Services for 2024 Veterans Week, Nov. 5-12 at College of the Ozarks to honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country.

College of the Ozarks will celebrate Veterans Day and will honor those who have served and sacrificed with special events Nov. 5-12. Events will include an opening ceremony, a POW/MIA remembrance service, and a Veterans sunrise service.

Brigadier General James Schreffler is in his 21^st year of service at College of the Ozarks and was appointed vice president of patriotic activities last summer. His military career spans 33 years and he currently serves as Assistant Adjutant General (Army) for the Missouri National Guard.

“It’s essential we have ceremonies like this so students and the public don’t forget the sacrifices servicemembers and their families make, often at a great cost,” Shreffler said. “C of O joins Branson as a wonderful, welcoming community to come together in a gracious atmosphere of respect and admiration for their service and sacrifice. As Thomas Jefferson said, ‘If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.’”

The College will continue to present its annual, free, patriotic play through Nov. 12, on select dates. Backed by popular demand, the play is “Breaking the Silence: Stories of Vietnam Veterans,” which tells the stories of the five heroes, who all have connections to the College. Tickets are not required; seating is first-come, first-served. All performances are open to bus tour groups. The duration of the play is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. For more information and for reservations, call (417) 690-2929.

“America has a strong tradition of men and women who have answered their Nation’s call to military service. Such selflessness and sacrifice should be rewarded and recognized, not just once a year, but every day,” said Dr. David Dalton, distinguished professor of history. “C of O is unique among institutions of higher learning in our country, not only because of the work program, but also because we value and honor our nation’s Veterans. Veterans realize that respect the moment they drive onto campus. I am not just talking about Patriots Park, or signage welcoming them to campus. I mean the attitude of our administration, faculty, staff, and students, all of whom greet and welcome Veterans with open arms and thankfulness in our hearts.”

The Patriotic Pillar at College of the Ozarks is to encourage an understanding of American heritage, civic responsibilities, love of country, and willingness to defend it. College of the Ozarks is proud to honor Veterans every day and to have Veterans services on campus for Veterans Week. The public is invited to attend all events. Admission is free.

Wreath displayed at Alumni Veterans Memorial to honor S of O and C of O alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice.

More About College of the Ozarks Patriots Park

Patriots Park at College of the Ozarks is an addition to the College which encompasses Veterans Grove and other memorials built by the College to honor those who have served and sacrificed for this country. The College is proud to add a POW/MIA memorial soon. Guests are welcome to visit Patriots Park daily, from sunrise to 10 p.m. The memorials on campus were made possible by the generosity of Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, and the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge golf tournament. The College was one of the charitable beneficiaries of this tournament.

College of the Ozarks was the first college to be honored with the title of POW-MIA Campus. This honor was proclaimed by the Board of Directors at Jefferson’s Barracks POW-MIA Museum and was presented at Patriot’s Park by Scott Readnour. 

College of the Ozarks stands resolute in that no American serviceman or servicewoman who can be recovered shall be knowingly left behind on the field of battle. This status will serve to honor the sacrifices of all American Prisoners of War, which is presently 81,395 are still missing, and those who have surrendered their freedom and endured great hardship for the defense of American Liberties and Values.

College of the Ozarks is proud to fly the POW-MIA Flag which was designed by Newt Heisley in 1972. It stands as a symbol of our Nation’s concern and commitment to resolving as fully as possible the fates of Americans still prisoner, missing, and unaccounted for from all U.S. Wars.

More About Alumni Veterans Memorial

The Alumni Veterans Memorial is located on the lawn adjacent to the library, south of the Williams Memorial Chapel. The memorial contains the names of College of the Ozarks alumni who fought in the armed services and paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. In 2013, a new memorial was erected and dedicated to replace an earlier memorial which had become weathered and was not large enough to accommodate additional names. When the original memorial was placed in 1983, two names, Melvin Smith, who attended S of O in the 1940s, and Anthony Blair, S of O high school class of 1962, were inadvertently not listed. The new memorial pays tribute to Smith and Blair and other sons of the School of the Ozarks who paid the ultimate sacrifice.