On Friday, Lehigh honored veterans with a day of events that included a flag-raising ceremony where bagpipes were played and a cannon was fired, the 13th annual Veterans Day luncheon and a 2.8-mile run/walk that started along Memorial Drive.
This year’s luncheon featured guest speaker Col. Keith Seiwell. He is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and retired as a colonel in 2009. He is also CEO of the General Carl Spaatz National USAAF Museum in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. The museum educates guests on aerial warfare and includes simulated experiences, such as attending pre-flight briefings, piloting a bomber and escaping from occupied France.
Seiwell was inspired by his father’s service in the U.S. Air Force and became interested in the airplanes of WWII. An avid student of military history, Seiwell’s lifelong dream has been to preserve history and pass it on the future generations.
The luncheon has become a time-honored tradition that’s free for active, reserve and retired military from the Lehigh Valley. President Joseph J. Helble ’82 also spoke at the event.
On Friday evening, the Lehigh Armed Forces Support Club plans a 2.8-mile run/walk for students, faculty and staff beginning at the flagpole on the University Center front lawn and looping around campus. Proceeds from the event will benefit Bethlehem’s Victory House, an organization that provides meals for homeless veterans in the Lehigh Valley.
