07 05 14 Roswell Daily Record

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Roswell Daily Record

Vol. 123, No. 161 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday

THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

July 5, 2014

SATURDAY

www.rdrnews.com

Laid to rest

Veterans cemete ry realization of dream BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER

City and state dignitaries gathered in Roswell on Friday to celebrate the opening of the Gen. Douglas L. McBride-Roswell Veterans Cemetery. Hundreds of veterans and their families were in attendance for the ceremony, which was the culmination of three years’ work by Ray Willis and Bert Eldridge, the two men who spearheaded the effort to see that Roswell veterans have a place to rest. “We had a young man here who was killed in Iraq, but his family didn’t have the money for a plot here,” funeral Eldridge said. “That is what got me to thinking we needed a place for veterans here in Roswell.” Eldridge said without the help of Willis and the McBride family, the cemetery board would never have gotten the land for the cemetery. The McBride family donated the property for the veterans cemetery, and Gen. McBride was the first veteran to be buried in the cemetery. Willis is the director of the McBride Trust, which donated 20 acres of land immediately north of South Park Cemetery for designation as the veterans cemetery. “Former Mayor Del Jur-

ney went out on a limb for us, and got us $75,000 to get us started — I don’t know how or where he got it, but he did.” The state of New Mexico also allocated $250,000 toward the Roswell veterans cemetery, thanks in large part to the work of the southeaster n New Mexico legislative delegation, including Rep. Bob Wooley (R-Roswell) and Rep. Nora Espinoza (RRoswell), Eldridge said. The ceremony was more than just an opening; the remains of 20 veterans were also interred in the columbarium, and military honors were presented for the deceased. Willis was also honored by the local veterans and made an honorary veteran by members of the Legion Riders motorcycle group. Rep. Wooley told the group there was a misunderstanding about Gov. Susana Martinez and the selection of the state’s sites for potentially locating federal veterans cemeteries. “We looked at 13 locations, and we made a very difficult decision,” Wooley said. “But the gover nor recognized how important this cemetery was to this community, and that is why we were able to allocate $250,000 to the proj-

Randal Seyler Photos

Above: Members of the Eagle Riders motorcycle group, which consists of members of the Roswell Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge, process with flags during the grand opening ceremonies at the Gen. Douglas L. McBrideRoswell Veterans Cemetery. Left: Bert Eldridge, left, presents Ray Willis with his “colors” as Willis is dubbed an honorary veteran during Friday’s opening ceremony at the Gen. Douglas L. McBrideRoswell Veterans Cemetery while a number of veterans, in formation, look on.

See CEMETERY, Page A3

Obama says US always has been a nation of immigrants

Vets enjoy annual Elks dinner

WASHINGTON (AP) — Celebrating the ethnic diversity of America, President Barack Obama said more than two dozen foreign-born service members who became U.S. citizens at the White House on the Fourth of July are vivid reminders that welcoming immigrants “is central to our way of life.” He pleaded anew for new immigration policies, saying the vast range of backgrounds and experiences that has made America a melting pot for more than 200 years also makes the country stronger. He argued that the system must be retooled for the U.S. to remain the greatest

AP Photo

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet military families as they host an Independence Day celebration on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Friday.

King seeks to intervene in vet’s appeal See OBAMA, Page A3

SANTA FE (AP) — Attorney General Gary King is asking the New Mexico Supreme Court for permission to intervene in a lawsuit on behalf of a disabled veteran who was fired by the state after serving two tours in Iraq. King, a Democrat who is running against Gov. Susana Martinez, says the state should have already settled the case in favor of the veteran. In 2009, a jury in Gallup awarded $100,000 to Phillip Ramirez, a National Guard serviceman with post-traumatic stress disorder who claimed his firing from the New Mexico Children, Youth and Family Department violated the Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The act requires employers to accommodate veterans’ disabilities. Ramirez says his PTSD caused him problems at work while his supervisors added additional goals he found impossible to meet, and that’s when he was fired for what

Above: Larry Martin, one of 750 veterans and family members, enjoys a meal during the annual Elks Lodge #969 free veterans’ and families barbecue. Martin, an F-4 pilot, was shot down over North Vietnam and rescued. He served from 1966-73. Right: Scott Montgomery, esteemed leading knight of Roswell Elks club serves 380 pounds of brisket to veterans.

HIGH 93 LOW 67

TODAY’S FORECAST

• DOROTHY R. VAUGHAN

TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B4

managers called insubordination. The state agency appealed the case, and it was reversed by the New Mexico Court of Appeals. King called the agency’s actions an affront to all New Mexico veterans. “What has happened to Mr. Ramirez is so wrong on so many levels,” he said in a statement. “How can anybody look a veteran in the eye and say, ‘We’ve got your back soldier?’ The state, as an employer, should give the same consideration to returning veterans as all private employers are required to do by federal law.” Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell questioned King’s sudden interest in the case. “This man was fired twice by the Richardson administration for insubordination and not showing up to work for long periods of time ... and it’s fascinating that Gary King said nothing for six years and, just as his campaign is floundering, he suddenly gets involved,” Knell said in an email.

CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6

COMICS .................B5

ENTERTAINMENT .....B6

INDEX GENERAL ...............A2

HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2

OPINION .................A4

SPORTS .................B1

WEATHER ..............A8


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