Annual Celebration of Valor marks Veterans Day at Mercyhurst

Mercyhurst President Kathleen A. Getz, Ph.D., will open the university’s annual Celebration of Valor on Veterans Day Friday, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m. in Mercy Heritage Room. Joining her as guest speaker will be Mercyhurst alumnus and U.S. Navy veteran James Hertner ’80, who will address the subject of women in uniform. 

Hertner served in the U.S. Navy and was attached to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, and served as a corpsman in Vietnam for one year. He is a life member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #435, the Marine Corps League, Lake Erie Detachment #293, and the VFW Post 2006.  He is also chairman of the Veterans Behavioral Health Council at the Erie Veterans Administration Medical Center. He recently retired from a 45-year career in real estate.

In 2018, Mercyhurst earned the distinction of being named a “Purple Heart University,” one of only two in Pennsylvania, and is also among U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Schools for Veterans.” A veteran-friendly university with an estimated 150 veterans and/or their dependents enrolled, their more popular degree pursuits include Intelligence Studies, Cyber Security, Criminal Justice, and Nursing.

Also, the “Pride of PA” Army ROTC Battalion, consisting of 71 students from Mercyhurst, Gannon, and Penn State Behrend, has been a proud tradition at Mercyhurst for more than 20 years. Just this year, three new cadets contracted with the program, bringing the Mercyhurst cohort to 30.

"We are proud of Mercyhurst University’s reputation for being so supportive of our military service members and veterans. It is truly an honor for Mercyhurst to be home to so many of America's heroes," Getz said.