September 20 - September 28, 2024
Days
Hours
Minutes
September 20 - September 28, 2024
Days
Hours
Minutes
A 1-day only event – Wed. Sept. 27th.
Military Veterans, Past and Present will have FREE admission with ID.
10:00 AM – Veterans Ceremony @ The WNEP Free Stage
10:10 AM – National Anthem – Sergeant Melissa J Meyers (MacDowell)- United States Marine Corp, Combat Veteran
– Please of Allegiance Lead by Pennsylvania State Treasurer – Stacy Garrity
– Veteran’s Address with Special Guest Major General James McCormack
– Representative Robert Leadbeter to recognize Veterans and Present 25-Year Citation to the Fair Board.
– Fair Board President Randy Karschner’s Closing Remarks
10:30 AM – Veteran’s Walk led by Representative Robert Leadbetter and Fair Board Members to Veterans Expo @ Rear of Education Building
THE FOLLOWING WILL BE LOCATED AT THE EXPO AREA BEHIND THE EDUCATION BUILDING:
State Rep Robert Leadbeter
Bill Hartzell
Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center
Patriot K9 Rescue, Inc
Central Susquehanna Opportunities, Inc.
Commonwealth University Military and Veteran Student Services
PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Pennsylvania National Guard Family Program
Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center
Snyder County Veteran Affairs
Veterans Multi-Service Center
Compassus Hospice
American Legion, Department of Pennsylvania
PA Wounded Warriors
Keystone State Challenge Academy
Commonwealth University Military and Veteran Students Services / Student Veteran Association
Wreaths Across America c/o American Legion Riders Post 564 Millville PA
Montour County Veterans Affair
Catholic War Veterans, Dept of PA.
Scranton Vet Center
Veterans Promise
Pennsylvania Military Museum
Humana, Inc.
Camp Freedom, Inc.
Veteran of Foreign Affairs
Benton Senior Center Stars for our Troops
Catawissa Military Band
THE FOLLOWING WILL BE LOCATED IN FRONT AND INSIDE OF EDUCATIONAL BUILDING:
Stuart Tank Memorial
Endless Mountain Military Museum
Columbia County Veterans Affairs
Northumberland County Veterans Affairs
Montour County Veterans Affair
THE FOLLOWING WILL BE LOCATED ON VETERANS WAY BY THE WNEP FREE STAGE
U S Marine Corps
US Navy
Pennsylvania Army National Guard
Special Thank You to the Following:
Humana – Sponsor for the Bloomsburg Fair Admission Gate Staff Military Appreciation T-Shirts – In Freedom Hall
Humana is the national Medicare plan provider recommended by Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) like AMVETS, VFW and DAV. We help provide veterans with coverage options whenever and wherever they need it. A Humana Medicare Advantage (MA) plan doesn’t replace your Veterans Affairs (VA) coverage; it complements it. It offers you more benefits, options for care closer to home and affordable costs, including plans with $0 premiums and $100 Medicare Part B givebacks in some locations.
We’re proud that USAA® recommends our Medicare Advantage plans, (available to anyone eligible for Medicare). For nearly 100 years, USAA has provided financial services to military families and veterans. We’re honored to work with a company that values service as much as we do. Humana’s USAA Honor with Rx plan offers you more choices for care and coverage beyond VA benefits. Enjoy the flexibility of choosing between VA healthcare providers or civilian doctors, pharmacies and specialists in your Medicare Advantage plan’s network to maximize your total benefits.
Humana is on a mission to serve as a trusted source for addressing health-related social needs of veterans and their families. Honoring and serving veterans is at the core of this work. There is an identified civil-military divide, only 18 percent of veteran families feel that the general public understands their sacrifices. Humana’s National Veteran effort aims to support communities in bridging the gap between civilian and military life, striving to be the connectors, conveners, and catalysts for change in the space of improving health for veterans and their families.
Special Thank You to Bloomsburg American Legion Post 273
We thank them for their generous donation towards the Bloomsburg Fair Admission Gate Welcome and Thank You for your Service Banners and for the sponsorship for the American Flags provided to each Vendor during fair week.
Major General James McCormack was appointed as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in May of 2022, after serving as the Land Component Commander.
His previous key assignments included Director of Joint Staff for the Pennsylvania National Guard, Commander of 213th Regional Support Group (Allentown, PA) and 166th Reginal Training Institute (Fort Indiantown Gap, PA). His operational assignments include S2/S3 213th Area Support Group during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq and Deputy Garrison Commander/Director of Public Works for 213th Area Support Group in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.
MG McCormack commissioned through Bloomsburg University’s ROTC program in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Economics. He was assigned to Company C of the 876th Engineer Battalion of Hazleton, PA where he served as the Engineer Platoon Leader.
His subsequent military assignments include service as an: Engineer Plans Officer, Engineer Company Commander, Assistant Brigade Engineer, Facilities/Contract Construction Management Officer, Director of Host Nation Support, and Quartermaster Battalion Commander.
MG McCormack is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, the Engineer Advance Course, the United States Army Command General Staff Officer Course, and the U.S. Army War College. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree
in 1993. He later earned a master’s in strategic studies degree from the United States Army War College.
MG McCormack’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Service Medal (1 bronze oak leaf cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (4 bronze oak leaf clusters), the Army Commendation Medal (3 bronze oak leaf clusters), the Army Achievement Medal (4 bronze oak leaf clusters), the Air Assault Badge and the Parachutist Badge.
He is a life member of the National Guard Association of the United States and the Pennsylvania National Guard Association. MG McCormack’s civilian occupation is University Administrator for Student Success and Campus Life for Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
MG McCormack resides in Watsontown, Pennsylvania with his wife, Candy. They have three adult children, Nicholas, Jamie and Nathan.
As the 78th Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, businesswoman and retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel Stacy Garrity is focused on transparency, cutting waste and fees, returning more than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property to its rightful owners, and making education affordable for Pennsylvanians.
Stacy understands the challenges that Pennsylvania families face, and she brings the same common sense that people use to manage their own finances to the Treasurer’s office.
After graduating from Sayre High School in Bradford County, Stacy earned a degree in finance and economics from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and later received a certificate from the Cornell University Business Management Institute.
While serving as a colonel in the Army Reserve, Stacy received national attention for her decorated service on the battlefields of Iraq. While news raged about scandals involving prisoner abuse at other facilities, Stacy was highlighted for her stellar performance as one of the officers in charge of an internment camp for enemy combatants in Iraq.
Iraqis dubbed her “the Angel of the Desert” when her service at Camp Bucca in Southern Iraq resulted in a perfect record. She kept the camp secure and American troops safe without a single complaint of abuse from Iraqi soldiers interned there.
Stacy served a remarkable three deployments in defense of the United States: in 1991 in Operation Desert Storm, in 2003 in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in 2008 in Operation Enduring Freedom. She was awarded the Bronze Star twice for exceptional service and received the Legion of Merit before retiring from the Army Reserve with the rank of colonel.
While serving in the Army Reserve, Stacy started work as a cost accountant at Global Tungsten & Powders Corp., a global supplier of refractory powders in Towanda, and worked her way up to become the first of two female vice presidents at the company.
As Pennsylvania Treasurer, Stacy oversees an office of more than 300 employees and is tasked with protecting more than $150 billion in state assets. Among her many duties, she serves as a fiscal watchdog for the state and manages the PA 529 College & Career Savings Program, Keystone Scholars, and the PA ABLE Savings Program, which helps people with disabilities save without fear of losing important benefits. She also administers the state’s unclaimed property program.
Stacy was elected on November 3, 2020, and was sworn into office on January 19, 2021.
Since taking office, she has worked to make PA 529 accounts work better for Pennsylvanians of all backgrounds by cutting fees (saving account holders more than $11 million), eliminating the minimum deposit required to open an account, and allowing families to make contributions as low as $1. During her tenure, the number of PA 529 accounts has grown to nearly 288,000 while total assets have grown to more than $6.6 billion.
Stacy has also cut fees for PA ABLE. Under her leadership, the number of PA ABLE accounts has grown by 77.4 percent to nearly 7,900, and total PA ABLE assets have more than doubled to over $96 million. She was elected as the inaugural Chair of the ABLE Savings Plan Network, a group formed by the National Association of State Treasurers.
Stacy oversaw the first systemwide upgrade to Treasury’s unclaimed property system in more than 15 years, implemented a fast-track return system for simple claims, and introduced the use of direct deposit payments. To date, she has returned more than $521 million of unclaimed property to its rightful owners.
As a veteran, Stacy is also focused on returning the hundreds of military decorations being safeguarded in Treasury’s vault. These medals and other decorations usually come to Treasury from forgotten safe deposit boxes and include dog tags, medals, campaign ribbons, Purple Hearts, and even Bronze Stars. She has returned more than 380 military decorations to the veterans who earned them or their families, including 6 Purple Hearts and 3 Bronze Stars.
Committed to her local community, Stacy serves on the board of Bradford County United Way and is a trustee of Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre.
She is married to Daniel Gizzi, a project analyst at Corning Incorporated. She worships at Christian Life Church.
(Information Approved and Provided by State Treasurer Office)
Treasurer Garrity (patreasury.gov)
Melissa Meyers was born in New Jersey and raised in Pennsylvania. She is a 2003 graduate of Wallenpaupack Area High School, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2004 and proceeded to Parris Island, South Carolina in April of 2005 for boot camp. Upon graduation in July of 2005, she attended Marine Combat Training (MCT) at Camp Geiger, North Carolina and then went to Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) school at Navy and Marine Intelligence Training Center located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. After completion of MOS school, Melissa was stationed at 1st Intelligence Battalion located in Camp Pendleton, California. She was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on April 1, 2009.
Melissa was an All-Source Analyst during her five years on active duty. She conducted three combat deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and deployed to Fallujah (2006 and 2007) and Al Asad (2007 and 2008), Iraq. She visited other parts of Iraq to include Balad (2006) and Baghdad (2008) during her deployments. Melissa separated from active duty in April of 2010. She moved home to Pennsylvania and began working as a Federal Civilian employee in 2011, and currently works for the Department of Treasury, US Mint, located in West Point, NY.
Melissa is locally known as “The Singing Marine” as she utilizes her God-given voice to sing the National Anthem and other Patriotic songs at events to include the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail riders and Penguins, NASCAR, Tobyhanna Army Depot, Mission BBQ, and local community groups honoring Veterans and Patriotic Holidays.
Melissa’s decorations from her military and civilian service include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom with Gold Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Certificate of Appreciation for volunteering to do Color Guard at a local elementary school, Meritorious Mast for stand out leadership in MCT, Certificate of Appreciation from Tobyhanna Army Depot Veterans Council, Golden Knights Parachute Baton, Certificate of Appreciation from Army Corps of Engineers New York District, and a Certificate of Recognition for 15 years of service to the United States Government.
Melissa and husband, Gary, reside in Honesdale, PA. They have three children, three dogs and two cats.
(Information Approved and Provided by Melissa Meyers)
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