VAUS leadership and members by their Memorial Day display at UCPath. (L to R: Martha Naber, Virginia Nixon, Mark Romo, Edwin Soto and Patrick Evans)

In advance of Memorial Day weekend, members of Veterans Among US (VAUS) — UCOP’s newest employee resource group — created a display in the third-floor lobby at UCPath to honor those who have died while serving in the military, mark Memorial Day, and raise awareness of military traditions among UCOP colleagues.

At the display, VAUS members gave away small American flags. Known as “stick flags” or “spearhead flags,” they are a Memorial Day tradition that honors fallen heroes and expresses gratitude. They also gave red poppy pins, which colleagues could wear to remember US Armed Forces members who have given their lives for their country since World War I. Red poppy pins are worn in many of the WWI Allied countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, New Zealand and Canada.

A highlight of the display was a Fallen Comrade Table, with symbolic items to remind visitors of fallen, missing or imprisoned U.S. military service members. The table includes the following symbols and meanings:

• White cloth: Symbolizes the purity of service members’ motives when answering the call to serve
• Single red rose, displayed in a vase: Symbolizes both the lives of these Americans and their loved ones and friends who keep the faith while seeking answers
• Red ribbon: Symbolizes continued determination to account for the missing
• Slice of lemon: Symbolizes the bitter fate of those captured or missing in a foreign land
• Pinch of salt: Symbolizes the tears of missing service members and their families, some of whom long for answers after decades of uncertainty
• Lighted candle: Symbolizes hope for the return of the missing, alive or dead
• Bible: Symbolizes strength gained through faith to sustain us and those lost from our country
• Inverted glass: Symbolizes lost service members’ inability to share a toast
• Empty chair: Symbolizes seats that remain unclaimed at the table

“Hosting this display gave us an opportunity to foster a sense of unity, gratitude and teamwork among our UCPath employees,” says VAUS member Virginia Nixon, WFA Assistant.

Check out more photos from the display

Learn more about Veterans Among US

Visit the VAUS ERG webpage to learn more about the mission of our newest ERG. For more info about VAUS, contact Mark Romo or Martha Naber. Colleagues from all UCOP locations are encouraged to join!

Read more about National Military Appreciation Month

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