Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., visited Park University on Sept. 27, to discuss the Valor Medals Review Task Force, learn more about Park’s Military Credit Fast App and tour the Park Global Warrior Center.

Blunt received an update on the Valor Medals Review Task Force, which is preparing to posthumously award honors to minority World War I veterans. Timothy Westcott, Ph.D., associate professor of history, presented his current research findings.

Blunt also received updates on Park’s Military Credit Fast App, which was developed to help students translate their military experience into credit hours at the university.

The visit to the Global Warrior Center allowed Blunt to visit with student veterans and to get an idea of how they help students. In the Warrior Center, Park University President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., presented the senator a pen with wood made from the former deck of the battleship USS Missouri.

With the presentation, Dr. Gunderson shared the connections with the USS Missouri, the fact Sen. Blunt sits at President Harry S. Truman’s desk, and Blunt’s support of the military, making it an “appropriate” token for the senator.

Pleased with the “fantastic” token, Blunt spoke with more veterans, before answering questions for visiting media.

With the current climate in Washington, D.C., the Kansas City media wasn’t very interested in the goings on at Park, but this didn’t dissuade the senator from expressing his gratitude to Park University as a whole.

“I think Park is doing a great job doing what needs to be done,” Blunt said.

He also shared about the task force research and said he was “hopeful” the American public can reap the work Park is doing. Blunt hopes the “result in honors being given while, hopefully, some family members who might remember their great-grandfather or their great-great uncle, who are still around to be part of seeing that recognition.”