhere," said Andrew Levesque, director of Veteran Affairs at the college.
This ceremony kicked off an annual Veterans Day celebration, where the college takes the opportunity to acknowledge those who served.
"We're remembering in a solemn way, but we're also celebrating a service, which is what North Hennepin is all about, which is a lot of what students who are here are all about," said Dr. John O'Brien, president of North Hennepin Community College.
Approximately 300 veterans take classes at North Hennepin. Nursing student, and Iraq war veteran, Gabriel Schreiber is one of those vets.
"I actually did some research ahead of time and found out that this is a very military friendly school," Schreiber said.
He says it's friendly because of the resources available to him and the other vets.
"The thing that really makes it easy for us is having our veteran's center here," he said.
Some veterans admit the transition from active duty to civilian life is not always easy, which is why a day like Veteran's Day holds special meaning.
"It's good to know that people actually appreciate us and come out to a day like this for us," Schreiber said.
A day filled with singing, smiles and a touch of sadness for those who never made it home.
"It's quite the event," Levesque said.
An event that gives everyone the opportunity to formally say "Thank you."
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