Veteran’s Appreciation Events At Casper College
In honor of Veterans Appreciation Week, Casper College Veterans Services will be hosting several special events at the college.
A screening of the HBO film "Taking Chance" opens the events Tuesday, November 6th. That takes place Tuesday, November 6th at 7:00 p.m. in Durham Auditorium, located in Aley Hall. The film follows the story of Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer at the time, and his journey accompanying the body of 19-year-old Marine Private First Class Chance Phelps back to his hometown in Dubois, Wyoming.
On Thursday, November 8th, at 7:00 p.m. Michael Strobl himself will give a first-hand account of his experiences. He wrote an essay about the the journey, upon which the film was based. Strobl was played by Kevin Bacon in the film, who won a Golden Globe for his portrayal. Chance Phelps' mother and family are also expected to attend the event, which will be held at the Wheeler Concert Hall, located in the Music Building.
On Sunday, November 11th, there will be a Veteran's Roll Call in front of the Union/University building, which consists of a reading of more than five thousand names of the service members killed in action since 9/11. The Roll Call begins at 8:00 a.m.. Last year it took about eight hours to read all of the names, and members of the community are welcome to volunteer to read.
"Oftentimes we see on the news 'killed in action' but it really doesn't hit home, it's just a number on the screen," said Nick Whipps of Veteran Services at Casper College, "and Mr. Strobl and everything we're doing this week is to give our community the perspective and make those sacrifices real."
All events are free and open to the public.