U.S. Army Colonel to address veterans

ORANGEBURG, SC – An alumnus of the university, who serves as a colonel in the U.S. Army, will serve as the keynote speaker for SC State University’s annual Veterans Day Recognition Program, which will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 in the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium.
The Veterans Day Recognition Program honors the courage and sacrifices made by the men and women in all branches of the armed forces. Lead by the SC State ROTC Bulldog Battalion, the program will begin with a video tribute, followed by Posting of the Colors. A candle lighting and wreath ceremony will be held, along with the traditional playing of “Taps.”

Colonel Joe Daniels Bookard, ’93, from Denmark, South Carolina, has been tapped to keynote the program. The colonel skillfully commands thousands of soldiers and leads division-level special agencies in the U.S. Army.

Bookard has held many key leadership positions in the U.S. Army, including Regimental Fire Support officer and deputy commanding officer. Formerly, he was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Washington D.C. to work in acquisitions technology. He also as an assistant professor of military science at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Bookard has also completed multiple combat tours during the global War on Terrorism, and has served as the XVIII Airborne Corps chief of Current Operations during Operation Unified Response in Haiti.

For his outstanding leadership abilities and steadfast bravery, he has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Valorous Unit Award, Combat Action Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and various other awards and foreign parachutist badges.

Colonel Bookard received his military commission in artillery from SC State University. He also earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from SC State.

Additionally, he holds a master’s in military arts and science from the School of Advanced Military Studies and a master’s in defense and strategic studies from the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Colonel Bookard and his wife, Dr. Katina Bookard, have three children, Katelin and twin boys, Joe and Jacob.

For more information on the Veterans Day Recognition Program or on Veterans Affairs, call (803) 536- 8406.

Founded in 1896 as a land grant institution with a mission of providing service to the citizens of the state, South Carolina State University has evolved from a small teachers’ college into a major University center of learning and research. Located in Orangeburg, S.C., with a student population of some 2,900, South Carolina State offers more than 50 different fields of study on the undergraduate and graduate levels. South Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools.