Remember and Honor Magazine - December 2019

March 20 19

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Imp o r t a n t P h o n e N u mb e r s ___________ LOVELAND VA CLINIC

970-962-4900

FORT COLLINS VA CLINIC

970-224-1550

CHEYENNE VA HOSPITAL

307-778-7550

DENVER VA HOSPITAL

303-399-8020

LARIM ER COUNTY VETERAN SERVICES

970-498-7390

WELD COUNTY VETERAN SERVICES

970-400-3444

VET CENTER

970-221-5176

COLORADO DIVISION OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

303-284-6077

N. COLORADO VETERANS RESOURCE CENTER

970-888-4249

VETERANS CRISIS LINE

800-273-8255 (press 1) or text 838255

HEALING WARRIORS PROGRAM

970-776-8387

In t h is is s u e From the Publisher ............................................ 4 Index of Sponsors ............................................. 5 Events ................................................................. 6 For His Widow and His Orphan Revisited ....... 7 Pearl Harbor: Stories of Those There That Day ...................................................................... 8 From Riverboats to Sleighs .............................. 9 Is Suffering ?Optional?? ....................................10 News Brief .......................................................... 11 Veterans Honoring Veterans .............................12 The Kosleys: A Family of Service .................... 13 On The Lighter Side .......................................... 14 CSU Ranks 2nd in Nation as " Best for Vets" .... 15 Christmas Eve Dinner ........................................ 16

Dialogue and Feedback .................................... 18 Veteran Owned Businesses ............................. 19 © 2019 REMEMBER AND HONOR All rights reserved. PO Box 1031, Loveland CO 80538. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Advertisements contained within this publication do not represent endorsement by the publisher. Publisher may not be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies.

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F r o m t h e p u b l is h e r ' s d e s k ___________

Dear Readers, Welcome to the December issue. While December marks a festive holiday season it also holds the solemn memory of Pearl Harbor on December 7th.

After the initial shock of the attack and the question ?Where is Pearl Brad Hoopes, Publisher Harbor?? was answered, the sleeping giant was awakened. Within days, Remember And Honor long lines wound around the corners of recruitment centers across the country. Here locally, the families of 18 year old Loveland resident Dwayne Webster and 23 year old Berthoud resident James Kesler would eventually learn their sons were killed that day. In this issue, you will read first person accounts from local residents Keith Holcolm and Stanley Jones who were there that fateful December day. Lest we forget.

To commemorate the festive holiday season, you will get to know John Perrine and his lovely wife Jeanne. Due to his and Jeanne?s strong desire to give back to the community, coupled with his jolly personality and striking resemblance to Santa Claus, the Perrines volunteer their time playing Santa and Mrs. Claus this time of year. John once skippered a boat on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. He now drives a sleigh? .a far more enjoyable and safer gig!

The 1944 holiday season was not enjoyable and safe for Nolan Ashburn. For ten days, Nolan roamed around in a snow filled forest, tired, hungry and inadequately dressed for what was the coldest winter in 50 years, as he was caught up in the Battle of the Bulge. Christmas Eve dinner for him in 1944 was memorable, but certainly far from enjoyable.

I can only imagine what sitting around the holiday dinner table must have been like for Jim Kosley.

Jim was one of 20 siblings, however, two sisters would die in infancy. Of those 18 surviving siblings, all ten brothers and one sister would serve our country, stretching from shortly after WWI through the Vietnam War era. The generations that followed have continued that tradition. Thank you, Kosley family!

As a proud Ram, I am thrilled to see that Colorado State is ranked by ?Military Times? as the second best institution for veterans among all the two and four year schools in the nation. YEAH, Ram Nation!

Lastly, I need to make a correction to last month?s article on Morris and Evelyn Lee and their efforts to keep our veterans warm. I incorrectly stated that they sometimes charge $5 for their lap robes. They never charge a veteran for a lap robe. They do charge $5 for the flag mats (as seen in the foreground of the picture accompanying the article) as it does require more yarn, but never for a lap robe.

Speaking of yarn, they always welcome donations of yarn (cotton, not wool) for their project.

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukah and wishes for a great upcoming 2020.

Brad Hoopes Submit your comments, input and story ideas to Brad.Hoopes@RememberAndHonor.com

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In d e x o f s p o n s o r s ___________

Our Sponsors make it possible to provide this monthly publication to the community. When you have a need for our sponsors' products or services, we ask that you give them a chance to earn your business. Please tell them you found them in the Remember And Honor magazine!

Design Creative Connection 303-746-6859 CreativeConnection.biz Au t om ot ive Prime-Time Autoglass 970-305-0478

ThePrimetimeAutoglass.com Christian Brothers Automotive (970) 795-2277 CBAC.com/Greeley Hom e In spect ion Pillar to Post 970-599-0282 PillartoPost.com/JohnBabin M or t gage Stephen Ponce-Pore 970-231-4024 Rate.com/StephenPoncePore

Sen ior Car e Columbine Health Systems 800-718-2164 ColumbineHealth.com Sen ior Resou r ces Senior Living Advisors of Colorado 970-541-4592 Slacolo.com Veteran Publi cati on Rem em ber And Honor 970-631-2027 Rem em berAndHonorMagazi ne.com Veteran Support Heart Scars 6, LLC Mary Scott 970-449-3665

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u p c o min g e v e n t s __________

D e c e mb e r Sat u r day Dec. 7t h , 14t h ,21st , 28t h Pr ou d Am er ican Vet s (Pam vet s) br eak f ast 0730hr Golden Corral Restaurant 1360 Sculptor Dr., Loveland Join over 100+ veterans from all service branches for a buffet breakfast and camaraderie.

Sat u r day Dec. 7t h an d 28t h Vet er an s Hon or in g Vet er an s St at u e Cer em on y 0800hr Golden Corral Restaurant 1360 Sculptor Dr. Loveland Veterans Honoring Veterans bi-monthly ceremony where five veterans are honored for their service with a 12? statue. The 7th, Pearl Harbor Day, will be honoring WWII veterans. The 28th honoring a multi-generational family. Held during the Pamvets breakfast.

Sat u r day Dec. 7t h Pear l Har bor Rem em br an ce Cer em on y Time to be determined. Dwayne Webster Park, Loveland Fr ee Yoga f or Vet er an s Free yoga classes to veterans, active duty and their friends and family. Wear comfortable clothes; yoga mats are provided. Questions: 507 881-9642 or email: info@comebackyoga.com - Mondays 1500hr Loveland Associated Veterans 305 Cleveland Ave. Loveland 80537 - Tuesdays 1900hr Raintree Athletic Club, Studio 2 2555 S. Shields St. Fort Collins 80526 - Thursdays 1700hr VFW Post 1781 603 Lesser Dr. Fort Collins 80524 Sat u r day Dec. 14t h Wr eat h s Acr oss Am er ica 1000hr Locations noted below Wreath laying ceremony on veterans?graves. Please see story in News Briefs for more information. The ceremonies will be held at the following cemeteries: Ault Cemetery Greeley Linn Grove Briggsdale Cemetery Greeley Sunset Memorial Gardens Eaton Cemetery Greeley Trinity Memorial Evans Cemetery Johnstown Cemetery

Fort Collins Grandview Cemetery

Loveland Burial Park

M on t h of Decem ber Numerous Toys for Tots functions and fundraisers. Please go to www.toysfortots.org and click on the ?Find my local campaign button? for various locations and times.

Wedn esday Dec. 25t h

Merry Christmas!

Visit RememberAndHonorMagazine.com to see more events Submit event information to Brad Hoopes at: Brad.Hoopes@RememberAndHonor.com 6

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By: Casey Alexander, Attorney (Navy Veteran) The Law Office of Casey Alexander

F o r H is W id o w A n d H is Or p h a n ?Re v is it e d In August I wrote about the process for requesting the service records of family members who had served. To refresh your memory, if you or a family member served in the armed forces, you can submit a request either through the specific branch that he or she served in, or with the National Archives and they will send you whatever records they possess. There are specific forms you must fill out and instructions you must follow, and it may or may not be free.

I have had several members of the community reach out to me about the article I wrote, and many of them had similar questions, so I thought I would write a follow-up article to address a few of these frequently asked questions.

Q: How much will you charge me to help me request these records?

A: Nothing! The National Archives will likely charge you a fee of $70 for these records, but my office won?t charge you a dime. I served in the Navy. I am a veteran in this community who cares about other veterans and their families. These records are just sitting in these facilities collecting dust and many people simply do not know that they can request them.

Q: I was told that the records were lost in a fire ? am I out of luck?

A: Maybe not? on July 12, 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) military personnel records building in St. Louis, Missouri that destroyed approximately 16?18 million Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) documenting the service history of former military personnel discharged from 1912 to 1964. However, many records weren?t sent to this location until many years after the servicemember was discharged. I have had clients in the past who were told their records were destroyed only to have the records reappear at a different facility.

Q: How long do I have to wait for these records?

A: Months. Unfortunately, nobody has ever accused the federal government of acting too quickly when it comes to fulfilling their duties and responsibilities. It is worth the wait though, and when you do get your records back, I would love to sit down with you and go through all your documents.

Did you serve or do you have a relative who served? Give me a call to set up an appointment and I will walk you through what forms to fill out and where to send them. I would love to see what you find. If you have any other legal issue, I would be happy to give you a free consultation.

Casey Alexander Casey_Alexander@hotmail.com (970) 355-3499 Remember andHonor Honor 77 Rem em ber and

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St o r ie s o f t h o s e t h e r e t h a t d a y Dwayne Webster (Loveland) was a 17 year old high school student when he asked his dad?s permission to join the Navy. His dad agreed, signed the papers, and Dwayne enlisted on December 7, 1940. Exactly one year later on December 7, 1941, he would be killed aboard the USS Arizona. In an interview years later, his sister recounted how the family initially got the telegram that he was MIA. Soon after, their mother got a package containing a box of silverware from Dwayne, which gave the family a sliver of hope. Dwayne had sent the package on December 6th.

In February 1942, they got the telegram confirming that Dwayne was KIA on the 7th along with 1,177 fellow crew members on the USS Arizona.

Up until he passed, Dwayne?s father never forgave himself for signing those enlistment papers. Dwayne Webster Park on the south end of Lake Loveland is named in Dwayne?s honor.

Keith Holcomb (Fort Collins) was stationed at Hickham Air Base and found himself exposed and trapped out on the tarmac when the Japanese attacked.

Trying to run towards a trench, he saw a Japanese airplane bearing down on him. The plane was so close that he and the plane?s gunner stared right at each other. The gunner tried to shoot him, which Keith said would have cut him in half, but he was too close for the gunner to swing his machine gun around enough to do so. Right after the plane passed Keith, it crashed and exploded. Almost certainly design measures were built into it not to do so, but Keith feels the plane crashed because the gunner shot his own plane while attempting to shoot Keith. Amazingly, when I interviewed Keith in 2010, he said he carried guilt all these years based on this belief. Keith went on to serve the rest of the war. After his service, he would become a well-known chiropractor in Fort Collins.

Stanley Jones (Estes Park) has the unique distinction of witnessing the beginning of the war and the very end of it. Stan was raised on various military bases, due to his dad?s Army career. Stanley was at Schofield Barracks in the family housing area on the day of the attack. All military family members fled up the side of a mountain to escape the attack. Stan said he stopped at one point to look back and watch the attack, wondering where and how his father was. Weeks later, all military family members would be evacuated back to the States due to fear of a Japanese invasion of Hawaii. Stan would finish high school and then enlist in the Army. He served with the 11th Airborne and was in the Philippines preparing for the invasion of Japan when the bombs were dropped and Japan surrendered. Stan?s unit was immediately sent to Japan to secure the airport for Gen. MacArthur?s arrival. He would stay in Japan for three and half years as part of the occupation forces.

David Kesler's (Berthoud) remains were positively identified in June of this year.

Kesler was aboard the USS Oklahoma when it was hit and capsized, killing 429 crewmen. Due to technology at the time, his remains were classified as unidentifiable and he was buried. With modern technology, the Deputy Secretary of Defense ordered remains from the Oklahoma exhumed for analysis in 2015.

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F r o m Riv e r b o a t s t o Sl e ig h s Handing out candy to children is a lot easier now for John Perrine than it was in the Mekong Delta back in 1968. Back then, he tried to take candy to the children at an isolated Catholic school in the jungle. The nuns told him not to give them candy, as the Viet Cong will come later and kill them all for accepting it.

John found himself in the Mekong in a roundabout way. He assumed he would be going into the airborne. After basic training, he got orders though to report to Virginia to learn to drive boats. After this training and tired of waiting around for orders, he put in for Vietnam. Landing in-country, he was sent to ?Mortar City?. It certainly lived up to its name, as right away after his arrival he came under mortar attack. John would spend his tour skippering a boat up and down the Mekong Delta.

After his service, John would marry his lovely wife Jeanne, move to Colorado, begin raising his family, and start what would be a forty-year career with the City of Loveland. The young family soon bought their first home, a cozy cabin along the Big Thompson River in Drake. The family?s lives would be turned upside down though six months later with the Flood of 1976. They barely made it out and ended up losing everything.

They would eventually rebound and got on with their lives.

Because of the horrible welcome he and other vets got when they returned from Vietnam, John and Jeanne have held a Memorial Day weekend gathering for 32 years now to honor veterans and first responders. In the late 90?s John also began volunteering with the Larimer County Sheriff?s Posse.

At that time, the undersheriff played Santa with the Santa Cops program. When the undersheriff got sick, John filled in for him. John would eventually take over. He has played Santa for the last 16 years. With his white hair and white beard, he looks the part.

Walking in the aisles of Home Depot one day, a woman approached him and said he looked like Santa. She asked him if he would dress up and come pay a visit to her grandson. He initially declined, but that quickly changed when she told him that her grandson had leukemia.

From that chance encounter at Home Depot and the visit to her grandson (he would pass the day after Christmas), John and Jeanne (Mrs. Claus) began their tireless volunteer work of appearing for events and organizations. Last year, they participated in 43 different events between Thanksgiving and Christmas. ?This has been one of the ways of giving back to the community in part for all the help we got after the flood?, John says.

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By: Mary Scott, MSW, Loss & Trauma Consultant Heart Scars 6, Loveland, CO

Is Su f f e r in g ?Op t io n a l ? ?

So me o n e f r o m Et h io p ia T h in k s So It can descend like a giant wave, dark and unexpected, threatening to wash us away? Or run through every cell, exacting torture without mercy. It can cut, tear, rob, bind, and destroy our body, brain, heart, and soul. What is it?

It?s Pain? physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual. And if it gets too big, Pain leaves Hope behind, crawling into a corner of our heart and casting a dark shadow on the soft red floor. Left unchecked, Pain creates a self-made prison so putrid we don?t want light to shine there and expose that vulnerable place. So we hide, fearing we might hurt the ones we love or hoping our darkness won?t be uncovered by those whose ?light? is bright.

Boise, Idaho, 2008: She feels like hell. January 2009, she hears, ?It?s cancer.? Paradise, California, 2018: Finally finding peace in a quiet setting, a Vietnam Veteran wakes up to horrific flames that take his wife, child, home, and soul.

Could there ever be ?gifts? buried in such pain? ?Maybe?, you think, choosing to look at your own challenges this way. Or you might be muttering a few choice words, thinking me naĂŻve.

Foster and Hicks, authors of ?How We Choose to Be Happy?, prove it?s possible to reap significant opportunity after severe hardship. With an impressive study of hundreds of people worldwide who experienced extreme loss and trauma, the researchers give us hope. Their book?s a bit dry (sorry guys), but their one-page list, ?9 choices of extremely happy people? rocked my world.

My favorites are #1 Accountability: the choice to assume full responsibility for our actions, thoughts and feelings, and refusal to blame others for our own unhappiness; and #2 Recasting: The choice to turn even extreme trauma and loss into something meaningful? but 10

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Devil?s Backbone, Photo M. Scott

only after we allow ourselves to feel the pain deeply and fully.

Yep, Pain is a formidable combatant: a stark reminder of our vulnerability, but also of our incredible potential to master how we ?see? all things, including suffering. Years ago, I bought a T-shirt that said ?Suffering is Optional?, then (weirdly) jumped into a cab with an Ethiopian driver who began talking about horrors his loved ones experienced. I showed him the shirt. After a brief silence, he spoke: ?Pain cannot be avoided, but ?suffering?is certainly optional!?

I gave him the shirt. ?I will discuss this with my family at supper tonight!? he shouted and sped off smiling. (I would?ve paid to be a fly at his table!)

Is suffering an option? Can we prevent it? I?m glad I don?t live in Ethiopia, but it sure produced a wise and courageous man.

With Respect Always, Mary Scott Mary Scott, Heart Scars 6 Maryscottretreats@gmail.com (970) 449-3665 Remember and Honor

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N e w s b r ie f ___________

World War II Gathering

A group of WWII veterans gathered to celebrate birthdays within the group, the youngest being 92. Lt. Col. Frank Huffman, who used to teach ROTC at CSU and UNC and is now at Ft. Bragg, flew back for the party. While he taught here, he had organized a group called the Greatest Generation Group which used to meet monthly for lunch or go on field trips. There were 10 veterans (4 couldn?t make it at the last minute) and probably another 15 or so spouses and friends at the party. A couple sitting in a booth in this section of the restaurant, asked what was going on. When told, they said the husband?s brother was a Vietnam veteran and in honor of him they were going to pay the entire tab, which they did.

American Legion Auxiliary Cookbook Looking for a unique Christmas present this year and helping a good cause at the same time? American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1879 at CSU is putting together a cook book of recipes that go back to early in the last century. According to member Carrie Thompson, the group went through old AL Auxiliary cookbooks, picked out favorites, and then tested each. A number of recipes had to be updated for modern times. Thompson noted for example one recipe that called for ?go out front and kill a large hen?. You can go to the following link to enter your information if interested in the book: https://store.alaservecookbook.com/password. You can also call the Auxiliary at 970-430-07339.

Wreaths Across America

Please help remember, honor, and teach on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 10:00am by sponsoring a wreath, volunteering, or inviting friends to help. Sponsoring a fresh evergreen wreath costs $15.00. The wreaths will be placed on Veterans? graves at Ault Cemetery, Briggsdale Cemetery, Eaton Cemetery, Evans Cemetery, Greeley?s Linn Grove, Sunset Memorial Gardens and Greeley Trinity Memorial cemeteries, Johnstown Cemetery, and Loveland Burial Park . Please go to the following website to donate or sponsor a wreath: https://wreathsacrossamerica.org

Toys for Tots Another wonderful program this time of year is the Marine Toys For Tots.

This program has been bringing hope to children since 1947. According to Larimer County coordinator Deb Cross, the nice thing about it is that all toys donated and money raised locally stays here locally. Either go to www.toysfortots.org and click on the ?Find your local Campaign? button for a list of events and drop-off locations or keep an eye out for locations and let?s overflow those barrels!

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Oct 10th Presentation: (l-r) Keith Gregg (Navy); Pat Kistler (Army); Lorrie McLaughlin (Navy); Bill Hamlin (Air Force); Randy Colby (Air Force)

Nov 2nd Presentation: (l-r) Ron Scott (Air Force); Steve Rylant (Air Force); Gary Phillips (Navy); David Jones (Army); Carlos Rameriez (Army); not pictured Rey Rameriez (Army)

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Oct 12th Presentation: (l-r) Vince Shayack (Army); Jody Shaddauk receiving William Shaddauk (Navy) statue posthumously

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T h e K o s l e y s : A f a mil y o f Se r v ic e When I write or tell a story I try not to use figures and dry facts or at least not too many of them ,but instead I prefer to tell the stories from the human experience and perspective. Trying to tell the story of Jim Kosley?s family though, you can?t help but center it around numbers.

Jim is one of 20 siblings, all born in the span of 25 years.

They grew up in the small Colorado eastern plains town of Ramah where their father worked for the railroad. There were 10 boys and 10 girls. Two girls would not survive infancy. They were all hardworking and they looked out for and helped each other.

Out of this family, all ten brothers and one sister, Agnes, would serve our country. One brother enlisted after World War I, four brothers and Agnes served in World War II, and five brothers served during the Korean War. Eight served in the Navy and three in the Army.

A number of the siblings were in the thick of history. One brother was aboard the USS Boise that was damaged during the Battle of Midway.

Another was aboard a ship anchored in Tokyo Harbor and watched the signing of the Surrender of Japan. Agnes never talked about what she did except to say she was in ?communication". Another brother was a frontline artillery observer in Korea. Yet another brother served with Elvis Presley in Germany. Two brothers would go on to make the Navy their careers.

Thankfully, all in harm?s way came home safely.

Jim is proud of his service in the Navy. He started out in the Reserves and went to Active Duty when the Korean War broke out. He is proud of his 53 year membership in the American Legion. He is also very proud of his family?s service. He says he is most proud of the fact that all left the service with Honorable Discharges.

Today, Jim and one brother are the only two left.

The extended family though, by the latest count, now stands at 380 members! Serving still runs through the generations, as in the next generation two nieces served as Navy Nurses. Four nephews were in the service, two with the Air Force and two with the Army, one going to Vietnam and the other making the Army his career. In the next generation, presently two men are serving in the Navy.

Thank you Kosley family for your service to our country. We will be forever grateful.

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On t h e l ig h t e r Sid e ___

Early Artillery

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CSU Ra n k s 2 n d in N a t io n a s ?B e s t f o r V e t s ?

By Tony Phifer, CSU Senior Writer and Public Relations Colorado State University?s commitment to creating the best possible educational environment for veterans has been rewarded with the school?s highest-ever placement in the Military Times Best For Vets Ranking.

CSU is named second in the nation in the annual rankings, moving up three spots from its previous high of No. 5 in 2019. The ranking is affirmation of the impact of the university?s efforts to make all United States military veterans feel welcome and help them reach their educational goals. ?Our commitment to our student veterans is deep and abiding, and driven by our whole community?s respect and admiration for what these individuals have done for our country and what they bring to our campus,? said President Joyce McConnell, herself the child of two U.S. military veterans. ?I am so proud to see the great work we do to serve and support our student veterans recognized nationally.?

Military Times bases its rankings on responses to a 150-question survey sent to all two- and four-year schools and on feedback from student veterans. Institutions are evaluated in five categories: university culture, student support, academic policies, academic outcomes/quality, and cost and financial aid. University culture and student support carry the greatest weight in evaluations.

Those factors fit perfectly into CSU?s philosophy when it comes to veterans, said Marc Barker, CSU?s director of the Adult Learner & Veteran Services office. ?For most of these students it?s all about finding an institution that?s going to value their individual experiences while bringing them into a welcoming community,? he said. ?It?s not an accident that we?ve been a top 10 school the past three years. We?re very intentional about creating a value-based model for the students.?

Jose Martinez, who spent seven years in the Army as an infantry sniper ? including 13 months in Afghanistan ? said he thoroughly researched his options before choosing CSU to pursue his degree in social work. Now 29, the New Mexico native found a home among students who are similar in age and have gone through similar experiences in the military. ?The ALVS office provides a huge sense of community and gives you the opportunity to engage with veterans from all branches of the military,?

Martinez said. ?The way you are welcomed here is so impressive. I don?t know of a single veteran who has walked in this office and walked away wanting something. It?s incredible the way they treat us.? Martinez is applying to grad school and hopes to become a licensed therapist who works with veterans.

Acacia Mohr is a senior majoring in biology. The Oregon native is active in the Army Reserves after serving four years in the Army as a veterinary technician caring for military service animals. She plans to apply for veterinary school at CSU after graduating. Unlike Martinez, Mohr arrived knowing very little about CSU?s veteran services. She?s now an enthusiastic advocate, even serving as vice president of CSU?s Student Veterans of America chapter. ?I had never set foot in Colorado before I arrived and I didn?t have any friends here,? she said. ?The ALVS made sure I was welcomed and accepted. It?s a refreshing place because I?m surrounded by people who have had similar experiences. As an older student [24] it?s nice to be around people my age who have similar goals love it here because of all the support.?

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Ch r is t ma s Ev e D in n e r Nolan Ashburn is the son of the first American wounded in World War I. His dad never recovered from his wounds and died when Nolan was three and a half years old. Years later, Nolan was a freshman in college when Pearl Harbor was bombed. The attack took place on a Sunday, and his mother wasn?t able to reach him until Monday night. She told him to remember what happened to his father and admonished him to stay in school and not join up. She was too late. Nolan and all the members of his boarding house had enlisted first thing Monday morning.

Nolan did stay in college while going through ROTC. He was finally shipped out to basic training after his sophomore year. After training he was selected for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) and went off for what amounted to another year of college. After D-Day, however, the army projected a shortage of combat troops, and the ASTP program was canceled. Nolan was subsequently sent to join the 424th Infantry Regiment of the newly formed 106th Infantry Division.

The division shipped out to England and spent a short period training there. Spirits were high, as the war was going well for the Allies. The news was so good that everyone assumed they would go over to the Continent as part of the occupation forces. They crossed the Channel into France and continued on to Belgium, where they relieved the 2nd Infantry Division. Everything continued to look good, as the 2nd hadn?t seen any action on this section of the front lines in six weeks. Word spread through the ranks that the war would be over by Christmas.

On December 16, 1944, after the 106th had been on the line for only four days, the Germans started the massive attack that came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 106th was spread thin, over a twenty-seven-mile line, and none of the troops had any combat experience. Nolan himself, short of his basic training, had spent his entire time in the Army in school and had even less knowledge of combat tactics. The Germans quickly overran the area, surrounding Nolan?s regiment and forcing two other regiments to surrender. Everything was chaotic. ?We hadn?t been there long enough to get our bearings, so you didn?t know which way was which or which way to run,? Nolan recalls.

During the next ten days, Nolan roamed through the forest with no food or sleep, inadequately dressed for what was the coldest winter in Europe in fifty years. Nolan?s feet were frozen, and he remembers hoping he could feel his feet one last time before he died. When asked how he thinks he managed to survive that situation, he answers, ?You turn into an animal just trying to survive.? The highlight of this time was his Christmas Eve dinner. Someone had found a frozen can of corned beef hash alongside the road, and Nolan and three other soldiers used their bayonets to open the can and chip away at the contents. The overcast skies finally cleared on December 26, and planes began dropping in supplies. The Allies started driving the Germans back to Germany, which was the beginning of the end of the war.

When the war ended, Nolan spent time guarding prisoners and was at Camp Lucky Strike in France, awaiting a ship to take the 106th to fight in the Pacific Theater, when Japan surrendered. The camp erupted in celebration upon hearing the news.

After what Nolan?s mother had heard from his father about his experiences in World War I, she told Nolan when he returned home that she could not bear to hear about his experiences. She had suffered with worry about her only child while he was in harm?s way and now only wanted to enjoy the relief and happiness of his being home.

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D ia l o g u e a n d f e e d b a c k ___________ Ryan Lanham, heading up the Veterans Writing Workshop at CSU, submitted a poem from one of the participates, Kathleen Willard.

Kathleen Willard has been writing poetry since high school and her first poems were published in her high school literary magazine. Her father, James Donahue, was a West Point graduate and she grew up in military bases across the United States and Germany. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam.

Kathleen has a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Colorado State University.

While in Venice the War A click. A car bomb detonates in the streets of Baghdad again and three silk flags unfurl obscure the facade of the fairy tale Byzantium basilica its marble angels cat walk on the roof guardians of stolen relics of saints.

Three flags raised half-mast as sails of a brigantine hungry for the wind and cry for one Italian soldier, a boy who lost his life ?in the line of duty? and the whole country mourns and memorizes his name.

Here in Venice transfixed by the beautiful men, the alchemy of sand and heat cooling into the colors of the Adriatic, the puncture in the war horse?s armored helmet, the battalion of pikes and rapiers behind thick glass curated beneath Tintoretto?s Peace, Grace and Minerva Banishing Mars, three goddesses bully the god of war (in truth, a coward) into the blue distance.

I wonder where the reliquary rests stumbling over the uneven mosaic floor of a sinking sanctuary and light a candle for my long dead father, a soldier who returned from a different war as if, any soldier ever really returns.

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V e t e r a n Ow n e d B u s in e s s e s AUTOM OTIVE Christian Bros. Automotive 6601 29th St., Greeley, CO (970) 795-2277 CBAC.com/Greeley BREWERY Sparge Brewing 3999 GW Bush Ave, Unit 101 Wellington, CO 80549 www.spargebrew.com Instagram.com/SpargeBrew COLLECTIBLE ART Designs by Ricker 6730 N. Franklin Ave. Loveland, CO (970) 593-6950 Norm Oliphant (94 year old WWII veteran) Facebook.com/Norman.Oliphant.3 CUSTOM CNC WOODWORKING Attention to Detail CNC Router Design (2D, 3D & Laser) (970) 691-4979 JFolse@hotmail.com EXCAVATING Barry Barnett (970) 443-1912

HOUSE STAGING & DESIGN KK Staging and Redesign, Inc. (303) 378-0914 Karla@kkstaging.com KKStaging.com HVAC American Air Heating and AC Inc. 561 E Garden Dr Unit F Windsor, CO (970) 686-6086 - (970) 686-6087 AmericanAirHeatingCo.com LAWYER Casey Alexander 640 E. Eisenhower Blvd., #200 Loveland, CO Phone: (970) 355-3499 Casey_Alexander@hotmail.com NOCOVeteransLaw.com M OTORCYCLES American Fender Art 6730 N. Franklin Ave Loveland, CO (907) 593-6950 AmericanFenderArt.net OUTDOOR EQUIPM ENT REPAIR KD Repair 1261 S. Cleveland Ave. Loveland 970-203-5043 KensRepair@myscritch.com

FLOORING Northern Colorado Carpets 5837 S. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO (970) 226-6800 NorthernColoradoCarpets.com

PROM OTIONAL PRODUCTS Colorado Promotional Supply 970-663-9498 sandie@copromossupply.com www.CopromoSupply.com

FOOD & BEVERAGE Snack Attack 120 W. Stuart Fort Collins, CO 970 -825-5989 SnackAttackit.com

REALTOR James Hagerman (970) 999-2816 JHagerman@C3-re.com

HOM E CONSTRUCTION Tradesmen Remodeling, LLC (970) 631-1607 TradesmenRemodeling@gmail.com TradesmenRemodeling.com

ROOFING Jim Spielman Roofing Professional Roof repair 35+ years experience 970-222-5019

SENIOR RESOURCES Senior Living Advisors of Colorado Danita Nixon (970) 541-4592 Danita@SLAColo.com SLAColo.com Charlotte Lutz Owner / Senior Living Advisor Northern Colorado Senior Placement Services, LLC (970) 391-0387 NOCOSeniorPlacementServices.com TRANSLATION SERVICES Yvonne Paez Paez Translation & Lang. Services (970) 204-0212 PaezTranslations.com TRASH BIN CLEANING Residential & Commercial Services

Bins Bee Clean/ Blue Wave Power Wash Rob Godek (970) 775-3393 BinsBeeClean.com TRAVEL Humpday Cruises, Inc. (303) 518-0855 HumpdayCruise.com YOGA Grace Yoga Nicole Murphy LoveGraceYoga.com (970) 646-2022

Are you a Veteran and own a business?

Contact us to find out about adding your business to this listing Contact Brad at: 970-631-2027 Remember and Honor 19 Rem em ber and Honor 19

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