UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State will recognize military service members, veterans and their families with a series of military appreciation events for both the University and local communities throughout the week of Nov. 11.
Penn State’s 13th annual Military Appreciation Week will kick off on Nov. 11 with the Veteran’s Day ceremony and breakfast. Festivities will continue from Nov. 11 to 17 and honor Missing in Action (MIA) service members and their families.
Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public — including veterans and service members — and Penn State students, faculty and staff.
Military Appreciation Week events:
Oct. 29 – Centre County Proclamation: 10 a.m. at the Willowbank Office Building in Bellefonte. Centre County Commissioners will recognize November as Military Appreciation Month during its weekly meeting. The meeting is open to the public.
Nov. 4 – Military Appreciation Banner Unveiling: 6 p.m. on College Ave. Join the Downtown Improvement District and Penn State Military Appreciation Committee in unveiling 12 new Military Appreciation Banners downtown State College. The new banners will be part of 36 banners lining the downtown during the month of November to commemorate Military Appreciation Month in the borough.
Nov. 4 – State College Borough Military Appreciation Week Proclamation: 7 p.m. at the State College Municipal Building. During its regular meeting, the State College Borough will recognize Military Appreciation Week in the Borough, to be held from Nov. 11 to 17. The meeting is open to the public.
Nov. 11 – Military Appreciation Breakfast: The annual Penn State Employee and Student Military Service Recognition Breakfast will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the HUB Alumni Hall and recognizes Penn State employees and students in the military. Students, faculty and staff who currently serve or have served in the armed forces are invited to attend the breakfast, which will feature light refreshments, entertainment and networking. Register for the breakfast using this link.
Nov. 11 – Veterans Day Ceremony: 11:11 a.m. to noon in front of Old Main Steps (rain location will be Alumni Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center) and virtual. Join the Penn State community for a Veterans Day Ceremony honoring those who have served in the armed forces. The annual ceremony, hosted by the Penn State Student Veterans Organization, will be held in front of the Old Main steps. The ceremony will be livestreamed at this link.
Nov. 11 – Into the Cold Blue Pop-up Exhibit: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library. Jared Frederick, assistant teaching professor of history at Penn State Altoona, co-authored “Into the Cold Blue: My World War II Journeys with the Mighty Eighth Air Force” (2024, Regnery History) with John Homan, an aviator with the Army Air Forces and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross award for heroism or extraordinary achievement during aerial flight. The two authors will speak about Homan’s experiences in the war followed by a question-and-answer session.
Nov. 12 – Military Cultural Competency Training: 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Zoom. This is an introductory session about the military and veteran community that lives in Pennsylvania, works alongside us, and are students at Penn State. The training will address why it is important to understand the military/veteran culture and how to close any gaps that exist between service members/veterans and civilians. This is available to all Penn State faculty and staff through the Learning Resource Network (LRN).
Nov. 12 – Penn State Men’s Basketball Military Appreciation Game vs. San Francisco University: 7:00 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center. As a show of support to all active-duty military personnel and veterans, tickets to the Military Appreciation game will be discounted. Use this link to purchase tickets.
Nov. 14 – Military Appreciation Luncheon: Noon to 1:30 p.m. in 110 Robb Hall at the Hintz Alumni Center. Penn State employees, students and community members who served in the military and their families are invited to attend a free luncheon. The Penn State Military Appreciation Committee will host Deb Burger as this year's guest speaker. Burger is the sister of Maj. Lewis P. Smith II, a 1964 Penn State graduate, whose plane was shot down over Laos in 1968 during the Vietnam War. Tickets can be reserved by going to this link. RSVP by Nov. 1.
Nov. 15 – Boots to Business Reboot: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub. This free, full-day program provides provide participants with an overview of business fundamentals while introducing techniques for evaluating the feasibility of business concepts. The program is offered both in-person and online (via Zoom) and open to military spouses, veterans of all eras, National Guard and Reserve members without access to a military installation. Catered breakfast and lunch will be provided to in-person attendees. Learn more and register here.
Nov. 15 – 249th Marine Corp Birthday Ball: 5:00 p.m. at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center. This event is now open to the public. Learn more and RSVP by Nov. 8 here.
About Penn State Military Appreciation
The Penn State Military Appreciation Week Committee is comprised of Penn State and community volunteers dedicated to honoring the military community and celebrating Penn State’s military history and support for service members, veterans and military families. For more than a decade, the committee has organized Penn State Military Appreciation Week in collaboration with the community, student organizations, Penn State Athletics, and local veteran organizations. Visit this link to help support annual events organized by the Penn State Military Appreciation Committee.
For the latest Military Appreciation Week event information, visit the Penn State Military Appreciation website.