Memorial Day ceremony planned at PSU Veterans Memorial

  Monday, May 20, 2019 1:00 PM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

The annual Memorial Day ceremony at the PSU Veterans Memorial is planned for 9 a.m. Monday, May 27, with Andy Klenke (Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army) as the keynote speaker.   

Klenke is the chair of Technology & Workforce Learning at PSU. His children, siblings, and in-laws include current service members and veterans, and he is a member of the PSU Veterans Memorial Advisory Committee.  

The ceremony is open to the public. In the event of inclement weather, it will be moved to the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, 1711 S. Homer.  

Serving as emcee for the ceremony will be Cadet Anthony Aung, PSU Army ROTC. The National Anthem will be sung by Lisa Gerstenkorn, PSU Music Department faculty, and “Taps” will be played by Will Koehler, a 2011 graduate.  

The ceremony also will include a dedication of new pavers, music, and an invocation and benediction by 2nd Lt. Wyatt Presnell, PSU Army ROTC.  

Klenke was a Signals Intelligence Morse Code Interceptor with Electronic Warfare training for the U.S. Army from November 1983 to November 1990.  

He held the position of platoon sergeant in the 513th MI Brigade S3. Duty assignments included basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; AIT at Fort Devens, Massachusetts; and duty assignments at Fort Lewis, Washington, Seoul, Korea, Augsburg, Germany, and Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.   

He earned his MSEd in Technology Education from PSU in 1998, his EdS in higher education from PSU in 2006, and his EdD in Workforce Development/Technology Education from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 2010.  

Klenke joined the staff at PSU in 1998 as an associate professor. Prior to that, he was a technology teacher at Chanute High School.   

About the Memorial  

The PSU Veterans Memorial is located at 1909 S. Rouse. It was dedicated with a ceremony on Memorial Day 2004 at the eastern edge of the PSU campus, making this the 15th anniversary of the Memorial itself and the 16th annual ceremony. It features a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., and a kiosk and directory to help visitors locate names. A 250-seat amphitheater serves as a venue for special events, including Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies open to the public each year.   

In addition to the wall, the memorial includes an entry rampart featuring U.S., state, and university flags and the five seals of the uniformed military branches, two impressive entry portals, an arch just behind the reflecting pool with an eternal flame, and patriotic bronze sculptures.  

The plaza of the amphitheater, as well as the entrance plaza, features more than 3,400 engraved granite pavers paying tribute to veterans and veterans’ organizations. A display of the 50 state flags is featured on the north berm of the memorial.  

It is one of the most visited sites in Southeast Kansas. Details: www.psuvetmemorial.org