On November 24th from 7:00-8:30 PM ET, students of the Bay College Civics Corps in alliance with the Criminal Justice Association will host their fourth annual Veterans Speak. Partnering with the club for the event are the American Legion Department of Michigan, American Merchant Marine Veterans, Veterans for All Voters, and Waging Dialogue.
“Our partnerships with these veterans' organizations help us to develop a robust, intergenerational panel with a variety of diverse experiences," says club member Lindsay Maloney.
Veterans Speak is run as a webinar that includes speakers and guests from the United States Merchant Marine and different branches of the military. The veterans will share their experiences and discuss what serving our country has meant to them. Student, Alissa O’Driscoll mentions, “In previous years, the program has shown the ways in which the branches of the military and Merchant Marine have served together “in peace and war” (Merchant Marine Slogan). This year, we’ll highlight the club’s work to encourage future re-introduction of legislation to give Vietnam War era merchant mariners their veterans’ status, as had been done for World War II merchant mariners back in 1988.”
The keynote speaker for Veterans Speak 2025 will be Ms. Wendy Coble, a Maritime Historian and Underwater Archaeologist for the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration or MARAD. In addition to collecting and disseminating history about MARAD and its historical collection; Coble researches and protects its shipwrecks worldwide and reviews MARAD projects to ensure they do not impact historic resources. She has worked for the Federal Government for over 25 years, in several capacities and Agencies including the Department of the Navy and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. “We’re excited to hear from Ms. Coble who will emphasize the importance of service to the country,” says club member Gabriel Viau.
The public is invited to join us in honoring our country’s veterans through this unique listening and storytelling event. Please see Bay College’s website and social media for more information on how to access the webinar or email the club’s advisor Dr. June Klees at kleesj@baycollege.edu for the webinar link.
About Bay College
Bay College is the community’s college with a mission of: Student Success, Community Success, and Culture of Success. Bay is devoted to each individual’s achievement in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce by providing career certificates, associate degrees, transferable university credits, industry certifications, trainings, and professional development programs which develop skillsets, enrich individuals, and advance careers. #BayIsTheWay