Published January 14. 2018 11:00PM
In its sixth and final presentation during its fiftieth anniversary “Be the Spark” campaign, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation awarded five grants totaling $50,000 to organizations with veterans related programs on Dec. 4 in the PBS-39 Studio A.
Featured speakers were two area veterans, Major Nathan Kline, a World War II bombardier and navigator who served 42 years in the U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army veteran Nicholas Ward, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and spent three combat tours of duty in Iraq during his seven and one-half years of military duty.
In addition Congressman Charlie Dent provided an update on veterans issues and other federal matters via remote video from Washington DC. Dent is chairman of the subcommittee on military construction, veteran’s affairs and related agencies.
Donors and supporters in attendance viewed video presentations made by the five nonprofit agencies who received Spark Awards; Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley, $25,000 for food access for veterans, Lehigh Valley Health Network, $12,500 for its military and veteran resource center, Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council, $5,000 for veterans homelessness programs, Victory House of Lehigh Valley, $5,000 for veteran aftercare services, and Equi-librium, $2,500 for horsemanship for heroes.
press photos by dana grubbWorld War II veteran, Major Nathan Kline, recounted his experiences flying on 65 missions in a B-26 Marauder as a bombardier and navigator. “This was total war,” said Kline, who served in the US Air Force for forty-two years and is currently the military liaison to the City of Allentown.
