The University's Army ROTC department commemorated Capt. Humayun S. Khan, a University alumnus killed in Iraq in June, following the annual POW-MIA Recognition Ceremony held by the ROTC departments yesterday.
All four branches of the ROTC program -- the Army, the Navy, the Marines and the Air Force -- gathered in the Amphitheatre to pay tribute to more than 50,000 prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.
Preceding the ceremony, the Air Force Honor Guard held a 24-hour vigil. The ceremony commenced with a 21-gun salute by the Air Force Honor Guard, followed by opening statements by Col. John Vrba of the Air Force ROTC.
Keynote speakers included Capt. Rebecca Skinner, a University graduate of the Army ROTC class of 1999, and retired Major General Wayne Jefferson. Khan's family and friends also attended the ceremony.
After the POW-MIA ceremony, the Army ROTC dedicated a room in the ROTC headquarters in the Astronomy Building the Humayun S. Khan Conference Room. The room contains pictures of Khan and news clippings of his death, as well as his military uniform.
"It's really wonderful that the University and the ROTC program are doing this," said Stacie Leake, a friend and classmate of Khan's. "A part of him will always live on here at U.Va."
Khan was a security officer for the army stationed at Camp Warhorse in Baquaba, Iraq. On June 8, he was welcoming Iraqi civilians at the camp gate when he stopped two trained combatants traveling in a vehicle. The combatants set off explosives, killing Khan instantly.
Khan's attentiveness prevented the deaths of many American soldiers as well as Iraqis, said Col. Hampton Hite, University Army ROTC chair.
Khan is the first University Army ROTC soldier to be killed in combat since the Vietnam War, Hite added.
"In his life, he gave joy to everyone he knew," Skinner said. "In his death, he gave honor to his entire country."
Those who knew Khan spoke fondly of him.
"He was an excellent cadet," said Lt. Col. John Dean, the former University Army ROTC chair who commissioned Khan in 2000. "He loved people and cared a great deal about others."
Khan's skills made him a valuable asset, according to Hite.
"He spoke fluent Arabic, understood Islam and was a trained Army officer," he said. "This is a huge loss for the nation and for the U.Va. family."
In addition to dedicating the conference room in his honor, the Army ROTC will also award an annual scholarship in Khan's memory. Chosen by classmates, the recipient of the scholarship will be a fourth-year Army ROTC student who excels in leadership.
"For those who didn't know him, it's a good way to them to know what he did and what people like him do everyday -- something future generations can go back and remember," Dean said.
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