The soldier whose 2004 death in Iraq became a focal point of the presidential campaign after his father spoke at the Democratic National Convention will be honored at his alma mater with a plaque in the University of Virginia’s rotunda.
The school announced that Army Capt. Humayun Khan will be honored May 2 with his name placed by those of other graduates killed in conflicts going back to the Civil War.
Khan graduated from UVA in 2000 and was killed in Baqubah, Iraq, on June 8, 2004, as he stopped a suicide bomber from driving into a compound where more U.S. soldiers were located.
The UVA Board of Visitors’ Buildings & Grounds Committee approved the installation of the new plaque Friday, according to UVAToday.
Khan’s father, Khizr Khan, and his mother, Ghazala, appeared at the DNC to challenge Trump on comments he made on the campaign trail about restricting the entrance of Muslims into the country.
“Donald Trump, you’re asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equal protection of law,'” Khizr Khan said, holding up a pocket Constitution.
“Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing—and no one,” he added.
Speaking to ABC News after Khan’s speech, Trump responded, “I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices…I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures.”
He also remarked about Ghazala Khan: “If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably — maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me.” Ghazala Khan told media that she was too broken up about her son’s death to speak at the convention.
In the months after the convention, the Khans stepped away from the spotlight. As Election Day drew closer, though, Khizr Khan went on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton.
“We brought a high school graduate to Mr. Jefferson’s university, and he turned into a patriot and a public servant,” Khizr Khan said in response to the university honor, according to UVAToday. “He lived that tradition to his last breath.”
The Khans have held dinners for ROTC cadets and attend the annual joint commissioning ceremony at which a fourth-year cadet receives the Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan Memorial Award.
“We wanted to be involved with the cadets because we felt the same as did Humayun: these are exceptional people, most honorable, caring, leaders of our nation and patriots – the best of the University,” Khizr Khan said. “It also reminded us of our son. In each and every one, we see a reflection of Capt. Humayun Khan.”
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