The Board of Directors of the Army Heritage Center Foundation announces the Foundation’s Third Annual Membership Dinner. The dinner will be held on September 10, 2010 at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

The Dinner will honor Veterans past and present, those who support Soldiers, and those who support the Army Heritage Center Foundation and the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in “Telling the Army Story . . . one Soldier at a time.” The event will also celebrate the completion of Phase One of the Visitor and Education Center. 

This year the Foundation will recognize Veterans whose service allows them to be considered Living Legends; organizations who have helped Soldiers with the inaugural Boots on the Ground Awards; and individuals and groups who have advanced the development of the US Army Heritage and Education Center with the MG John Armstrong Award, 1725-1795, who as a Soldier, a Statesman, a Pioneer and a Leader shaped the development of this region and the Nation.

This year’s Living Legends Award honors Retired Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Ney and Sir Stanley A. Wojtusik.  Ney was born July 11, 1909 in Harrisburg and developed a love for horses while living on his grandparent’s farm.  He joined the Army in 1928 when he was only 17.  Having served most of his career with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, he retired after 33 years of service as a Chief Warrant Officer.  He currently resides in nearby Church of God senior home in Carlisle.  While still a high school senior, Wojtusik enlisted on December 21, 1943.  He joined the 106th Infantry Division and during the Battle of the Bulge, his regiment became separated from the rest of the unit. Armed with only an M-1 rifle to fight tanks, he was captured by Germans and spent six months as a Prisoner of War. A recipient of the Purple Heart, knighted in Belgium and Luxembourg, and past National President of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Wojtusik worked tirelessly to ensure Battle of the Bulge veterans were honored for their service and sacrifice with a monument at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Boots on the Ground Award will recognize the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The McGowan Institute is developing technology for the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research in San Antonio.  Their technology is being used to help restore some function to the hands of Soldiers who have suffered significant loss and the regeneration of muscle tissue.  Through this regenerative medicine research the Army hopes to restore the quality of life to some of our brave wounded warriors. McGowan Institute Executive Director John Murphy will accept the Boots on the Ground Award on behalf of the Institute.

The 2010 MG John Armstrong Award will recognize the contributions of the citizens of the County of Cumberland, Pennsylvania and their support to the development of the US Army Heritage and Education Center.  Cumberland County donated the land for the US Army Heritage and Education Center and facilitated the efforts of the Army Heritage Center Foundation from 2001 through 2010 through grants of the County’s hotel tax.   COL John Connolly, US Army Retired, is a former Deputy Commandant of the US Army War College and served the citizens of Cumberland County from 1996 until 2005, first as Cumberland County Director of Veterans Affairs and culminating as Chief Clerk of Cumberland County.   

For information about the dinner, please contact the Foundation’s office at 717-258-1102 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .