For student veteran Maryn Tourtelotte, Veteran’s Day is a time to remember the sacrifices of her colleagues and remember her military experience.

“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my service,” said Tourtelotte, sophomore in psychology. “It’s forced me to grow a lot and to learn a lot about myself. I found out that I was a lot stronger than I ever thought I was.”

Tourtelotte, a specialist in the Army National Guard, has served in various places in the Middle East, including Kuwait and the cities of Mosul and Baghdad in Iraq. She said she joined the military in February 2000 as a medic because she wanted to help other people.

“The educational benefits didn’t hurt either,” Tourtelotte said.

She said being a veteran has changed the meaning of Veteran’s Day for her.

“It’s a time to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of my fellow servicemen, both past and present,” Tourtelotte said.

“It is a time to remember that the freedom that we enjoy isn’t free.”

There are few campus events planned for Veteran’s Day, although the ISU Silver Wings, a student organization, will be passing out information in front of Parks Library.

Off-campus Veteran’s Day ceremonies will also be held Thursday by the Ames American Legion and the Ames Patriotic Council and the Nevada American Legion.

“Ceremonies help the public remember veterans, and think about and grasp what they’ve done for us,” said Eric Wolf, commander of the Air Force ROTC Honor Guard at Iowa State.

The Honor Guard will post the flag at the Veteran’s Day ceremony in Nevada, said Wolf, a sophomore in aerospace engineering. The ceremony is at 11 a.m. in the Camelot Theatre, 1114 6th St., Nevada.

Lee McMillen, commander of the Ames American Legion and Ames Patriotic Council member, said the Veteran’s Day ceremony will include patriotic songs as well as an address by veteran and state Sen. Steve Warnstadt, D-Sioux City. The Veteran’s Day ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Ames American Legion post, 225 Main St.

“I’m going to be talking about honoring our veterans and those who are presently in the service,” Warnstadt said.

He served in the Army from 1989 to 1992 and has been an intelligence officer with the Iowa Army National Guard for the last 15 years. Warnstadt said he grew up admiring national service.

“I think serving a cause greater than one’s self is one of the more noble callings,” he said.

Megan Brentlinger, president of the ISU Silver Wings, said her group, which is dedicated to providing educational information about the importance of national defense, will be selling flag magnets and window stickers in front of Parks Library.

The group will also be passing out flag education pamphlets, which provide information on how to properly care for and display the American flag.