Eldred WWII Museum to host talk by retired general
ELDRED, Pa. — Retired Brigadier Gen. Arthur G. Austin Jr. will speak at the Eldred World War II Museum on Thursday, June 12, at 6:30 pm in the museum’s Mitchell Paige Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
General Austin will provide an inspirational talk titled “The Greatest LOST Generation,” a title referring to the people of color who served and fought in WWII.
Originally from Detroit, Austin entered into military service in 1977 as an enlisted member in the 177MP Group, 210th Military Police Battalion, MIARNG. He attended basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., before attending the Military Police (MP) Advanced Individual Training course at Fort McClellan, Ala.
Austin was commissioned in March 1982 through the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at Michigan State University. He held various leadership positions until his retirement as the ddeputy commanding general, 46th Military Police Command, of the Command-and-Control CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear] Response Element-Bravo (C2CRE-B), command team in October 2014.
He mobilized during the 1980 Cuban Refugee Crisis, for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in December 1990, in 2003 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for Operation Enduring Freedom, in 2005 for Operation Katrina/Rita, and in 2008 for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in social science from Michigan State University, a master’s in organizational management from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Strategic Studies from the Army War College. He is also a graduate of Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government National Preparedness Leadership course and an inductee in the Michigan State University ROTC Spartan Battalion Hall of Fame.
He was the 2024 Daughter of the American Revolution National Outstanding Veteran of the Year. He was recently inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame for 2025.
Austin now lives in Cuba, N.Y., where he and his wife Karen call home.
This event is an opportunity for attendees to learn more about our nation’s history. For more information, call (814) 225-2220 or email info@eldredpawwiimuseum.com.
The Eldred WWII Museum is dedicated to its mission “to preserve and interpret the history of World War II.”
