Veterans Day 2023 – The Vietnam War: Reflections from Before, During and After – presented by Embassy Bank and Phoebe Ministries 

Bethlehem, PA, November 1, 2023 – ArtsQuest and partners Embassy Bank and Phoebe Ministries, will be hosting a Veterans Day 2023 – The Vietnam War: Reflections from Before, During and After a panel discussion on Friday, November 10 at 6 p.m. in the Fowler Blast Furnace Room at the ArtsQuest Center. Special guest Artimus Pyle, a veteran who also played drums with the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, will join fellow veterans for a question-and-answer panel about their time in the military, hosted by Frank Gunter of Lehigh University. 

This event, presented by Embassy Bank and Phoebe Ministries, is free to attend but you must register for a ticket and can do so here.   

“Embassy Bank is proud to partner with ArtsQuest in order to present this important conversation,” said David M. Lobach, Jr. Chairman, President and CEO of Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley. “Thanking veterans for their service is just the beginning. This event provides an opportunity for those who have served our nation to share their personal experiences with each other and the entire community.” 

“We are once again honored to partner with ArtsQuest on Veterans Day to bring you programming that spotlights our dedicated veterans,” said Scott Stevenson, President and CEO of Phoebe Ministries and veteran of the US Air Force.” We are proud to serve seniors who have served our country in the armed forces. I am grateful to all of the men and women who have served in the past and those who are serving today.”   

Veteran panelists include: 

Thomas Delmer “Artimus” Pyle 
Pyle enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968. He was named platoon and series honor man and promoted to private first-class following completion of boot camp in San Diego. Pyle went to school to become a Marine pilot when his father was killed in a mid-air plane collision in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Pyle, who also responds to the nickname Gomer, worked as an avionics mechanic at various military bases, including Millington, Tennessee and Beaufort, South Carolina, ultimately rising to the rank of sergeant. He was honorably discharged in 1971.  

Eugene “Gene” Derenick  
From Center Valley, PA, Derenick enlisted in the US Navy in 1965 at the age of 17. He served for three years in Dam Neck, Virginia and Key West, Florida, where he ended his tour as a Third-Class Petty Officer. In 1980, he reenlisted in the US Air Force Reserves and served at Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, until 1997. During his reserve tour, Derenick worked on Chemical Warfare, Rapid Runway and Operation Readiness. He retired as Master Sergeant E-7. During his service in the US Air Force Reserves, Derenick was a Pennsylvania State Trooper for 30 years, working in both Bucks and Lehigh Counties. He and his wife, Vicky, are active members of Pathstones by Pheobe, a continuing care-at-home program.  

George Campbell  
Also from Center Valley, Campbell enlisted in the US Navy Officer Candidate School located in Newport, Rhode Island, after graduating from The Pennsylvania State University in 1960. He served on the USS Providence in Yokosuka, Japan. He resigned from active duty in 1964 with the rank of Captain. He then enlisted in the US Navy Reserves, where he served primarily in Little Creek, Virginia, until 1986. Campbell spent more than ten years working with the Navy Seals, including the last four years of his reserve tour as Captain in Special Warfare. 

During his service in the US Navy Reserves, Campbell worked in finance and accounting at Bethlehem Steel, W.R. Grace and The Rouse Company. He retired in 2004 from American Resource Consultants as the Chief Financial Operator. He and his wife, Gretchen, are active members of Pathstones by Pheobe, a continuing care-at-home program. 

This event will be streamed online for those who cannot attend in person. Artimus Pyle will also be performing that night with his band, The Artimus Pyle Band, in the Musikfest Café. Tickets to this panel discussion do not include a ticket to the Musikfest Café show which must be purchased separately. Those tickets can be purchased here.