CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — DeSales University will hold a commemorative ceremony to recognize and honor the sacrifices made by Vietnam War veterans and their families.
- DeSales University is set to hold a special ceremony to recognize and honor Vietnam War veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice
- The event will feature retired Commander James S. Turner Jr., United States Navy, as the keynote speaker
- The university's Office of Veterans and Military Services is recognized as an official Commemorative Partner of the Department of Defense, Vietnam War Commemoration
The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 29 — National Vietnam War Veterans Day — in the Commonwealth Room of the DeSales University Center.
The ceremony will feature retired U.S. Navy Commander James S. Turner Jr. as keynote speaker.
Turner is a native of northeast Pennsylvania who joined the Navy in 1958 after graduating from high school. According to Janelle Hill, director of media relations at DeSales, Turner is a member of the Fleet Reserve Association’s Lehigh Valley branch.
The Fleet Reserve Association is a non-profit U.S. military and veterans organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.
During Turner's more than 34 years of distinguished service, he was deployed to 40 countries across six continents, including serving five years off the coasts of North and South Vietnam during the most intensive bombing campaigns.
Thanking veterans and their families
The event will also will involve several local veterans organizations, such as John Rivers Memorial VFW Post 11322, Quakertown; Vietnam Veterans of America Lehigh Valley Chapter 415; Egypt VFW Post 7293, Whitehall Township; Fleet Reserve Association, Black Diamond Branch No. 115; Bethlehem Detachment No. 284 Marine Corps League; Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 0190-PA-1; and Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council.
Hill said the event last year had more than 200 attendees — primarily local veterans.
DeSales University’s Office of Veterans and Military Services is organizing the ceremony and is recognized as an official Commemorative Partner of the Department of Defense, Vietnam War Commemoration.
The event aims to honor and thank Vietnam War veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice in protecting the freedom of the United States. To learn more, go to its website.
