CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Veterans Club at the University of Minnesota, Crookston will host a special presentation on Friday, November 11, 2011, at 1 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium. Stewart Bass will be the featured guest speaker during a program commemorating Veterans Day on the campus.
Bass, a naval aviator who flew a TBM Avenger torpedo bomber in World War II, fought in the Pacific and was awarded the Navy Cross for valor in action. The honor is the second highest combat decoration our nation awards. Bass will discuss the carrier war, operations in the Pacific, and flying the TBM.
After the war, Bass returned to his home near Missoula, Montana, and attended the University of Montana. He worked for American Crystal Sugar Company for many years, and from 1974 until his retirement in 1986, he was vice president for the company.
In 1919, President Wilson first proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. In 1938, November 11 was set aside as a legal holiday--a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day primarily recognized veterans of World War I, but in 1954, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." It continues as a day of celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. To learn more, visit www.va.gov/opa/vetsday.
