PennWest President Dr. Jon Anderson signed a proclamation Wednesday designating Nov. 11-15, 2024, Military and Veterans Appreciation Week at Pennsylvania Western University.

The proclamation reaffirms PennWest’s commitment to serving and supporting veterans and military families and lauds the continued contributions of past and present members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

“Military veterans have made tremendous sacrifices throughout the history of our nation,” President Anderson said. “We are proud to honor and recognize these brave individuals, including many PennWest students, faculty, staff and alumni, for their selfless service and continued contributions to our communities.”

PennWest will commemorate Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11, at each campus. The events are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.

California - Register

A Vietnam War Remembrance ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. at the Vietnam Memorial near the intersection of 3rd and Hickory streets on the California campus. A lunch program will follow at 11:30 a.m. in the North Wing of the Convocation Center.

PennWest faculty member Dr. Christopher Wydra, whose background includes a robust background in military service and law enforcement, will deliver the keynote address. Wydra served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1990 to 1997 and continued his military career with the 171st Air Force National Guard from 2008 to 2014.

Wydra’s civilian career includes more than 20 years of dedicated service with the Pittsburgh Police Department. He spent 14 years as a detective, during which time he specialized in complex investigations; he was deputized and worked Title III investigations at the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office for three years.

Wydra is the coordinator of PennWest’s Doctorate in Criminal Justice program.

Clarion - Register

Clarion ROTC will conduct a flag-raising ceremony at 8 a.m. near the intersection of Arnold Avenue and East Main Street, followed by a community breakfast at 8:30 a.m. in the Gemmell Student Complex multipurpose room.

Vietnam-era U.S. Army veteran Edward Deitz will serve as keynote speaker. Deitz enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 31, 1963 – one day after his graduation from Clarion-Limestone High School.

Upon completion of basic training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, and advanced individual training at Fort Monmouth in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Deitz was deployed to Fort Wheelus Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya. He served as a mail clerk for 18 months in Libya, where he was responsible for the security of the post office unit mail rooms.

The campus will be dotted with hundreds of flags for the Flags for the Fallen/Walk of Remembrance, previously held annually at Venango campus. Attendees are invited to think of a loved one, comrade or special person as a somber reminder of service to our country. The walk begins at the flagpole, winds through campus, and ends at Gemmell Student Center.

Edinboro - Register

Edinboro ROTC will conduct a flag-raising ceremony at 8 a.m. in front of Frank G. Pogue Student Center, followed by a community breakfast at 8:30 a.m. inside Van Houten Dining Hall – North.

Edinboro’s program will feature keynote speaker Brigadier General (Ret.) Patricia Genung, who commanded Special Security Command Europe in Heidelberg, Germany, and the 221st Base Support Battalion in Wiesbaden, Germany.  

Genung was deputy commander of the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade in Fort Gordon, Georgia. She helped to negotiate treaties on nuclear testing and chemical and biological warfare at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland, and she assisted the government of Afghanistan in establishing the National Military Academy of Afghanistan.

In 1996, Genung was the first woman selected as a permanent professor at the United States Military Academy. She served as professor and deputy head of the Department of Foreign Languages until her retirement in September 2005.

Pennsylvania Western University is committed to serving and supporting military service members, veterans and their families. For more information, visit www.pennwest.edu/military.