The University of Connecticut’s Roll of Honor, which memorializes alumni who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the nation, is now on a special website of the University Alumni Association.
It is among the first websites of its kind in New England and one of only a few nationwide. The purpose of the site is to chronicle the Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial and the Roll of Honor, to share them with a wider audience, to let friends and families know their loved ones are not forgotten, and to provide an opportunity to nominate alumni who may be missing from the roll.
The website will be launched in conjunction with the Nov. 10 Veteran’s Day observance coordinated by the University’s Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), in partnership with Student Affairs, University Events, and the Alumni Association. The ceremony will be take place at 11 a.m. at the Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial, which is located between the CLAS Building and Beach Hall on the University’s main campus in Storrs. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place in the North Reading Room of the nearby Wilbur Cross Building.
The more than 130 names of fallen alumni unveiled at the Alumni Center last June are listed on the new website. The names are linked to brief profiles that provide background information about each of the alumni. Background information is incomplete for some of the alumni on the roll, and the Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial Committee and the Alumni Association welcome the submission of additional details to complete the profiles.
The website is the third phase of the University’s Ultimate Sacrifice project. The first phase was construction of a memorial on the Storrs campus, funded through contributions from alumni and other donors. The memorial was dedicated during the University’s Veteran’s Day observance in November 2008.
The second phase was the dedication of the Roll of Honor and its permanent placement in the Alumni Center lobby. The dedication ceremony was held during the annual Alumni Reunion Weekend on June 6, 2009, which was also the 65th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion during World War II.
Draped in black velvet, the roll is located at the west end of the Alumni Center lobby. After the list was unveiled on June 6, members of the University’s ROTC cadet corps read all of the names listed. Making the ceremony all the more poignant and moving was the lighting of a candle by members of the family of Alan R. Morehouse. Morehouse was killed during the D-Day invasion on the beaches of France.
As additional names and background information are submitted and verified, the website will be updated. The roll on display in the Alumni Center will be revised annually.
Anyone who may have information about UConn alumni who died while in the U.S. armed services is encouraged to send the information for consideration. Please include as much information as possible, including the nominee’s name, branch of service, details of service (including years served, where stationed, circumstances and date of death, etc.), as well as information about the nominee’s enrollment at UConn (year of graduation or years enrolled).
This information can be submitted via a form on the website, by e-mail, or by U.S. mail to Betsy Pittman, University Archivist, at: Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, 405 Babbidge Road, Storrs, CT 06269-1205
For more information:
Richard Veilleux (860) 486-0890 (office) or (860) 208-4261 (cell)
