SPSU hosted its 2012 Military Appreciation Week on November 12-15, 2012.
| Monday | November 12 | ||
| 12:00-1:00 PM |
Opening Ceremony |
Student Center Ballroom |
| 4:30-6:00 PM | Students Affairs Booth Information for non-traditional and military students |
J Building Lobby |
| 4:30-6:00 PM | Presentation by Gen. Larry Taylor Master of Ceremony - Mark Vickey, SIS faculty Presenter - Major General Larry Taylor, USMC (Ret.) "Are We Entering Another Interwar Period?" - We are right in the middle of making many of the same mistakes that we have made as we approached the end of every period of conflict in our history. Other great powers have made the same mistake throughout world history. Reception provided by VPAA |
Student Center Ballroom |
| Tuesday | November 13 | ||
| 12:00-12:30 PM |
Flag Ceremony |
Sycamore Grove |
| 4:30-9:00 PM |
Military Appreciation Basketball Night Tailgate & Cookout Color Guard Ceremony "Transitioning from Active Duty to Service in the Community" - Learn how a Vietnam Veteran moved from Active Duty to continue his commitment to our country in service to the community. Women's Basketball Game vs. Reinhart Men's Basketball Game vs. Reinhart |
Gymnasium |
| Wednesday | November 14 | ||
| 8:00-9:00 AM |
Presentation by George "Jay" Veith |
J-130 |
| 12:00-1:00 PM |
Presentation by George "Jay" Veith |
Student Center Ballroom |
| Thursday | November 15 | ||
| 12:00-1:30 PM |
Closing Ceremony |
Student Center Ballroom |
Robert Kerr, WWII, Pearl Harbor Veteran
Robert Kerr was born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in 1921. He attended high school in Bigrun, Pennsylvania, and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in September, 1940. On December 7, 1941, he was at Hickam Field, the air base near Pear Harbor. He married while in the Army in 1944, a marriage that ended 62 years later when his wife died on their 62nd anniversary. He retired from the Air Force as a major in 1963, the Army Air Corps changing to the Army Air Force in 1942 and then in 1947 the new branch ("Air Force") was created. Among his service medals is the Air Medal, awarded for flying on a certain number of missions.
Major General Larry Taylor, USMC
Major General Larry Taylor served in Iraq in '08-09 as a State Dept contractor, managing a program for Civilian Police International. General Taylor was born March 28, 1941, in New York City. He attended the Atlanta, Georgia, public schools and graduated from Georgia Tech in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management. After designation as a Naval Aviator, he served as a squadron pilot with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadrons 264 and 263 in 1964 and 1965. During this period he participated in operations in Santo Domingo during the Dominican Republic crisis. In late 1965, he transferred to the 3d Battalion, 8th Marines as Forward Air Controller/Air Liaison Officer. He completed his initial active duty in December 1966 while serving as Platoon Commander, Air/Naval Gunfire Platoon, 2d Marine Division.
For all of 1967 and most of 1968, General Taylor served in Laos and Vietnam as a pilot for Air America, flying the H-34. Returning to the U.S. in late 1968, he began his Marine Corps reserve career flying the H-34, the UH-1 "Huey", and the AH-1 "Cobra". He served in a variety of billets at the squadron, wing, and division levels and was privileged to command the following units:
General Taylor then served in Central and South America as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces South, based in Panama. He retired from the United States Marine Corps Reserve on 1 October 1997, after 38 years of service - 5 years active and 33 years reserve. General Taylor was recalled from retirement and assumed command of the Marine Corps Mobilization Command, Kansas City, Missouri in November 2001. He relinquished command in May 2002, and then served as Deputy Commander, Marine Forces Reserve in New Orleans, Louisiana until July 2003. General Taylor is active with the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, the USO Council of Georgia, Business Executives for National Security, the Society for American Baseball Research, and is chairman of the Marine Corps Coordinating Council of Greater Atlanta. In civilian life, he retired in March 2001 as a 747-400 Captain with Northwest Airlines. The grandson of Russian Jewish immigrants to America, General Taylor regards his highest honor is to hold the title of United States Marine.
Carry King, Attorney and Vietnam Veteran
Cary King is an Atlanta lawyer with over 27 years in criminal and civil litigation,
including sex crimes defense, family law, employment issues, and construction litigation.
Since 2010, he has been with the firm Jacobs & King. Among his many clients are Jocks
& Jills Sports Restaurants, Joseph Rollins & Associates, and Peach State Building
Consultants.
Mr. King is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia and
the American Trial Lawyers Association. He graduated from Georgia State University
in 1963 and John Marshall Law School in 1983 (summa cum laude). He is a retired Army
officer and a Vietnam veteran, having served in combat with both infantry and artillery
units. Among other awards and decorations, he is the recipient of five Bronze Stars
with "V" device (valor), the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the Combat Infantryman's
Badge. He has been a member of the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association since
1986 and has served as both its President and Chairman of the Board. He has given
more than 1,000 hours of his time volunteering legal services to veterans at the VA
Medical Center and has represented veterans through the Dekalb County Veterans Advisory
Committee and the USO. He has also served an officer and member of the Board of Directors
of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation and is a former president of the Atlanta chapter
of the Jewish National Fund.
Jay Veith
Jay Veith is a 1979 graduate of the Pennsylvania State University (political science
major) who joined the U.S. Army on graduation as a second lieutenant. He served until
1986, leaving the service as a captain. He is now the regional sales manager for Thompson
IP Management Services and lives in Delaware with his family. His avocation is the
Vietnam War, and he has written three books to date:
"Code-Name Bright Light" (1998) is the story of efforts to track and rescue American
POWs/MIAs during the war; "Leave No Man Behind" (2004) was co-authored with Bill Bell
to tell of the efforts to account for our missing in Vietnam after 1975; and "Black
April" explains the events that led to the unexpectedly rapid collapse of South Vietnam
after the Paris Peace Accords were signed in 1973.
Daniel Timmons, USMC, current student
In 2004, I quit my full time job as the assistant manager over the IT department for
the city of Acworth to enlist in the Marine Corps. After completing boot camp at Paris
Island and School of Infantry I was assigned to 1st Bn 3rd Marines Charlie Company
in Kaneohe Bay, HI. I served as a rifleman for 3 years as 0311 (infantry man). I deployed
to Afghanistan in 2006 for 5 months of combat actions in the Korengal Region. Charlie
Co. was assigned to the northern-most outpost in Camp Blessing, north of the Korengal
Valley. The deployment ended with Operation Mountain Lion resulting in the construction
of the Korengal Operations Post (KOP). In 2007, I deployed to Haditha, Iraq where,
requested as clerk for 1st SGT Calvin, Headquarters and Service Company as his Company
Clerk and Corporal of the Guard for the Haditha Dam. Also, conducting mission security
and support for Marine Force Recon units in the region. I was promoted to sergeant
(E5) at the time I separated from active duty.
I joined because I wanted to be a part of the war on terror. My father in a retired
Capt. from the fire service and lost friends in the World Trade Centers. I also felt
it to be my duty to fight for my country and serve at least a minimum term. I decided
to separate from active duty because of the hardships my family would feel and I felt
that our government was making it impossible to complete either campaigns. I did not
want to be a part of the results of those decisions of our leadership.
Branch: USMC, E-5 Sergeant
Years: 2004-2008
MOS (job): Rifleman, Infantry
Deployments:
2006 (5+ months) Kunar Providence, Afghanistan
2007 (10+ months) Haditha, Iraq
Units:
3d Training Bn, Lima Co., Paris Island, SC.
School of Infantry, Camp Geiger, NC.
1st Bn, 3d Marines, Charlie Co., Kaneohe Bay, HI.
1st Bn, 3d Marines, Headquarters and Service Co., Kaneohe Bay, HI.
3d Marine Regiment, Headquarters Co., Kaneohe Bay, HI.
List of Medals and Awards upon request.
Taylor Gregory, USA, current student
I enlisted in early 2002 and left for basic training on Aug 08, 2002. After completing Basic and AIT (Advanced Infantry Training) at FT Benning, in November of 2002, I arrived at the 1-507th Parachute Infantry Regiment (airborne school at FT Benning, GA) to change my current Military Occupational Specialties of 11B to 11B1P. I graduated from airborne school in December. In early January of 2003, I boarded a plan to Vicenza, Italy where I destined to join the ranks of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. When I arrived in Italy, I was assigned to the 2/503rd battalion “The Rock” (also known as the Thunder Cats) Chosen Company, chosen few the “Punishers”. On March 25, 2003, I left Avaino Airbase on a C-17 headed towards Iraq. Early on March 26, the doors to the C-17 opened up and we jumped into Northern Iraq (Operation Northern Delay): the Iraq Invasion had begun. My first deployment lasted about 13 months. My second deployment in the Kandahar and Helmand provinces of Afghanistan lasted about a year. Once I separated from active duty in the military, I joined the Georgia National Guard. I was later deployed to the Paktika Province in Afghanistan for a total of 15 months.
I am currently on a medical board status, soon to be out of the Army. The rank I hold is an SSG (staff sergeant) E-6. I joined the military because I wanted to serve my country. Even before 9-11, I had begun talking to a recruiter, for one because due to my grades I couldn’t attend college and two I wanted to go to college, so what better way than to let the military pay? I also come from a long line of military warriors.
I am currently living my dream attending SPSU to obtain my BA in Civil Engineering and hold a 3.56 GPA.
Branch: U.S.A Active 2002-2006 / National Guard 2007-current
Years: 2002-current
MOS (job): Airborne Infantry 11B1P- Gunner, Rifleman, Grenadier, Designated marksmen,
Team leader, Squad Leader
Deployments:
Iraq 2003-2004
Afghanistan 2005-2006 and 2009-2012
Units: 173rd Airborne BDE, 2/503rd BATT Chosen Company “Punishers”, “Chosen Few”
48th BDE, 1/121 BATT Bravo Company “Black Sheep
List of Medals: Combat Infantry Badge (CIB), Combat Parachute Jump Wings with Brass Star, 4 ARCOMs
Spencer Norris, USMC, current student
I am a former United States Marine Corps Corporal. My job while I was 1371, Combat Engineer. I server four years on active duty, and four year in the reserves. I did two combat tours and one humanitarian aid mission in the Philippines.
Josh Durkee, USMC, current student
Iraq, Japan
Josh is currently a SPSU student. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1999 to 2004 as a CH-46 helicopter crew chief for one year in Iwakuni, Japan, and did one tour in Iraq. He finished his time in the service in with Marine Medium Helicopter 162 in Jacksonville, North Carolina.