Bethlehem, Pa., November 10, 2015—The Moravian College community will honor family members and friends who have served their country by placing small American flags on the lawn in front of Reeves Library on Veteran's Day.
Pillar at Moravian College to be lit greenThe College is also participating in Walmart’s “Greenlight A Vet” initiative and will display green lights on the College’s Frueauff House, home of President Bryon L. Grigsby’90, and the pillars at the entrance to Colonial Hall on Main Street.
The pillars will be lit with green during Veteran’s Day in honor of United States Army Captain Christopher Seifert '97, who was killed March 23, 2003, while serving with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The pillar bares a plaque in Siefert’s honor.
“Greenlight A Vet” is an initiative of Walmart to recognize the personal struggles some veterans face once their military service comes to an end. The retail giant is promoting the campaign to urge the American public to show greater support for the men and women in uniform. The project is calling on Americans from coast to coast to display green lights at their homes and workplaces on Tuesday, November 11, a symbolic show of gratitude for the service and sacrifices made by more than 2.5 million military families since the nation went to war in 2001.
As a student at Moravian College, Chris Seifert was a trailblazer. He was involved with residence life, 26 Points, United Students Government, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley, and Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. He was named College Big Brother of the Year and was a founding father of Delta Tau Delta's Theta Tau chapter. After graduation, Seifert received his commission from the Lehigh Valley ROTC program, and then served in Germany with the 1st Armored Division as an infantry officer. In April 1999, he was deployed to Albania in support of Task Force Hawk. In 2001, Chris transitioned from infantry to military intelligence, serving with the 101st as a military intelligence officer.
Memorial Flags at Moravian CollegeMoravian College is giving American flags which can be personalized with the names of loved ones, to students, faculty, and staff on Veterans Day in the Haupert Union Building (HUB) and at the 1742 marker near the corner of Locust and Monocacy Streets. The flags will be displayed on the lawn in front of Reeves Library.
Moravian College’s food service company, Sodexho will be providing free hot chocolate to all those to stop to place a flag. In addition, “all campus veterans are invited to stop by the Marketplace Restaurant for a complimentary lunch...from 1030 to 1330,” said MSgt. Kostalis/USMC Ret., otherwise know as Chef Michael to Moravian College students. “Thank you for your service, freedom is not free,” he noted respectfully.
The Student Veteran Task Force is sponsoring the flag dedication, Lexi Smith and Melissa Labrie are co-chairs. Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. Anyone who anticipates needing any type of accommodation or who has questions about the physical access provided should contact Michael Wilson atwilsonm@moraivan.edu prior to visiting campus.
Moravian College is a private coeducational liberal arts college, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For over 270 years, the Moravian College degree has been based on a liberal arts curriculum where literature, history, cultural values and global issues, ethics, and aesthetic expression and the social sciences are infused with multidisciplinary perspectives. Visit to learn more.