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Featured Image: A woman places a flower at the Steelworker Veteran’s Memorial – Photo credit ‘Glenn Koehler/NMIH’
BETHLEHEM, PA –The National Museum of Industrial History (NMIH) will honor those who served with its annual Veterans Day ceremony on Thursday, November 11.
The day will begin at 10am with a commemoration hosted by the Steelworkers Veteran’s Memorial Committee on the Museum’s plaza followed by a special talk on the history behind the construction of the Steelworkers Veteran’s Memorial. Veterans and their families can enjoy free admission to the Museum from 10am to 5pm. Visitors can try their hand at operating an 1800s printing press to create holiday cards for active duty military members.
The commemoration ceremony will include:
- A performance by the Broughal Middle School Band
- Remarks from former Bethlehem Steel Corporation Chairman Hank Barnette, Tim “Sarge” Parsons representing the Nam Knights of America Lehigh Valley Chapter, and members of the Steelworkers Veteran’s Memorial Committee.
- Special keynote speakers Master Gunnery Sergeant, USMC (Ret.) Carl J. Schroeder, Jr. and Master Sergeant, USMC (Ret.) Roslyn Schroeder, a local couple who served in the United States Marine Corps for over 20 years.
Following the ceremony, Don Trexler, President of the Bethlehem Steelworkers Veterans’ Memorial Committee, will provide an overview of the history behind the memorial project in the Museum’s Barnette Education Center. On November 11, 2020, the committee re-dedicated the Steelworkers Veteran’s Memorial at its new home in the plaza of the National Museum of Industrial History. Originally dedicated in May of 1989, the memorial was relocated from its original location outside the South Bethlehem plant’s employee entrance with financial assistance from the Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority and the Bethlehem Parking Authority.
What was supposed to be a small plaque became a more substantial undertaking under the vision of the late Raymond F. Rosati, Jr., a Bethlehem Steel millwright from Hellertown. Mr. Rosati, a U.S. Marine Corps and Vietnam veteran, designed the memorial which was constructed with the aid of a variety of production and maintenance personnel from different departments across the plant. Assembly occurred in the shipping yard maintenance shop. Bronze plaques displayed on the memorial of the main military branches were procured by the late Rep. William C. Rybak. This monument serves as a testament to the workers and veterans of the nation’s steel mills.
Veteran’s Day at the National Museum of Industrial History is proudly sponsored by Hank and Joanne Barnette. Visitors can find more information about the Veterans Day events at nmih.org/event/veterans-
About the Keynote Speakers
Carl Schroeder was born and raised in Bethlehem, PA. He graduated from Liberty High School, Bethlehem, PA in 1964 in the vocational electrical – electronics program. Carl began his employment at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1964 in the electrical apprentice program. Formal training included an electrical apprenticeship, Advanced Industrial Safety, various management courses, and management and employee human relations courses. Carl retired from Bethlehem Steel in 1993.
Roslyn Schroeder was born in Allentown, PA. She has a Bachelor’s degree in business from DeSales University. Roslyn worked at Kraft Foods for 28 years and continued as a consultant with them for an additional ten years. Roslyn joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1977 and served for 20 years. During that time she was activated for Operation Desert Storm and served as the Legal Chief of Replacement Training Battalion at Camp LeJeune, NC, achieving the rank of Master Sergeant before she retired from the Marine Corps in 2007.
About the National Museum of Industrial History
A Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, the National Museum of Industrial History is dedicated to preserving America’s rich industrial heritage. Housed in an 18,000-square-foot, 100-year-old former Bethlehem Steel facility on the largest private brownfield in America, the Museum is home to exciting exhibits, engaging programs, and amazing history. Learn more at nmih.org.
Information provided to TVL by:
Glenn Koehler
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
National Museum of Industrial History
