American Legion Post No. 1 in Wheeling will host a Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at WesBanco Arena.

The guest speaker for this year’s event is Frank Vitale, president and CEO of Forge Business Solutions and the civilian aide for the Secretary of the Army for West Virginia. He also is an adjunct assistant professor at West Virginia University.

With nearly two decades of service in the U.S. Army Reserves and the West Virginia Army National Guard, Vitale achieved the rank of Captain. He concluded his military career as the Senior Officer Instructor for the Officer Candidate School with the 197th Regional Training

Institute at Camp Dawson, West Virginia. He remains actively involved on numerous professional and civic boards, including the National Veteran Owned Business Association, West Virginia National Guard Foundation, and the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative.

A Morgantown resident, Vitale has been honored with the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal, and the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters). He is also a recipient of the Chapel of Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Award and the Order of Anthony Wayne, Valley Forge Military College’s highest leadership distinction. His professional achievements include being named one of West Virginia Executive Magazine’s “Sharp Shooters” in 2023 for leadership and previously recognized as a “Young Gun” in 2015 for his impact on the state. He also received the James McCartney Community Service Award from the West Virginia University Alumni Association for outstanding citizenship, service, and community involvement.

He also is the author of “Forge Ahead – How to Build a Winning Strategy in Business, Life and Wrestling.”

Rabbi Joshua Lief of Temple Shalom will offer the invocation for the event, while the Rev. Kenneth Hardway will over the benediction.