By Nathan Duke
LaGuardia Community College will host a three-day celebration this month to honor the nation's war veterans prior to Memorial Day that will include discussions and short film screenings, a spokeswoman for the Long Island City-based college said.
The program will be held from May 14 to May 16 in the school's main building at 31-10 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City.
The celebration will kick off May 14 with the Stories of Service film festival, which will feature short films that tell the stories of veterans, the college's spokeswoman said. The films, which will screen from noon to 2 p.m., were produced by city college and high school students, she said.
On May 15, the program will host Veterans Resource Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the spokeswoman said. Representatives from a number of city, state and federal agencies will provide information on service and benefits available to veterans and their families, she said. Groups at the event will include the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department, the state's Veterans Affairs Division, the state Labor Department, the Queens Vets Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The school will host a Salute to New York City's Veterans event May 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its Mainstage Theatre, the college spokeswoman said.
The guest speaker at the event will be Roger Newman, the Veterans Affairs Office commissioner. The event will include a panel discussion and entertainment, the spokeswoman said.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 718-482-5992 or visit vets@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.