Indian Hills Community College to celebrate all veterans

We will celebrate all veterans at Indian Hills Community College (Ottumwa) campus Saturday, November 2. There is a special evening at IHCC planned in thanks and recognition for military service. There will be a free meal for any veteran (+ 1 guest) at 5 p.m. in Hills Diner followed by a 1-man play called The American Soldier at 7 p.m. in St John Auditorium. While the meal is private for veterans (+ 1 guest), The American Soldier performance is free and open for all to attend.

Please register for the veteran’s meal (+ 1 guest) as seating for the meal is limited and reserve your seats for the play at: https://ihcc.edu/soldier

The American Soldier (www.theamericansoldiersoloshow.com) performance is by Douglas Taurel. While he is not a veteran, veterans all over the country applaud Taurel’s performance for bringing their stories to the stage. His performance shows what military members go through in times of war and at home.

“The overall theme is thanking family members and veterans. The idea is to give the audience a sincere understanding of what it is that we ask our men and women in arms to do for us, that is the goal,” Taurel said.

The American Soldier spans all of America’s significant war conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. It took Taurel 8 years to create the 14 different characters the audience sees during his 80 minute show. Each of characters is based upon real letters written by real servicemen in each war including a father in the wake of his soldier son’s suicide, a soldier dealing with the loss of his limb, a wife and son dealing with a deployed father’s absence, and a grieving mother remembering her son at the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

“I have a storyline that goes through the play,” Taurel says. “I try to talk about the different aspects of war, the challenges of what they (soldiers) have to go through.”

This veteran’s event is sponsored by the following organizations: Warriors With Wings, Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation, Iowa Works, Wash King, Open Bible Church — Bloomfield, Cygnus-Tech Industries, and Indian Hills Community College — Culinary Arts & Performing & Visual Arts.

Questions about the performance or meal at IHCC may be directed to Dr. Jennifer Boyenga at jennifer.boyenga@indianhills.edu.