EUGENE, Or - One of only 12 living Medal of Honor recipients who fought in World War II will be at Lane Community College to dedicate the Maxwell Student Veteran Center in a public ceremony on Monday, Nov. 5, from 1-3 p.m. in the Center for Meeting and Learning, Building 19, 4000 E. 30th Avenue in Eugene.
Technician 5th Grade Robert Dale Maxwell, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, will speak at a dedication for the center named in his honor. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 7 September 1944."
A resident of Bend, Maxwell taught in Lane's auto mechanics program from 1966 until his retirement 1986. Before that, he helped establish the automotive program at Central Oregon Community College and in 1970 he was named as one of 5,000 outstanding educators in America. He continues honoring veterans as a director of the nonprofit Bend Heroes Foundation.
The dedication will recognize Maxwell's 20 years of service to Lane and his skill as a master mechanic and teacher, and honor his exceptional heroism in World War II. An informal gathering for attendees to visit with Maxwell and his family and help him celebrate his birthday will follow the ceremony—he turns 92 on Oct. 26.
More about Maxwell online:
http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2007/08/22/4373088-medal-of-honor-robert-d-maxwell?lite
http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/Home/Medal-of-Honor-Robert-Maxwell.aspx or on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_living_Medal_of_Honor_recipients
The Maxwell Student Veteran Center is another step forward in Lane's student veterans program. The center provides quiet space where student veterans can take a breather, study, get answers to questions, or connect with other student veterans. It offers Internet access and has ADA-accessible stations. The center is open Mondays through Thursdays. Lane offers comprehensive services for student veterans to help them more fully engage in their learning experience and transition into college.
Lane is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Visit online at www.lanecc.edu or www.twitter.com/lanenews or www.facebook.com/lanecommunitycollege
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Media contact: Joan Aschim, PIO, aschimj@lanecc.edu or (541) 463-5591