MONT ALTO— Ret. Col. David Hammer will serve as keynote speaker during the Penn State Mont Alto Veterans Day Celebration at 12:15 p.m. on Nov. 11.
The event will be held on the campus at the Veterans Memorial on the front side of Conklin Hall. It is handicap accessible, and the public is welcome to attend free of charge. The outdoor ceremony will be held rain or shine. Public parking is available across from the University’s Multipurpose Activities Center near the campus entrance.
The program will include a performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner” by Penn State student Dominik Wiesniewski. Also speaking will be Penn State Mont Alto Chancellor Francis K. Achampong and Student Veterans of America (SVA) member Tanner B. Wetzel, a U.S. Army veteran.
Hammer served in the United States Army for 27 years, including four years overseas. He was an Army Medical Department supply and acquisition officer and worked at all levels of medical support including Combat Support Hospitals, Area Support Medical Battalions, Medical Logistical Battalions and Theater Level Support. He retired from the Army in 2019 and currently works for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs deploying a new logistics information system and working to streamline the VA’s support for retired veterans.
Hammer, a resident of Frederick, Maryland, has a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Iowa State University and an MBA from Webster University. He is the head coach of the Division III Stevenson University men’s ice hockey team and the Frederick County high school ice hockey team.
The Veterans Day celebration is sponsored by the SVA and by the Penn State Mont Alto student activity fee.