The University of North Florida is hosting a meet and greet with World War II veterans and prisoners of war Monday.
The free event is part of UNF’s Military and Veterans Resource Center’s vision to keep the memory of aging World War II veterans alive for future generations. It’s open to the public and runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the UNF Student Union Ballroom.
Resource center spokeswoman Diane Stover said the event gives veterans a platform to share their experiences.
“I have gentlemen from the Pacific theatre, the European theatre, the different branches of service, and we’re going to give them an opportunity to recount their World War II service history,” she said.
Stover said UNF Army ROTC cadets will present colors and the drill team will perform in tribute to the veteran honorees. Additionally, the Military Museum of North Florida will display World War II relics.
“We have anything from maps to uniforms to firearms to a Nazi helmet. We have all kinds of World War II artifacts that are going to be present at the event,” she said.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, around 600,000 are still alive today. Approximately 55,000 of the veterans live in Florida.
Contact Amy Hadden at newsteam@wjct.org or on Twitter at @AmyNHadden.
