Cost of Freedom forum 2015, conference director

University and local community members in attendance at Cost of Freedom Forum 2015.

Cost of Freedom Forum is a special lecture series and Veterans’ Day celebration that I conceptualized and have coordinated for the past several years. The main purpose of the forum is to address important health and wellness topics faced by military veterans and their families–offering key solutions and potential strategies from noted experts in the field.

For the 2015 event, Millerville University partnered with the Millersville Borough in having the same keynote speaker present/appear at all events including the Borough (“town”) event. Attendance at the evening forum was approximately 140 individuals from both the university and local community. The luncheon program was attended by approximately 85 student-veterans, ROTC cadets, and university and community members. The Veterans Resource Center Open House was attended by approximately 30 individuals.

The keynote speaker for the 2015 events was Kenneth Leland (USMC, Ret.) who visited Millersville University from his home in Lakeland, Florida where he has spent the past 16 years as a volunteer speaker for the Vietnam Veterans of America. In his free time, Mr. Leland gives important presentations and leads discussions about the Vietnam War and the lessons that he learned before, during and after his tour of duty.

He is the recipient of the George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for his volunteer work in bringing context to an important time in America’s history, and for assisting students, (and the community), to better understand and learn how the nation, and the world we live in, came to be.

He has logged hundreds of hours in classrooms, and traveled thousands of miles speaking to school students about the Vietnam war, patriotism and history. As a Marine squad leader, and machine-gun section leader in 1966-67 along the demilitarized zone known as the DMZ that separated North Vietnam and South Vietnam, he was wounded twice.

Mr. Leland’s tour in Vietnam was not his first experience with the Marine Corps. At age 19, he had volunteered for the Marines, served for 4 years, and was honorably discharged. 9 months later, at age 22, he re-enlisted and following his re-induction, was sent to Vietnam. By this time, he was considered “an old man” by the troops in the field whose average age was 19. Following his tour of duty, he returned to the United States, married, and became a police officer. He later became Chief of Police for a small town in Virginia before retiring from the Department of Agriculture.

Program for Morning and Luncheon events.

Program handout for morning celebration and afternoon luncheon.

Throughout out the day and evening, Mr. Leland discussed his tour of duty, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), and the advances in treatment and rehabilitative care for soldiers and their families–both formally and informally–with both veterans and non-veterans alike. Several people in-attendance at these events shared positive comments with me regarding the continuing success of the Cost of Freedom Forum in meeting program goals; and the importance of the event to the university and local community.