Veteran sees red

Veteran sees red when passing the NCSU bell tower? Rather than complain about the bell tower glowing red on Memorial Day, veterans that don't like red lights shining on the tower on those days should be excited that we are taking time to think about current and past veterans and honor them with the lights. Turning on the red lights, or any other color for that matter, on Veterans Day indeed honors the soldiers and makes that day special.

Like the recent custom of lighting the tower with red lights after winning NCSU ballgames, shining the lights during Memorial Day serves to remind us all that our freedom has been won and protected by the veterans and should make the public aware of a time for celebration.

No matter what the color of the lights on Memorial Day, we are taking an extra step to honor veterans and make the day a little more special. After all, the red color is one of the colors on our nation's flag. Yes, we could light the tower with white or blue lights but red serves the purpose and makes it just as special to help remember those that served to maintain our freedom. That freedom lets us honor those that served in any way we choose and also lets a few complain about the color of the lights on the tower if they choose...

News and Observer
May 28, 2007
Josh Shaffer, Staff Writer

Bell Tower has veteran seeing red

RALEIGH - The Bell Tower at N.C. State University glows Wolfpack red for
the school's proudest and most solemn moments -- not to mention 20 times this
year for cherished basketball wins.

This irks Kenneth Beatty, 93, who can still recall the day in 1949 when the
university dedicated its Hillsborough Street tower as a monument to alumni
killed in World War I.

It stings him each year as Memorial Day nears and he thinks of troops getting
the same red-light honor that the men's hoops squad got by beating Duke in
March. Read more...