Outside Memorial Stadium on the Indiana University campus in Bloomington, a pair of anti-aircraft guns and part of the mast of the USS Indiana stand as a tribute to Hoosiers who have served in the U.S. armed forces. The display takes on added attention this week as No. 5 Indiana, the defending national champion, hosts No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday in Monroe County.
But the university’s deepest connection to military service isn’t outside the stadium — it’s inside the Indiana Memorial Union, where a fragile, hand-written volume called the Golden Book is kept in a protected room, housed in a clear plastic case.
The book dates to 1898, when the Indiana Daily Student began documenting military service by IU students and staff, starting with a list of those who served in the Spanish-American War, followed by an effort to record Civil War service. According to Indiana University’s website, the book’s 152 pages list veterans’ names along with donors to IU’s Memorial Fund, which financed three campus buildings built in honor of those who served: Memorial Hall, Indiana Memorial Union and Memorial Stadium.
The names recorded by hand span the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Mexican Border Expedition, World War I and World War II. In 2016, the university began digitizing the Golden Book; it now includes more than 25,000 names.
“I just think it’s the coolest thing ever, and I think it’s so unique,” said Zainab Diouf, an Indiana student and member of the Indiana National Guard. “No other school has that, so I think it’s such a cool thing, and I really encourage if you’re here at IU to go see it.”
Vasiliios Koultourides, a senior at Indiana and a member of the Indiana National Guard, first saw the book while touring campus as a high school student.
“I was like, whoa, I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s like a little chapel kind of, but I remember walking up to the book and just looking at it, and that’s when it kind of hit me like, oh, this is a memorial for everyone that’s ever been (in the military). It’s amazing to see how they’ve kept such in-depth records about these people’s lives and service. It means a lot to know that you’re not forgotten, and you’ll forever be there and remembered. It’s really cool to see.”
Koultourides said the university’s regard for military-connected students extends well beyond the archive. “IU definitely has an upper echelon of military history, and they do really treat their military personnel with a lot of respect,” he said. “They do really care about us.”
Support on Campus
Indiana University operates a Center for Veterans and Military Students that helps with benefits, funding, scholarships and career guidance. “The Center for Veterans and Military Students is awesome,” Koultourides said. “It’s a nice area where you can sit, study, and then also meet individuals that are just like you who have shared experiences. Which is really important for a lot of people who have gone and actually deployed, and they come back to school.”
Military recognition is woven into Indiana athletics as well. Most teams hold “Salute to Service” games each season, and military students and veterans take part in events ranging from color guard duty to helping fire up crowds alongside cheerleaders. At football games, military students perform pushups after touchdowns and fire off a cannon.
“We just have such a big military-oriented culture here,” Koultourides said. “At the football games, you’ll see the ROTC on the field cheering on, helping cheer with the cheerleaders. I feel like IU just really loves its veterans and its veteran students and allows us to be students while understanding our service.”
“It’s a really nice experience for all of us to really have the opportunity,” he added. “And it shows how thankful they are for what we do for the community and for everyone who serves.”
