ESU to Host Veterans Day Celebration

Lawrence Riddles

Posted by: Elizabeth Richardson on November 2, 2023, No Comments

East Stroudsburg University will host its 15th annual Veterans Day Celebration Friday, November 10 at 2 p.m. to recognize local veterans, servicemen and servicewomen in all branches of the armed services. The celebration will be in Beers Lecture Hall. In addition, there will be a military observance adjacent to the “Julia” statue at the front campus circle. Julia was originally acquired by East Stroudsburg State Normal School alumni in 1919 to commemorate and honor the school’s servicemen and women who had died in World War I.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Colonel Lawrence M. Riddles, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, FACPE. Dr. Riddles is the Regional Chief Medical Officer at Lehigh Valley Health Network, where he oversees Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley Hospital-Carbon. Dr. Riddles is 35-year veteran of the United States Air Force as a senior physician, general surgeon, and flight surgeon.

Dr. Riddles received his initial Air Force commission through the AFROTC program and subsequently completed his undergraduate medical school at the Uniformed Services of the Health Sciences (USUHS) School of Medicine. He received his post graduate general surgery training in United States Air Force General Residency program with an additional cardiovascular and thoracic surgery fellowship. He retired from active duty in 2012.

Colonel Riddles’ military career spans multiple assignments both peacetime as well as combat and contingency medical response to include becoming a Chief Flight Surgeon with more than 800 hours of aircraft flight time. Some of his assignments that one might immediately recognize include: Haiti Earthquake, January 2010; Hurricane Katrina (New Orleans International Airport), August-September 2005; Turkish Earthquakes (East of Istanbul), August 1999 and November 1999; and Operation DESERT STORM (Saudi Arabia), January-August 1991.

The Veterans Day Celebration program will also include the armed forces medley, a wreath laying by ESU President Kenneth Long and Colonel Riddles, a three-volley salute by the Monroe County Joint Veterans Honor Guard, and the playing of taps.

A reception will be held following the program in the foyer of Zimbar-Liljenstein Hall.

For more information, contact June Pepe in the Student Enrollment Center at (570) 422-2812 or at veterans@esu.edu.