The Freedom From Religion Foundation is holding a special Veterans Day commemoration on Friday, Nov. 11, to honor those who have served, including “atheists in foxholes.” About a quarter of FFRF’s members are veterans or in the military.
The event will be held at the “Atheists in Foxholes” monument in the Rose Zerwick Memorial Garden and Courtyard at FFRF’s office building, Freethought Hall, in downtown Madison, Wis., starting at 10:30 a.m. There will be a special photo-op for veterans at the monument. The media and the public are invited to attend.
The monument, which was dedicated last year during a grand opening celebration for the renovated Freethought Hall, is dedicated to “ATHEISTS IN FOXHOLES and the countless freethinkers who have served this country with honor and distinction. Presented with hope that in the future humankind may learn to avoid all war.”
The 7-foot-tall, 4,743-pound monument, made of the same South Dakota granite that Mount Rushmore is carved from, reflects the long windows that are part of the original 1855 building and provides a focus for the memorial garden and courtyard adjacent to Freethought Hall’s refurbished entrance. A teak bench opposite the monument provides a spot for reflection.
“FFRF has strong support among current members of our armed forces and veterans,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Our monument honors nonreligious veterans, serving as a reminder to our nation that — contrary to that tired, untrue cliché — there are indeed many ‘atheists in foxholes.'”
Please check in at the lobby. There will be socializing, hot beverages and cookies in FFRF’s capacious Charlie Brooks Auditorium following the program. There’s no RSVP required, but help refreshments planning by emailing [email protected] or by calling 608-256-8900 9-5 by Nov. 10, with number of attendees.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a Madison, Wis.-based national state/church watchdog organization with more than 23,000 nonreligious members all over the country, including 1,300-plus in Wisconsin and thousands of people who are serving or have served our nation.
