Attendees of the final home football game of the season may notice a slight change in the uniforms of the UNA Lions. 

Yellow ribbon stickers will be placed on the back of each player’s helmet as part of a joint effort between the Department of Athletics and ROTC to coordinate a veterans and military appreciation day on Nov. 2, said Lt. Col. Michael Snyder, director of ROTC.

“We owe a great debt of gratitude to those that have served our country and we are excited about the opportunity to link arms with our ROTC program as we did last year and honor those veterans and current military,” said Mark Linder, director of athletics. “I know there are a lot of veterans in the area that plan on attending and we plan on recognizing them.”

Veterans and community members are invited to join the athletic trainers at Braly Stadium on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. to help place the stickers, which commemorate veteran appreciation, on the helmets, said Tyler Unsicker, assistant athletic director of external operations. Although the stickers have been placed on the helmets before, this will be the first year that placing the stickers will be a public event, he said.

“If students want to volunteer and assist with the trainers, they can come help the athletic trainers put decals on the helmets on Friday,” Snyder said. “It’s just another way to stop, reflect and put a yellow ribbon in remembrance of our fallen warriors and those who are serving.”

In addition to the helmet stickers, any veterans or military personnel that can present a valid identification will be admitted to the game for free and will receive tickets for a guest if they pick up their tickets at the Flowers Hall box office the week of the game, Linder said.

“Being a former football player with family in the military, I think that what they are doing with the veterans is awesome,” said Richie Mata’afa, a senior. “Military vets have put their lives on the line so that people like myself have the opportunity to play the game of football and others can enjoy watching it.”

The ROTC will participate in a mixed color guard at the beginning of the game, which will feature current cadets in the program, as well as active military and several veterans organization from the shoals area, Snyder said.

“Veterans will carry the flags too, so it will be our future leaders and our past leaders carrying our colors together on the field,” Snyder said.

The Pride of Dixie Marching band will alter the end of their halftime set to feature a medley of songs representing each branch of the military to honor veterans and active military, Snyder said.

During the game, ROTC cadets will be positioned throughout the stadium to accept donations to fund a future Operation HOOAH event. HOOAH stands for Healing Outside Of A Hospital and the corresponding event is a day of guided fishing tours in local lakes for wounded warriors hosted by Southern Fishing News, Snyder said.

“Last year we raised money for the wounded warrior project,” Snyder said. “This year we wanted to bring (our fundraising) closed to home and sponsoring Operation HOOAH is the way to do it.”

The athletic department has also ordered 100 hats commemorating the event that will be sold at the game, if they are delivered in time, Unsicker said. Whenever the hats are sold, $6 of each purchased hat sold will be donated by the athletic department to Operation HOOAH, he said.