Yellow ribbons will once again adorn the trees on the Quad, and the Davis campus also will host a reception with a speaker to mark Veterans Day next week.

The ribbons — symbolizing the ties that bind us to military men and women — have been a campus tradition on the Quad since 2011. Student veterans, the Veterans Services Office and the Veteran Constituency Group (staff, faculty and students) will be tying the ribbons around the trees late Monday afternoon (Nov. 7).

UC Davis will hold two receptions for veterans: Tuesday, Nov. 8, on the Sacramento campus; and Wednesday, Nov. 9, in Davis.

The Davis reception is new this year — an opportunity to bring the campus's military veterans together, from among staff, faculty and students (we have nearly 200 veterans in the student category).

“We are honoring our veterans and their service,” said the reception organizer, Bruce Mattos, a veteran himself and a member of the Veteran Constituency Group for staff, faculty and students. As the recruitment manager in Human Resources, Mattos often works with veterans who are transitioning back to the regular work force.

He’s recruited another veteran as guest speaker: Sacramento-based U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. He’s a veteran of the Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General Corps, holding the rank of major. He served from 1988 until his confirmation as a federal judge in 2002.

He last served in the JAGS Corps as a senior defense counsel. He received the Meritorious Service Medal with one Oak Leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf cluster and the Army Achievement Medal.

Guest speaker on the Sacramento campus is an Army veteran and member of the UC Davis medical staff: Kenneth Furukawa, clinical professor of pediatric anesthesiology and acute pain management.

He served as chief of anesthesia for the 85th General Hospital and participated in Forward Surgical Team development at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Subsequently, after attending the Army Medical Department Advanced Officer Course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he transferred to the clinical teaching staff of Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston.

Furukawa had assignments as assistant chief of the anesthesia and operative service, and chief of anesthesia, 41st Combat Support Hospital. Later, as deputy commander of clinical services for the 41st CSH, he deployed to Eagle Base, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Coming to the Memorial Union

Veterans Day presents the perfect opportunity to remind the campus what’s coming for veterans in the Memorial Union: a dedicated space for veterans in the the building dedicated to their fallen comrades.

The ongoing renovation project will include the newly named Veterans Success Center on the second floor. Veterans services will move to the MU from Dutton Hall, which will keep the other parts of what is called the TRV Center, for transfer, re-entry and veteran students.

The veterans center currently has one full-time employee and an additional staff member who splits his time between helping transfer, re-entry and veteran students.

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