Pitt-Greensburg honoring Veterans with a week-long series of events

Patriotic wreathMilitary and Veteran’s Services (SITREP) at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg takes their annual Veterans Week virtual. They will offer a week-long series of events to recognize and honor U.S. veterans and military personnel. Several of the events are open to the public, while others will be available only to the campus community.

“Please join us as we continue the University’s Veterans Services tradition of building bridges, promoting understanding, and encouraging dialogue within our campus and local communities,” said Lisa Reffner, US Air Force Veteran and Data & Registrar specialist at Pitt-Greensburg.

This year, SITREP is highlighting the sacrifices of Vietnam Veterans through its programming for Veterans Week. In partnership with the Veterans Breakfast Club (VBC), SITREP will host a screening of the documentary Vietnam in HD. Participants will be able to view Episode 1 - The Beginning (1964-1965) at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 9. A Happy Hour Discussion will then be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Vietnam Veterans and their families are invited to participate and share their experiences. Members of the public are invited to participate in order to learn more about those experiences. A link to the preview and to the Happy Hour may be accessed here.

“This documentary tells the story through video filmed by the people who were in-country,” said Reffner. “Video taken by reporters and service personnel, as well as video found in the military archives is used to tell the story. It is quite impactful.”

The public is also invited to join the Netflix Watch Party to view and discuss the movie, Glory, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 12. Viewers must have a Netflix account to join, and instruction on how to enter the watch party and chat will be shared via email.

Then on Friday, November 13, the Pitt-Greensburg campus will organize a RED OUT in support of deployed military personnel. The public is invited to join the RED OUT by wearing red and taking a photo to share via Twitter at @PittGbgVets or the Pitt-Greensburg Military & Veterans Services Facebook page. RED is an acronym for Remember Everyone Deployed.

“We’d love to see a strong showing of support for our deployed military personnel,” said Reffner. “Wearing red during the RED OUT is an easy way to show this support.”

The public can also visit Pitt-Greensburg Military & Veterans Service Facebook page throughout the day on Wednesday, November 11, to see a collection of articles, information, and videos related to the armed services, veterans, and U.S. Military history.

"Celebrating Veterans Week gives the campus and the community an opportunity to connect with and understand the experiences of many veterans--both on and off-campus,” said Alex “Red” Bittner, assistant director of Admissions and active Military Reserves. “Participating in our events gives students the opportunity to see veterans in the spotlight and celebrate their service and sacrifice."

Campus-specific activities will begin Monday, November 9, and will continue throughout the week. They include:

  • Monday, November 9: 
    • A memorial wreath and more than 300 small US flags will be on display at the Chambers Hall flag poles in recognition of deceased Pennsylvanian Veterans. 
    • An Honor Roll display in Millstein Library. This Honor Roll lists the names of more than 300 Pennsylvanian veterans who have died since September 11, 2001. The Honor Roll will also be accessible via Facebook at Pitt-Greensburg Veterans & Military Services, and on our Military Veterans Services page.
    • A display of materials pertaining to the Vietnam War. The display is curated by Millstein Library from its resources. 
  • Tuesday, November 10:
    • Dedicated to Hiring Veterans Information Session with Highmark, a special career event held in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh and Pitt-Greensburg for all Pitt students.
  • Wednesday, November 11:
    • Grab-and-Go boxed lunches for Pitt-Greensburg student-veterans at Wagner Dining Hall, and distribution of specially-designed t-shirts.

Publication Date

Friday, November 6, 2020 - 10:00