COLUMBIA, KY. (10/27/2026) As the nation winds down its celebration of the semiquincentennial of America's founding in 1776, this year's Lindsey Wilson University Veterans Appreciation Luncheon will honor the founding of the nation's six military branches.
Lindsey Wilson's 24th annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at VFW Post 6097, 500 Green Hills Road, Columbia.
The luncheon is free and open to all area veterans and their spouses.
In addition to the meal, the luncheon will include a short program for veterans and their spouses.
"I know Nov. 11 is such an important day to our region's veterans, and it's also an important day to the Lindsey Wilson community," said Lindsey Wilson Dean of Students Chris Schmidt, who helps coordinate and oversee the event. "For nearly a quarter of a century, the luncheon has been a very small way for the university to thank the men and women who answered the call when asked to serve their country."
The birth of America's armed forces predates the signing of the Declaration of Independence by more than a year. In fact, three branches of the U.S. armed forces -- Army, Navy and Marines -- were founded before the nation.
The Continental Army was created by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, followed by the Navy on Oct. 13, 1775, and then the Marine Corps on Nov. 10, 1775.
As the nation's national security needs evolved, so did the branches of its armed forces. The Coast Guard can trace its roots to the Revenue Cutter Service when it was established by Congress on Aug. 4, 1790. The modern Coast Guard was created when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Coast Guard Act on Jan. 28, 1915, merging the Revenue Cutter Service with the Lifesaving Service.
President Harry Truman established the Air Force on Sept. 18, 1947, when he signed the National Security Act of 1947, and the Space Force was established on Dec. 20, 2019, when President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act.
"Just as our nation has many stories about its founding, so do the branches of our armed forces," said Schmidt. "But one thread that runs through all of the branches of our armed forces is a commitment to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.' The men and women we will honor and recognize at this year's luncheon have been exemplars of that commitment."
The LWU luncheon was started in 2003 as part of Lindsey Wilson's centennial year celebration, and it's been held every subsequent year, even during the COVID-19 pandemic when university employees and students made meals ready to eat and worked with VFW post members to deliver the MREs to area veterans.
"This luncheon is always one of the highlights of our school year for our students who assist at it because it reminds them what it means to be committed to something bigger than yourself," said Schmidt. "The veterans we serve every year are living role models to our students."
Reservations for the Lindsey Wilson Veterans Appreciation Luncheon are not required. For more information, contact the Lindsey Wilson Office of Student Services at 270-384-8036.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, six graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
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