Community Veterans Day Ceremony

The Adair County Veterans’ Organizations will host the Community Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Rieger Armory, 500 S. Elson St.

Doors will open at 10 a.m. and David Lee, local veterans’ service officer with the Missouri Veterans Commission, will be available to answer questions about veterans’ benefits.

Lt. Col. Dennis J. Utt, professor of military science, will serve as the keynote speaker. Utt entered active duty in 1991 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Quartermaster Corps through Officer Candidate School in 1999. His record of service includes Iraq, Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation New Dawn.

A native of Cameron, Mo., Utt was selected to be a professor of military science at Truman in 2015.

Utt’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with one service star, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with two service stars, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with two service stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Overseas Service Ribbon with Numeral 5, the NATO Medal for Kosovo Operations and the Meritorious Unit Commendation with two oak leaf clusters. Utt has also been inducted into the Distinguished Order of Saint Martin.

The public is encouraged to attend the event.