The recently formed Penn State Brandywine Veterans Club held a Veterans Day celebration open to all members of the campus in honor of the national holiday on Nov. 11 in the Tomezsko Classroom Building Lounge.
A special guest at the celebration was campus founder and former CEO John Vairo, who served as a naval officer during World War II and welcomed everyone to the event. The festivities began with a panel of veterans representing the campus and local community who described their service in the Armed Forces. Participants related their Veterans Day remembrances and the importance this day holds for each of them. The panel included veterans from the last five decades; their tours of duty spanned from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan.
A common theme of “service to country” emerged and was present in each veteran’s story as Veterans Day is a celebration of service and gives all Americans the chance to thank the country’s “Citizen Soldiers.”
The enthusiastic crowd of more than 80 people applauded each and every one of the participants. A meet-and-greet combined with a lunch followed the panel discussion. The following members of the Veterans Club worked together to plan the event: junior Daniel DiNardis, freshman Steven Kan, freshman Richard McCash, senior Romana Frederick, freshman Kristin Collins and senior David Vesely. Student Government Association members sophomore Bobbi Caprice and junior Stephanie Tracy also helped plan the event.
Those interested in joining the new Veterans Club can contact Steven Kan at sik5234@psu.edu.