Nov. 12, 2003
Columbia, Mo. - History will be made this Saturday, when the University of Missouri and Texas A&M football game will be distributed overseas to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, marking the first such arrangement in Mizzou history.
As part of its Veteran's Day Salute at Faurot Field, the football game, set to kickoff at 11:30 a.m., will be shown overseas by the Armed Forces Television Network. Fox Sports Net and the University of Missouri are teaming with the Armed Forces Network to make the telecast possible.
"We are very pleased that we can do this for our troops around the world," said MU Director of Athletics Mike Alden. "We often take for granted our collective freedoms that we experience each day, and enjoying a college football game on a Saturday afternoon is one of those freedoms that mean so much to us as Americans. We're grateful to the people of Fox Sports and the Armed Forces Network for allowing us to show our appreciation in this way for our men and women overseas," he said.
The telecast is just one of several activities on Saturday that will take place related to the Veteran's Day Salute. Following is a brief description of all activities:
Pre-Game
*Over 275 cadets from the Missouri Military Academy will attend the game and participate in a pre-game parade around the perimeter of the field. This is the fourth consecutive year MMA has been a part of these festivities.
*During Marching Mizzou's pre-game performance, the Exercise Tiger Foundation will honor approximately eight Distinguished Servicemen for their dedication to duty in the face of adversity. Recognizing these servicemen will be United States Senator Christopher Bond, Missouri Governor Bob Holden, Col. Douglas Raeberg, University of Missouri Chancellor Richard Wallace, and University of Missouri Director of Athletics Mike Alden.
*Following the Distinguished Servicemen recognition, Marching Mizzou will play the National Anthem, after which, an aerial flyover will ensue from a B-2 Bomber trailed by A-10 aircraft.
Halftime
*Over 75 members of the Air Force's Delayed Entry Program will be sworn in at the North End Zone of Faurot Field by Col. Douglas Raeberg.
*United States Senator Christopher Bond will present a scholarship to Stephanie Monda. Sen. Bond was chosen as legislator of the year and received a $2,500 award. He then donated the award and asked the Veteran's of Foreign Wars Department in Missouri to form a scholarship committee to select a deserving student whose parents are currently serving in the Middle East. Monda's father is a member of the Missouri National Guard.
*Following Marching Mizzou's halftime performance, the world famous Texas A&M band will entertain with a seven minute routine. The Texas A&M band is well known as one of the best military bands in the world, exhibiting great precision in their performance.
Miscellaneous Points of Interest
*Over 1,200 members of the United States Air Force from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri will attend the game and will be seated together in the South end of Faurot Field.
*This is the sixth consecutive year the University of Missouri Department of Athletics has held a Veteran's Day Salute in conjunction with a November football game. Total participation in the activities has grown from approximately 200 in year one to over 2,000 active or retired military as well as Military Academy students in 2003.
*The United States Army is one of the Official Sponsors of the game.