A plaque was installed next to Wilson Plaza to commemorate ROTC program graduates and alumni who have sacrificed their lives in the armed forces on Friday.
The memorial was inspired by the death of Army 2nd Lt. Mark Daily and was unveiled in honor of Veteran’s Day.
Chancellor Gene Block and several generals gave speeches at the ceremony, providing those in attendance with a general idea of how the UCLA community has been affected by war throughout American history.
The audience included former and current ROTC cadets and their families, as well as students and staff.
More than 200 UCLA alumni have died in the armed services.
The plaque dedicated to these former Bruins features two quotes, one from Daily and the other from baseball player Jackie Robinson. Robinson, a UCLA alumnus, served as a second lieutenant in the army but never saw combat.
Daily’s quote reads, “Don’t forget that human beings have a responsibility to one another, and that Americans will always have a responsibility to the oppressed.”
Daily died in Iraq in January 2007.He was born on the Fourth of July, graduated from UCLA with honors and joined the armed forces immediately upon graduating.
Earlier this year, in a ceremony preceeding Daily’s wake, bagpipes played as his coffin was carried through campus as a final farewell.
Although his family had planned for a 175-person service, Daily’s funeral was attended by about 1,600 people who shared in the Daily family’s grief.
“We thought we should have some place where we could go when we lose a Bruin, some place where friends and family can come, and where we can do Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies to honor those who have died at war,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Talcott, a professor of military sciences, about Friday’s ceremony.
Other speakers at the ceremony included Vietnam War hero Judge Vincent Okamoto, and Maj. Gen. John Singlaub, who is a veteran of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Both speakers attended UCLA. Okamoto was commissioned through UCLA’s ROTC program.
Capt. Jason Marquez, a UCLA alumnus who served with Daily, spoke at the ceremony on behalf of Daily and the men contributing to the war effort.
“Personally, I think Mark would have wanted people to appreciate who he really was,” Marquez said.
“He was an average guy who did above average things. He was a son, a husband, and a brother ““ he’d want students to identify with him because he was just like any other Bruin commonly found studying at Powell or running around campus.”
He added that Daily and the other UCLA alumni who have died in service would have been grateful for the memorial.
“Mark was one of many in a long proud history of UCLA alumni who volunteered their lives to serve their country. I’m really glad that there is now a place on campus where they can be honored,” Marquez said.