The University Library is honoring University veterans this month by having an exhibit dedicated to their service.

Nicholas Osborne, assistant dean and veteran student support services coordinator; Kevin McLaughlin, senior library specialist; and Michael Hnyla, military instructor, organized a Veterans Day Exhibit titled “Called to Serve: A History of Military Service at the University of Illinois.”

The exhibit is featured on the first floor corridor of the Main Library and is open to the public during the library’s regular hours. The exhibit consists of archived records and pictures of the University’s military connections as well as donated materials from student and alumni veterans and from veterans in the local community.

“We asked student veterans if they were willing to donate long-term items,” Osborne said. “Other people in the community heard about the project and wanted to participate.”

He said he’s received unit patches and rank insignias from numerous veterans on campus and in the local area. One student donated his Purple Heart and damaged uniform from serving in Afghanistan.

Students can help create a shared awareness of support by knowing that there are veterans on campus and in the community and by learning about how those veterans have served our country, Osborne said.

Douglas Heintz, office support specialist at the library, said he sees veterans as people who make the decision to sacrifice themselves for strangers.

“I believe this exhibit was a good idea because all veterans coming back to the University need recognition,” he said.

McLaughlin, a veteran and alumnus, said he wanted to remind everyone about these veterans.

“There are a lot of veterans coming back from Iraq,” he said. “I wanted to show them that things are here for them on campus. I wanted to let everyone know about the University’s history with the military.”

The exhibit also features a 44-foot timeline designed by McLaughlin and Hnyla that dates from 1867, when the University was first established, to the present.

It showcases dates in the University’s history that are affiliated with the military and features pictures of the University and veteran alumni.

Many units and organizations, such as the College of Applied Health and Sciences and the Illinois Army National Guard, are recognized on the timeline for their support and contribution to the exhibit.

The Veterans Day Exhibit is sponsored by the University Archives, Veteran Student Support Services and Naval ROTC.

ROTC will host a Veterans Day Tri-Service Ceremony at the Armory on Nov. 11, Osborne said. Afterward, the Champaign County rotary clubs will host a Veterans Day One-on-One Appreciation Dinner at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1501 S. Neil St.

Jacqui can be reached at [email protected].