Central Oregon Community College will host a dedication event for the revamped Robert D. Maxwell Veterans Resource Center May 28 at the Coats Campus Center.

Members of the community are invited to attend this free event. Refreshments will be served.

The official ceremony will take place 4 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. and will include a color guard, the national anthem and folding of the flag in honor of Robert D. Maxwell, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient.

Event speakers will include Nakeia Council Daniels, a U.S. Army veteran and director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and Command Master Chief J. W. Terry, U.S. Navy, who is retired and serves on the Central Oregon Outreach board of directors.

An open house of the center will be held before and after the ceremony until 6 p.m. A U.S. Army MH-47G Chinook helicopter will land on the campus athletic field for the event, and crew members and active duty U.S. Special Operations Forces with the helicopter will remain at the event to share their experiences.

Maxwell passed away in 2019 at age 98. Following World War II, he settled in Bend and helped COCC start its automotive program.

Funding for the center came from the U.S. Department of Education and the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs. For the current academic year, 7.2% of certificate- and degree-seeking COCC students identify as veterans.