By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green State University broke ground for a veterans memorial on Thursday – and saluted alumni who didn’t want their fellow veterans forgotten.
The memorial will be located in BGSU’s Carillon Park, for the families and members of past conflicts. The site will serve as a reminder for the campus community of one of the highest forms of service, and provide a place of contemplation for active service members on the campus.
“Bowling Green State University is proud to establish the Veterans Memorial to commemorate the individuals who have served our nation in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as memorialize the courage, commitment and sacrifice of our fallen students and alumni,” BGSU President Rodney Rogers said.
Center stage was a 91-year-old U.S. Marine, who kept pushing for the memorial to BGSU’s fallen heroes, now numbering 111.
Retired U.S. Marine Col Ted Jenkins, who graduated from BGSU in 1954, was described as “still a Marine on a mission.”
“There are dreamers in this world and there are doers,” 1965 alumus Tom Walton said of Jenkins. “Once in awhile we get lucky enough to encounter one who is both.”
The memorial in Carillon Park is one in a longer list of ways Jenkins and his fellow veteran alumni have worked with BGSU to remember students who served in the military or veterans who returned home to attend the university.
A group of alumni veterans spanning service from World War II to the current conflicts in the Middle East was formed more than a decade ago. Among those tasked with coming up with a plan to recognize and serve veterans were Jenkins, retired Navy Capt. David Chilson, Vietnam veteran David Ridenour, and Dr. Barbara Henry, assistant vice president for non-traditional and military student services.
Their mission began after Army ROTC graduate, CPT Mike Medders Jr., was killed in Iraq. The desire to honor him led to the discovery that the Honor Roll of BGSU’s Fallen Heroes in Memorial Hall had never been updated since its dedication in 1961.
So the first step in 2011 was adding 25 names of those former students lost in service to the plaque in Memorial Hall.
Next came the effort to honor BGSU POW/MIAs. With Jenkins leading the push, the POW/MIA Chairs of Honor were installed and dedicated in the fall of 2014. The chairs were dedicated in Doyt Perry Stadium, Stroh Arena, and the Ice Arena. Two additional mobile chairs were dedicated for use at other events such as baseball, soccer and swimming.
The alumni veterans also wanted the committee to be engaged in welcoming and assisting the student veteran community in their pursuit of education at BGSU – which is now coordinated under Henry.
And finally, the last goal was achieved Thursday with the groundbreaking for the veterans memorial.
“Col. Jenkins, you represent the very best of BGSU,” Rogers said during the ceremony.
Rogers noted BGSU’s responsibility to veterans, “so they find a university where they can belong.”
Though designs for the memorial are not complete, Rogers said it will be a place where veterans can feel proud.
“It is our hope the memorial will represent the grit of our veterans,” he said.
Rogers also thanked alumni Edward and Linda Reiter, whose lead gift to the memorial helped it become a reality. Edward Reiter served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves and lieutenant in the U.S. Army Adjutant General’s Corp.
Jenkins enlisted in the US Marine Corps during World War II and was assigned to an engineer battalion. He attained the rank of sergeant and after WW II he transferred to the USMC Reserve and entered BGSU under the G.I. Bill.
When hostilities broke out in Korea, Jenkins was recalled to active duty in 1950 during his junior year at BGSU.
After the Korean War, Jenkins returned to BGSU and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 1954. He remained in the USMC Reserve and retired as a colonel in 1988.
“We celebrate the dedication of Col. Jenkins, who has been instrumental in supporting veterans’ initiatives at Bowling Green State University,” said Pamela J. Conlin, BGSU vice president for university advancement and president of BGSU Foundation Inc. “More than a decade ago, Col. Jenkins first shared his vision for honoring all students and alumni who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Because of his efforts, we are breaking ground on this timeless memorial.”
