Military Science Department’s 2013 Hall Of Heroes Induction Ceremony is Saturday
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University’s Department of Military Science will induct three of its distinguished alumni into the ROTC Hall of Heroes Saturday, Nov. 16.
The Honorees will be Brig. Gen. Keith Klemmer, retired Col. Paul Longgrear, and the late Major Victor D. Faulkenberry.
The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. at the Military Science Building.
Klemmer, a 1987 graduate, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1985. He is a veteran of both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Currently deputy adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard, Klemmer is the recipient of many awards and decorations including two Bronze Star Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, and five Army Commendation Medals.
Longgrear attended Arkansas State until he was drafted into the Army in 1965. He completed Airborne, Ranger, and Special Forces Training. In February 1968 he led his company in defense of the Lang Vei Special Forces on the Laotian Border. Longgrear served three tours in Vietnam and was wounded five times. He is the recipient of two Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars for Valor, among other awards.
Faulkenberry, who will be recognized posthumously, graduated from A-State and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1968. He served in Vietnam and was recipient of several medals and awards, including two Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts, and three Bronze Stars with Valor. Members of Faulkenberry’s family will accept his induction plaque.
Klemmer, Longgrear, and Faulkenberry also will be honored during halftime at the ASU-Texas State football game Saturday evening.
In addition to the Hall of Heroes induction, ROTC also will award 12 departmental scholarships and hold a swearing-in ceremony for recently contracted cadets.
All family and friends of the Inductees and scholarship winners, faculty and staff, cadets, ROTC alumni, and Arkansas National Guard members are welcome to attend.
Begun in 1994, the Hall of Heroes provides permanent recognition of the extraordinary career achievements by Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) alumni since the program's beginning in 1936.
According to Lt. Col. Cecil L. Clark, professor of military science, Arkansas State uses this means to pay tribute to ROTC alumni who have distinguished themselves through heroic service, government service, and outstanding representation of the university.
The Hall of Heroes features an impressive array of plaques that have been hung in honor of each of the almost 70 individuals who have been inducted.
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