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Seasonal crafts draw crowds to HomeSpun Holiday at Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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Women in military is theme of 70th Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade

<p>KINGSTON &#8212; To U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Linda Wackerman, Veterans Day is a celebration of the &#8220;the courage, patriotism and dedication to duty&#8221; of all of America&#8217;s servicemen and women.</p><p>Wackerman was speaking prior to Sunday&#8217;s 70th Annual Veterans&#8217; Day Parade. She was the parade&#8217;s grand marshal. The affair, a pre-parade brunch, was staged at the Kingston VFW Post 283 on Wyoming Avenue, and the theme of which was &#8220;Celebrating Women in the Military: Past, Present and Future.&#8221;</p><p>Wackerman, who is a Navy pilot and also in civilian life a pilot for American Airlines, traced the history of women in the armed services. She also urged the audience to &#8220;never forget the courage and sacrifices of our military veterans.&#8221;</p><p>She also mentioned that since the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001, the face of the enemey has changed to include &#8220;many states who are attempting to deprive people of their liberty.&#8221;</p><p>Wackerman mentioned in particular Afghanistan, where she said after a recent tour in that nation, she is &#8220;amazed by the resiliancy&#8221; of the U.S. service members deployed there &#8212; all of whom for the past 15 years are military volunteers.</p><p>Besides Wackerman, the program featured Navy Lt. Commander Susan Allen, who served as moderator; Navy Capt. Jean O&#8217;Brien, of New Jersey, who also serves at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard, and who was a colleague of Allen&#8217;s flying Navy P-3 transport planes at the former Naval Air Station at Willow Grove, and Sam Greenberg, Commander of the Luzerne County Jewish War Veterans, who served as chairman of the brunch event and was active in the joint veterans groups that organize and coordinate the parade.</p><p>Allen commented that the committee has been meeting since March to formulate the parade and &#8220;meetings for 2017 will begin on Wednesday.</p><p>We need to thank all who worked so hard,&#8221; Allen said. &#8220;They work to celebrate the bravery of all military members.&#8221;</p><p>O&#8217;Brien traced the history of service by women including in World War I, when women who were bilingual &#8212; fluent in English and French &#8212; were employed as &#8220;Hello Girls,&#8221; sending radio messages to the troops in the field. O&#8217;Brien also mentioned that the Integration Act of April 12, 1948, paved the way for greater participation in the military by women.</p><p>She made special of two major anniversaries this year: the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor &#8212; Dec. 7, 1941 &#8212; and the 100th anniversary of women serving in the U. S. Navy.</p><p>O&#8217;Brien noted that in 2016, women serve on submarines, on surface ships and in avaition, in contrast to formerly being deployed in support tasks.</p><p>Another major aspect of the program encompassed recognition of the Veterans Day Essay Contest winners, comprised of students from school districts in Luzerne and Wyoming counties. Allen chaired the essay screening committee and introduced the students from grades 4 through 12 who authored winning essays on the topic of women in the military.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Retired Navy Lt. Commander Susan Allen presents Mark Kucewicz, 10, of Harveys Lake, a plaque of honorable mention for his Veterans Day essay at VFW Post 283 in Kingston on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Retired Navy Lt. Commander Susan Allen presents Mark Kucewicz, 10, of Harveys Lake, a plaque of honorable mention for his Veterans Day essay at VFW Post 283 in Kingston on Sunday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">U.S. Army veteran Harold Henry Brunn, 71, of Hanover Township, applauds during the brunch. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch2.jpg</photo1><caption1>U.S. Army veteran Harold Henry Brunn, 71, of Hanover Township, applauds during the brunch. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Attendees enjoy a brunch that preceded awards to Veterans Day Essay Contest winners. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Attendees enjoy a brunch that preceded awards to Veterans Day Essay Contest winners. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Capt. Jean O&#8217;Brien speaks at the brunch. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Capt. Jean O&#8217;Brien speaks at the brunch. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rear Admiral Linda Wackerman speaks on women in the military. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch5.jpg</photo4><caption4>Rear Admiral Linda Wackerman speaks on women in the military. </caption4><photoCredit4>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch1-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Retired Navy Lt. Commander Susan Allen presents Mark Kucewicz, 10, of Harveys Lake, a plaque of honorable mention for his Veterans Day essay at VFW Post 283 in Kingston on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch1-cmyk.jpg</photo5><caption5>Retired Navy Lt. Commander Susan Allen presents Mark Kucewicz, 10, of Harveys Lake, a plaque of honorable mention for his Veterans Day essay at VFW Post 283 in Kingston on Sunday. </caption5><photoCredit5>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit5></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch2-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">U.S. Army veteran Harold Henry Brunn, 71, of Hanover Township, applauds during the brunch. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo6>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch2-cmyk.jpg</photo6><caption6>U.S. Army veteran Harold Henry Brunn, 71, of Hanover Township, applauds during the brunch. </caption6><photoCredit6>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit6></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch3-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Attendees enjoy a brunch that preceded awards to Veterans Day Essay Contest winners. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo7>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch3-cmyk.jpg</photo7><caption7>Attendees enjoy a brunch that preceded awards to Veterans Day Essay Contest winners. </caption7><photoCredit7>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit7></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch4-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Capt. Jean O&#8217;Brien speaks at the brunch. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo8>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch4-cmyk.jpg</photo8><caption8>Capt. Jean O&#8217;Brien speaks at the brunch. </caption8><photoCredit8>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit8></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch5-cmyk.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Rear Admiral Linda Wackerman speaks on women in the military. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo9>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL110716brunch5-cmyk.jpg</photo9><caption9>Rear Admiral Linda Wackerman speaks on women in the military. </caption9><photoCredit9>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit9></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Huntington</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS</strong></p><p><strong>Grades 4 and 5</strong></p><p>1st place: Cole Johnson, 4th grade, Dallas Elementary School</p><p>2nd place: Cooper Millington, 5th grade, Thunkhannock Middle School</p><p>3rd place: Adam Hoover, 5th grade, Lehman-Jackson Elementary School</p><p>Honorable mention: Mark Kucewicz, 5th grade, Lake Noxen Elementary, and Isabelle DeCesaris, 4th grade, Lehman-Jackson Elementary</p><p><strong>Grades 6-8</strong></p><p>1st place: Justin Steward, 8th grade, Tunkhannock Middle School</p><p>2nd place: Amelia Benedick, 8th grade, Dallas Middle School</p><p>3rd place: (tie) Claire Dougherty, 7th grade, Lake Lehman Jr./Sr. High School; and Nicholas Hockenbury, 6th grade, Lake Noxen Elementary</p><p>Honorable mention: Ava Hudak, 6th grade, Lehman-Jackson Elementary</p><p><strong>Grades 9-12</strong></p><p>Josh Ferrism, grade 11, Dallas Area High School.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach the Times Leader at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Tribute paid to women in military, Veterans Day Essay Contest winners