Abby Peschges/Winonan

Winona State University’s Veterans Club is hosting an event on Nov. 11 at Memorial Park in conjunction with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion to celebrate Veteran’s Day.

“Welcoming Home All Veterans” is the 20th anniversary of Winona’s 24 Hour Veterans Day Vigil. This will be the fourth year the Winona State’s Veterans Club has celebrated the holiday with an event, and the first in coordination with VFW and American Legion.

The vigil begins at midnight on Nov. 11, and continues with a display of military vehicles from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The ceremony starts 11 a.m. and includes a firing of a Civil War cannon by the Second Minnesota Battery of Light Artillery Reenactors.

Veterans Club member Jarvas Polk will give a speech during the ceremony.

Polk is a first lieutenant in the Minnesota National Guard since 2009. He joined the military in 2005 because of Family lineage, and he wanted to contribute and liked the idea of “seeing history up close and personal.”

In particular, his grandfather fought in World War II along with his four brothers, three of which died in battle.

Polk was stationed in Afghanistan at the Counter-Insurgency (COIN) training center as a convoy commander. This is his first semester back as a third-year student studying accounting. Polk has been received very well.

He said, “It’s nice to come home and see the people who don’t support the war, supporting the troops.”

There will also be a World War II and Korean War display from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a bunker display in the basement of the bandshell. The movie “Memorial Day” will be shown at the Winona Area Veterans Center at 3 p.m. and the boy scouts will do a flag retirement at 1 p.m.

Heather Hust, president of the Veterans Club said, “The Veterans Day Ceremony in Winona has been awarded the ‘2012 Veterans Day Regional Site’ award through the combined efforts between the Veterans Club, VFW and American Legion.”

She was stationed in Iraq as a medic in the National Guard. She has less than two years left in her eight-year contract; this is her third term in school.

Hust enlisted in order to help pay for her schooling.

“It has helped me realize that there is something out there that is greater than the individual,” she said.

The Veterans Affairs Office is located in Maxwell Hall inside the Admissions office. It helps with education benefits and transition for veterans. If they are unable to help students with their needs, they are able to refer them to those who can.

Contact Abby at [email protected]