RESTORING THE LEGACY OF THE VETERANS WALL

By Shannon Robinson

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS VETERANS WALL

Near an upstairs entrance of the newly renovated student union building at the University of North Texas, you’ll find an unassuming, yet stately, Veteran’s memorial wall. Covered in plaques big and small, this wall commemorates the UNT Veterans who fought and served for our country.

This wall is the work of James Davenport, the campus’s Director of Veteran’s Services. An Army Vet himself and UNT alumni, he remembers excavating the basement of the student union before its renovation. In 2014, when he was hired to his current position, he found several damaged and corroded plaques in the basement; noticing the names and dates, he realized their importance and knew they needed to be restored.

“It’s a miracle the plaques survived the hot and cold Veteran history in the United States,” James remarked. He pointed out that several names on the World War I and World War II memorial plaques had been ripped off; he assumes they were removed during the Vietnam conflict because of the tension in the country and hostility towards Veterans at the time.

The wall honors the UNT Veterans of Korea and Vietnam, those who gave their lives in World War II, and the POW and MIA servicemen of the Southeast Asia. A much larger plaque memorializes the students who gave their lives in World Wars I and II, listing the names of the fallen. This plaque was part of the original dedication of the Memorial Student Union on March 31, 1949.

JAMES DAVENPORT

Director of Veteran Services

University of North Texas

Lastly, there is one plaque that is particularly important to Davenport. He wanted to ensure every UNT Veteran feels represented and honored in this memorial, so he commissioned a new plaque commemorating the Veterans of every major conflict since 1914. 

He designed the plaque himself and took special care to guarantee it was all-encompassing. Conflicts include Operation Paul Bunyan and Operation Golden Pheasant. Civilians often don’t realize how many operations our military has been involved in over the years, and Jim didn’t want those who served in any conflict to be forgotten or overlooked.

It is comforting to know that in a world so often divided, there is at least one man and one university striving to honor the service men and women who have fought to preserve the freedoms we cherish.