Roane State Community College

November 3, 2025

Roane State Community College will host a flag retirement ahead of Veterans Day this year at its Roane County Campus in Harriman.

The ceremony will take place on the front lawn near Patton Lane on the evening of November 10, 2025. The American Legion Kingston Post 110 will lead the ceremony starting promptly at 6 p.m. ET.

For those planning to be on campus or in the immediate area during this time, please note that rifle fire may be heard briefly and is a planned part of the ceremony.

All of the flags being retired during the event are from the college’s bi-annual Veteran Wave display. The project was started in 2021 as a way to honor veterans for their service to the nation.

Displays occur on campus every Veterans Day for approximately one week as well as Memorial Day through the 4th of July. Each flag represents a single veteran chosen by the flag sponsor.

To date, flags have recognized Roane State student veterans, members of faculty and staff, and other heroes who have served in the military, both past and present.

While flags are flown on several campuses as part of the effort, the display at the main campus in Harriman has become the largest with dozens of flags included each year.

“We are so grateful to our campus community for their continued support of the Veteran Wave,” said Dr. Diane Ward, Roane State’s vice president of student learning and one of the project’s organizers. “The ceremony planned for next week is going to be a beautiful tribute to our veterans. We hope everyone can join us on campus as we retire these flags with dignity and respect.”

Special invitations have been sent for those choosing to have their Veteran Wave flags retired this year. Members of the community are also invited to attend the ceremony.

For more information on the Veteran Wave project, visit roanestate.edu/veteranwave.