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A Few Good Men … of Our Own
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Brig. Gen. Daniel Van Wyk Member, Delaware County Bar Association 2022 Freedom Medal Honoree
Van Wyk, a resident of Bethel Township, and a lifelong resident of Delaware County, was promoted to brigadier general in the Delaware National Guard in March, 2022, at his retirement ceremony, the capstone of his 34-year military career, 28 years of it spent in service to the Delaware Air National Guard.
He was also awarded the Legion of Merit by Col. Jonathan Groff, 166th Airlift Wing commander, and awarded the Delaware National Guard Conspicuous Service Cross by retired Maj. Gen. Ernest Talbert, former chief of staff, Delaware Air National Guard.
Van Wyk attended commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation from College through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program. He served on active duty in North Carolina, Germany and Colorado before leaving active duty to return to Delaware County and attend Widener University School of Law, Class of 1987, J.D.
Van Wyk later joined the Delaware ANG as the field maintenance officer in the 166th Airlift Wing, and rapidly progressed through the ranks, becoming one of the youngest group commanders in the entire ANG.
He is a veteran of the first Gulf War, having served in Operation Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia. He was activated again shortly after 9/11 and served in Operation Noble Eagle.
He has held most of the command positions within the Delaware ANG. He is a recognized expert in homeland defense, cyber operations, logistics and leadership. He has led teams that wrote the ANG long-range plan that affected all ANG units nationwide and rewrote the instructions for all facets of cadet life when the U.S. Air Force Academy was mired in sexual assault scandals.
June, 2022. Congratulations to Dylan Huffman, son of attorney and past DCBA President, Craig B. Huffman, on his induction into the United States Navy.
July, 2022. “Words cannot describe how proud I am of Dylan. To see him and his classmates take the oath and then be hustled away for a Summer of intense military training is incredibly emotional. Keep him and the class of 2026 in your prayers along with all members of our armed forces.”
August 2022. Happy First Day!
The United States Naval Academy is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is the second oldest of the five U.S. service academies and it educates midshipmen for service in the officer corps of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.
Congress authorized the Naval Academy to begin awarding bachelor of science degrees in 1933. The Academy later replaced a fixed curriculum taken by all midshipmen with the present core curriculum plus 18 major fields of study, a wide variety of elective courses and advanced study and research opportunities.
Since then, the development of the United States Naval Academy has reflected the history of the country. As America has changed culturally and technologically so has the Naval Academy. In just a few decades, the Navy moved from a fleet of sail and steam-powered ships to a high-tech fleet with nuclear-powered submarines and surface ships and supersonic aircraft. The academy has changed, too, giving midshipmen state-of- the-art academic and professional training they need to be effective naval officers in their future careers.
The Naval Academy first accepted women as midshipmen in 1976, when Congress authorized the admission of women to all of the service academies.
Over the years, the US Naval Academy has been proud to have helped shape the lives of countless outstanding individuals.
Inaugural Flying of Veteran Casket Flags Sunday, May 21, 2023
The Veterans and Military Service Committee of the Delaware County Bar Association will hold its Fifth Annual Inaugural Flying of Veteran Casket Flags on Sunday, May 21, 2023, 5:00 p.m., at the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association (DCVMA).
Louis B. Beatty, Jr., Esq.: United States Navy, WWII, US Navy’s Seabees in the Philippines. Samuel S. Blank, Esq.: United States Army Air Corps, where Blank was a navigator in the 401st Bomb Group, WWII.
James Delbello, Esq.: United States Army; Russian translator for the Library of Congress. Howard Edmiston Hannum, Esq.: First Lieutenant in the Field Artillery, WWI. Vram Nedurian, Jr., Esq.: A highly decorated WWII/Battle of the Bulge Veteran who served with Company 160th Infantry, 9th Division Regiment. Hon. Joseph T. Labrum, Jr., Esq.: Active Duty, United States Navy; Legal Officer aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktowne during the Korean War. William Henry Ridley, Esq.: Served in the Army during the Spanish American War and WWI.
Please do join us in 2023 for this emotionally moving tradition. In keeping with the mission of the Military Service Committee, the Ceremony as offered, is a unique and powerful way to memorialize and celebrate the life and legacy of legendary members from the legal community who shaped Delaware County following their heroic efforts in their military service to the United States of America.
The Military Service Committee of the Delaware County Bar Association: Barry W. VanRensler, Esq., Chairman; Carmen Belefonte, Esq.; Joseph W. Bullen, III, Esq.; Christina Hayes, Esq.; Richard M. Heller, Esq.; Thomas L. Kelly, Esq.; Colleen M. Neary, Esq.; Tracy E. Price; Hon. James F. Proud; Daniel C. Van Wyk, Esq.; Abbey Varga, Esq.; and always, in spirit, Richard A. Mitchell, Esq., former Chairman and Founder, Veterans and Military Service Committee of the Delaware County Bar Association.
