In respect to their namesake and due to the high regard VFW combat veterans of all ages hold for the military nurses who administer care often in dangerous scenarios, VFW Post 12099 recently donated its second annual check of $500 toward nursing scholarships at Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, to commemorate both Nurse’s Day and Memorial Day in May.

Brig. Gen. Anna Mae V. McCabe Hays VFW Post 12099, renamed in 2018 after the general’s death on Jan. 7, 2018, honors this nation’s first female general, a dedicated nurse who grew up in Allentown and attended the former Allentown Hospital School of Nursing.

The general’s family is establishing an endowment at NCC in her honor to pay tribute to her life-long nursing profession which spanned World War II and the Korea and Vietnam wars.

The family stipulated, that whenever possible, the scholarships be awarded to veterans with no less than a B average to continue the high level of achievement which the late brigadier general demanded people around her put in their endeavors.

Also, scholarship usage is not limited to tuition and may be used for expenses such as books, transportation, food, child care and other basic living expenses to aid in the success of the student.

Post 12099’s donations will be added to this endowment to enhance this scholarship program.

According to Catherine DeHart, director of principal gifts at NCC, who proudly accepted the post’s donation, the college’s nursing programs are small in size with highly competitive acceptance. Northampton Community College’s nursing programs provide students with exceptional clinical classes to expose them to the everyday challenges of a nurse with classes offered at both the Bethlehem and Monroe campuses.

Seamless transition to a Bachelor of Science in nursing completion program is also possible through articulation agreements established with several four-year institutions including Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, Carlow University, Pittsburgh; Cedar Crest College, Allentown; DeSales University, Center Valley; Drexel University, Philadelphia; and Moravian College, Bethlehem.

NCC nursing students may also complete their BSN on the NCC Bethlehem campus through East Stroudsburg University.

VFW Post 12099, under Commander Michael Schnur, a Vietnam veteran, meets monthly at the Gen. Curtis Armory, 15th and Allen streets, Allentown, and directs their programs toward assisting their comrades as well as the youth of the Lehigh Valley.

Proud of their membership spanning World War II to Post 9/11 combat vets, they concentrate on their outreach and do not have a post home or social quarters

For VFW Post 12099 information, call Adjutant Angelo Tartaglia at 610-434-6427.