Published March 13. 2018 12:00AM
In its sixth and final presentation during its 50th anniversary “Be the Spark” campaign, the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation awarded five grants totaling $50,000 to organizations with veterans related programs recently 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 US 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 U.S. Congressman Charlie Dent provided an update on veterans issues and other federal matters via remote video from Washington, D.C. 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 non-profit 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.
World 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 U.S. Air Force for 42 years and is currently the military liaison to the City of Allentown.
