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Pittsburg State Marks Memorial Day 2023

PSU Veterans Memorial
PSU Veterans Memorial

The recorded message aired atPittstate.tvfeatured traditional elements of live Memorial Day ceremonies, including a color guard composed of cadets from PSU’s ROTC program, and the playing of Taps and singing of the National Anthem by PSU music students.

On Monday, the country marked Memorial Day. At Pittsburg State University, home to the PSU Veterans Memorial, the university honored veterans and their families during a recorded Memorial Day program. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

The program featured recorded remarks by Col. Ret. Don Stoner, a former faculty member in the PSU Department of Military Science; Vietnam Veteran Rick Fulton, a PSU graduate; and PSU President Dan Shipp, whose family includes veterans.

It also featured traditional elements of live Memorial Day ceremonies, including a color guard composed of cadets from PSU’s ROTC program, and the playing of Taps and singing of the National Anthem by PSU music students. Col. Ret. Stoner delivered the PSU Memorial Day message.

“I want to start by saying thank you. Thank you for taking a moment to reflect on the real meaning of Memorial Day. I initially arrived here straight from Iraq and was always impressed by the military support I felt around town and on campus. You should be very proud of the legacy of service tied to your university, along with many of your families and communities.” 

The Memorial at Pittsburg State features a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., and a 250-seat amphitheater that serves as a venue for special events and a quiet place to reflect.

For 89 9 KRPS News, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro

Since 2017 Fred Fletcher-Fierro has driven up Highway 171 through thunderstorms, downpours, snow, and ice storms to host KRPS’s Morning Edition. He’s also a daily reporter for the station, covering city government, elections, public safety, arts, entertainment, culture, sports and more. Fred has also spearheaded and overseen a sea change in programming for KRPS from a legacy classical station to one that airs a balance of classical, news, jazz, and cultural programming that better reflects the diverse audience of the Four States. For over two months in the fall of 2022 he worked remotely with NPR staff to relaunch krps.org to an NPR style news and information website.