Community Corner
Harper College Honors its Veterans
Harper College hosted its first Veterans Day event Monday honoring more than 30 veterans on staff.
More than 30 veterans who are employed at Harper College gathered on Veterans Day Monday for a breakfast and program at the Wojcik Conference Center.
Following opening remarks by Harper College President Dr. Kenneth Ender, Chief Human Resources Officer Roger Spayer introduced two featured speakers who will reflect on their service.
WWII veteran Bernie Bluestein, a longtime fixture on the Palatine campus, has been taking classes at Harper since 1989 and has artwork on display. Bluestein was a member of the Ghost Army, a tactical unit that set out to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units. He was among the veterans who took part in the recent PBS documentary, "The Ghost Army."
Veteran Daniel Alarik, a former Harper student and former Army drill sergeant, also spoke at the ceremony. Alarik is the founder of Grunt Style, a Schaumburg-based company that sells military-themed apparel. The majority of his 30-plus employees are fellow veterans.
Motorists driving down Algonquin Road past the college could also see the names of Harper's veteran employees scrolling across the marquee throughout the day.
Click here for the list of Harper staff veterans.
Story and photos submitted by Harper College Media Relations Director Kimberly Pohl.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
