Wilkes University held a very special Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. on 11/11/21 in the McHale Athletic Center. Planned by the Wilkes Veterans Council, the program honored Korean War veterans with the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal. Featured speakers included President Greg Cant, King’s College President Thomas P. Looney, U.S. Navy veteran and Wilkes student Ryan Evans, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, State Senator John Yudichak, and Mark Kaster, Lt. Col. (USAF ret.). The medals were given by South Korea to soldiers who fought during the Korean War from June 1950 to July 1953, and/or the UN peacekeeping operation through the end of 1955.
Nine Korean War veterans were present to accept the medals from Senators Toomey and Yudichak, and nine others were presented posthumously. The event was attended by veterans and their families, members of the Wilkes Veterans Council, Wilkes-Barre Mayor George C. Brown, members of the AFROTC Detachment 752, Wilkes staff and faculty, and the community.
View the photo gallery:
In the news:
Korean War veterans honored with medals at Wilkes University, by Andy Mehalshick, WBRE/WYOU
Local Korean War veterans honored today with medals, Sarah Goolden, Fox-56
Medals for Korean War veterans, poignant speech by young Navy vet mark Wilkes U. ceremony, Bill O’Boyle, Times Leader
Medal day: Standing up for Korean War veterans, Bob Kalinowski, Citizens’ Voice
