Remember and Honor Magazine - July 2019

Ju ly 2019 March March 20 19 20 19

Wings of Freedom Tour

NORTHERN COLORADO REGIONAL AIRPORT JULY 12 TH - 14 TH 1

2

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

2

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

970-498-7394

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

In t h is is s u e : From the Publisher ....................................... 4 Index of Sponsors ......................................... 5 Events ............................................................ 6 Where There is a Will, There is a Wavier ..... 7 Falling From the Sky ..................................... 8 When the Enemy Becomes Self ................ 10 News Brief ................................................... 11 Veterans Honoring Veterans ...................... 12 JR McKinley, AKA, Rosie the Riveter ........ 13 On the Lighter Side ..................................... 14 Run for the Honor 5K .................................. 15 Combat Veterans Motorcycle Assn 3-6 ..... 16 Getting His Damaged Plane Back Safely .. 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.

Remember andHonor Honor 3 3 Rem em ber and

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

Hello Readers, Welcome to the July issue. July is always a great month for me. My parents and daughter celebrate birthdays, we celebrate the founding of this great country, and the old WWII warbirds arrive each year at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport (this year July 12-14th).

Brad Hoopes, Publisher Remember And Honor

I love anything that keeps history alive, and the Wings of Freedom Tour by the Collings Foundation does just that. With the planes out on the tarmac, people get the opportunity to walk around and climb through these beauties. The local organizers combine this with bringing in local re-enactors in authentic uniforms who set up camps. There will be tanks, jeeps, and assorted other WWII vehicles. Remember and Honor also hosts in conjunction with this a reunion of WWII veterans on Saturday morning. It is a chance for the veterans to come and enjoy a donut and cup of Joe, chat with each other, watch the planes, and have the public come and meet these veterans. They are our national treasures.

There will be opportunities to take plane rides as well. I have had the incredible opportunity to go up in these planes numerous times now. While they were state of the art back then, it is amazing to see just how rudimentary they are now.

Even though I was in shorts and flying at 3000 ft. above the ground, I tried to imagine what it was like for those ?boys? to be flying at 25,000 ft in an unpressurized and very noisy plane; as temperatures hovered around 40-60 degrees below zero, all while being shot at.

My most memorable moment taking a flight was when I was able to take the late Lee Bashor up. Lee was a B-17 pilot who flew 24 missions over Europe. On his 25th and last mission, Lee and I were in the cockpit behind the pilots. Lee, who still fit in his uniform and had it on, was leaning over the pilot?s shoulder mumbling something to himself. I sat back and witnessed a 92 year old being transformed back into a 19 year old again.

There are two articles about fliers and their harrowing experiences in the sky in this issue. One is about Norm Markel, a WWII B-17 waistgunner, and the other is about Ken Curry, a Vietnam B-52 pilot.

One of the many reasons I started this magazine was to highlight the many people and organizations doing wonderful work on behalf of veterans. JR Mckinley, Jaeden Nelson, and the CVMA 3-6 chapter are three of those highlighted this month.

Lastly, I would also like to introduce Casey Alexander as another columnist along with columnist Mary Scott. Casey, a Navy veteran and lawyer, has a passion for helping Northern Colorado veterans with legal issues both with VA related claims as well as general legal assistance. Thank you for sharing your knowledge Casey.

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

4

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

4

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!

Hear in g

Seni or Resources

Hearing HealthCare Centers

Seni or Li vi ng Advi sors of Colorado

2902 Ginnale Dr #3

Dani ta Ni xon 970-541-4592

(970) 593-1509

SLAColo.com

Pr eser vin g M em or ies

Veteran Publi cati on

Preserving the Past

Honor and Rem em ber

720-935-4798

970-631-2027

PreservingThePast.net

Rem em berAndHonorMagazi ne.com

Sen ior Car e

Veteran Support

Columbine Health Systems

Heart Scars 6, LLC

800-718-2164

Mary Scott

ColumbineHealth.com

970-449-3665

Rem em b er

a n d Hon or

W e 'r e L o o k i n g F o r a F e w G o o d B u s i n e s s e s ...

To p r omot e t o ou r r e a d e r s.

For Adver t isin g Rat es Con t act Br ad at : Brad.Hoopes@RememberAndHonor.com or 970-631-2027 Remember andHonor Honor 5 5 Rem em ber and

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

Jul y Tues. July 2nd Military Appreciation Night at the Greeley Stampede 1900-2130hr Island Grove Regional Fairgrounds, Greeley.

Come in uniform or present proof of veteran status for free admission to the north stands for the rodeo.See the All Veteran Parachute Team land in the arena.

Thurs. July 4th Fort Collins 4th of July Parade 1000hrs along Mountain Avenue.

Veterans Plaza is looking for veterans who would like to ride in their vehicle. Contact Wade Warberg at wadew@rpowerc.com if interested.

Sat. July 6th 4th of July celebration at Red Feathers Village Parade followed by the flag raising ceremony and reading of names at the Veterans Memorial.

Fireworks that evening over the lake. Contact Lon Hughes at lonhughes17@gmail.com.

Sat. July 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th Proud American Vets (Pamvets) breakfast 0730hr Golden Corral Restaurant 1360 Sculptor Dr., Loveland Join over 100+ veterans from all service branches for a buffet breakfast and camaraderie.

Sat. July 6th and 20th Veterans Honoring Veterans Monthly Statue Ceremony 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. Held during the Pamvets breakfast.

Fri-Sat. July 12-14th Wings of Freedom Tour 1400-1700hrs Friday, 0900-1700hrs Sat. & Sun. N. Colorado Regional Airport WWII airplanes, military vehicles, and re-enactors. Chance to tour through the planes as well as take rides. WWII veterans reunion on Saturday morning at 0900.

Sun. July 14th CVMA Chapter 3-6 5th Annual Golf Tournament Check-in 0630hr Pelican Lakes, Windsor Charity tournament for local veteran causes. For registration/sponsorship info.

Visit: www.cvma3-6.org/events or email: cvma36golf@gmail.com

Sat. July 20th. Vietnam Veterans of a America Monthly Meeting 1000hr Meets at Fire Station 14, 2109 W. Chase Rd. in southeast Fort Collins Contact Gary Camp 970-203-4665 for more information

Sat. July 27th Run for the Honor 5k Race Registration begins at 0700hr Bittersweet Park, Greeley Fundraiser for High Plains Honor Flight. More information: run4thehonor5k@gmail.com

Wed. July 31st Veterans Charity Ride 1600hrs + Veterans Plaza, Ft. Collins (very west end of Horsetooth Rd) Organization taking wounded and amputee veterans on a cross-country motorcycle tour stopping in Ft. Collins. BBQ. Contact Gary Ricker for more information. gary@ricker.

Visit RememberAndHonorMagazine.com to see more events

Submit event information to Brad Hoopes at: brad.hoopes@rememberandhonor.com 6

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

6

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

W h e r e t h e r e ?s a w il l , t h e r e ?s a w a iv e r An unknown person once said, ?A veteran is

Honorable Conditions meets this requirement

someone who, at one point in their life wrote a

while any other type of discharge does not. If you

blank check made payable to ?The United States

do not receive one of these discharges, the VA

of America,? for an amount up to and including

does not consider you a veteran.

their life.? The very act of putting on a uniform

Even if the veteran has received an Other Than

and swearing an oath to protect and defend this

Honorable Discharge, there are options available

country

to be

to qualify for benefits, especially if the discharge

commended. Fewer than 10% of Americans are

was related to PTSD or other service-related

veterans.

ailments. While in law school at the University of

However, the Department of Veterans Affairs

Denver I had the privilege of working in the

(?VA?) expects more when determining who is

Veterans Advocacy Project where we worked

entitled to post-service benefits.

tirelessly to provide legal representation to

Each benefit administered by the VA has its own

often-times homeless veterans who had lost

unique eligibility requirements and they are quite

everything as a result of mental and physical

complex.

basic

injuries sustained in service. The VA typically

principles of eligibility common to many VA

denies these benefits in the beginning, but where

benefits programs. The fundamental principle

there?s a will, there?s a waiver.

underlying eligibility for VA benefits is how the VA

When

defines ?veteran?.

unfavorable VA decisions, it is important to

sets

people

There

are,

apart

and

is

nevertheless,

applying

for

benefits

or

appealing

Most importantly, the VA bases its definition of a

understand the laws and regulations that bind

?veteran? under what circumstances a person

the decision makers at the VA. Give me a call for

was discharged. While the Department of

a free consultation.

Defense has five classifications of discharge, the VA considers a person a ?veteran? if they were discharged or released ?under conditions other

Casey Alexander Casey_Alexander@hotmail.com (970) 518-4350

than dishonorable.? Typically, an Honorable Discharge

or

a

General Discharge

Under Remember andHonor Honor 7 7 Rem em ber and

F a l l in g f r o m t h e Sk y Norm Markel enlisted in the Army Air Corps while still in high school and he shipped off to cadet training after graduating. His training took him all over the country. Norm soon has the rug pulled out from under him when the Army announced it had enough pilots.

He transferred to become a radioman and waist gunner. After additional training, Norm found himself in Lincoln, Nebraska, to meet up with his crew.

Norm remembers vividly the day he met his crew. It was a very hot, muggy day, and thousands of men were standing in a field as the base commander announced the crews. He was doing so in a slow, droning manner, and the conditions were making the

Norm Markel, back row left end

men irritable. Finally someone in the crowd yelled, ?Give me liberty or give me death!? The commander looked up from his list and yelled angrily, ?Who said that?? From somewhere else in the crowd, another voice yelled back, ?Patrick Henry, you dumb son of a bitch!? The place exploded with laughter, and it took twenty minutes to settle everyone down again. Norm himself is laughing hard as he tells the story, but once he stops laughing, he closes his eyes and rattles off the names of his crew as the commander would

his crew settled in at their base in England. They soon took off to fly their first mission. After making their bombing run, the formation turned one way, and Norm?s plane the other. They were now lost and running low on fuel. Norm noticed fields through a break in the clouds and told the pilot. The pilot said he better be right, as they wouldn?t have enough fuel to climb back up again. Once below the clouds, they came across a bombed-out airfield and land in the grass. A squad of Polish fighter planes there offered

have.

to give them fuel. They started loading the fuel when Given the combination of inexperienced fliers and

they realized that the fuel was a higher octane and

worn-out planes, an average of one plane a week

would blow up the engines. They were then stuck

crashed while the crew trained. Norm called his

grounded for several days until a unit of American

mother weekly just to reassure her that he was still

tanks, which used the same fuel as the B-17, came

alive.

along and gave them some of theirs.

Finally it was time to ship out, and they left by train for

Norm would fly another seventeen missions. That

the East Coast to catch a ship to England. On

eighteenth mission would be his last. It was April 25,

Christmas Eve the train passed through Norm?s

1945, and also the 8th Air Force?s very last mission in

hometown in Indiana. He said that looking out the

Europe. Norm?s plane took a hit in the wing, leaving a

window as the train passed through was one of the

bathtub-size hole. Everyone bailed except the ball

hardest things he has ever experienced, including

turret gunner, who was stuck in his turret. Norm

what was yet to come!

wasn?t about to leave the man behind and started to

The ocean crossing was uneventful, and Norm and

help him when the plane went into a flat spin and

8

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

8

blew up, throwing Norm out of the aircraft. He fell,

shipped to the West Coast to begin training on a

unconscious, for 20,000 feet before coming to in time

B-29 in preparation to head off to the Pacific Theater.

to pull his ripcord. He landed in a tree and had to cut

Fortunately the war with Japan ended before that

his cords to get down. Unable to collect his chute, he

happened.

moved away from it. While examining his injured arm, he looked up to see German soldiers scrutinizing his chute. Fortunately they didn?t search around and instead continued on their way. Norm started walking back to where he figured the front lines were. He walked all night in stocking feet? his boots had been blown off him in the explosion? until he came across a jeep of GIs. They took him to a first aid station, and he eventually made it to a field hospital.

Almost sixty years after that fateful last mission, Norm received a call. The caller asked whether he had been over Pilzen that day, gave the name of his plane, and asked if it was his plane. Norm said yes to all, and the man said he had been looking for him.

The man was in the infantry and watched as the plane crash. He had gone to the crash site and picked up a piece of the plane, vowing to give it to the crew someday. They met a couple weeks later

While recuperating there, he was asked to be an eye

and holding that piece of the plane made powerful

witness for a group of medical personnel going to

memories come rushing back. It was also a bonding

Buchenwald concentration camp. Norm then spent

experience for both men, and they remained friends

time in an English hospital before returning home.

until their passing.

Even after what he had been through, he was then

Remember and Honor 9 9 Rem em ber and Honor

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

W h e n t h e ' En e my ' B e c o me s s e l f Dear Readers, Ever thought about forgiving someone but you just can?t? Looking back on your own actions, is there anything in Service or civilian life that you?re beating yourself up for now?

There are countless numbers of us out there either blaming or self-hating, trapped in a prison of our own making. We just don?t know we hold the key.

Blame is easy; but forgiveness? That?s tough, especially for many who?ve served in complex operating environments. Betrayal, accidents, and injury/death of innocents (often necessary in war): such events can try our souls. Yet after the initial anger, guilt or grief runs its natural course, forgiveness becomes the key to move forward with a healthy, open heart. ?Larry and Angela? are good examples of forgiving someone we believe has violated our sense of right and wrong (names and details have been changed): For years, Angela withdrew all affection from Larry, a combat Veteran, after he ?injured? her during an intimate encounter.

They had never discussed it; she simply said, ?He should remember?. When she finally told Larry he broke down, remembering nothing. After Angela disclosed her abusive childhood? and Larry shared his flashbacks for the first time? they agreed to stay together with mutual respect for painful pasts.

10

Rem em ber and Honor

Self-forgiveness can be harder, and our ?need? to punish ourselves is often a relentless beast.

After 12 sessions with ?Sniper Rob?, I finally came to see the nature of the beast and understand why self-punishment is hard to quit.

With 194 kills, Rob was a great soldier, as well as a good man. One hectic day, he took his toddler out to grab diapers, left him in the car, and returned to no son. Missing for 12 days, his son (incredibly!) was found in good health. But for Rob the nightmare continued. Combat memories flooded back, followed by years of hard drinking and neglecting his wife, kids, and himself. He steadfastly believed that to pardon himself would dishonor the memory of those he?d wounded and make him a self-centered monster.

Slowly, he realized that by punishing himself he was punishing those who loved him and needed him most. As Rob learned to forgive himself, everything changed: now 72, he?s living with self-acceptance and greater peace of mind.

So the choice remains: Do we stay behind ?bars? forever blaming? Or do we choose forgiveness and finally set ourselves and others free? The key might be rusty, but it?s already in our pocket.

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

10

N e w s b r ie f ___________ Veterans Helping a Veteran Navy veteran Bart Bartholomew remarked that he said the wrong thing to the right person. Bart?s wife Dot suffers from Alzheimer?s and it was becoming increasingly unsafe getting her over the bathtub to shower. He told this in passing to Army veteran Shelley Wampler. Almost right away Shelley started a GoFundMe to raise money to remodel his bathroom. She then talked to her contractor, Army veteran Jason Brockhausen of Tradesmen Remodeling, about getting a quote because she knew of his quality work done at her house. Jason said no quote needed, he was donating his services. Add a big shout out as well to Lowes, who donated materials, and now Bart has a much safer walk-in shower.

(l-r) Jason Brockhausen, Bart and Dot Bartholomew, and Shelley Wampler

PAMVETs Milestone Eleven years ago veterans Virgil Horton and Ron Garrettson would meet at McDonalds for breakfast. Soon others began sitting with them and PAMVETs was born. Outgrowing McDonalds and two other restaurants since then, PAMVETs now meets at the Golden Corral in Loveland. Last month the 1000th different veteran came to breakfast!

Founders Virgil Horton and Ron Garretteson at left at an early on breakfast

Healing Warriors Gala Healing Warriors held their summer fundraising Golden Ticket Gala last month at the CSU Alumni Center. Paul Wozniak did an excellent job as emcee, a magician provided some amazing entertainment, and the food and dessert was delicious. They honored two Vietnam veterans, Gary Ricker and Bart Bartholomew for each one?s service to fellow veterans. Healing Warriors offers a program of non-narcotic care to veterans.

World War II Veterans Reunion On Saturday, July 13th, in conjunction with the Wings of Freedom Tour out at the N. Colorado Regional Airport, there will be a reunion of World War II veterans. The gathering will start at 9am with all World War II veterans invited.

The public is also invited as well to come meet and talk with these veterans.

Crew photo from last year's reunion

Remember and Honor 11 Rem em ber and Honor 11

June 1st ceremony (l-r) Monty Long, Richard Stoltzfus, Bill Kaufman, Jim Ruppo, and Paul Allen

May 18th Ceremony (l-r) Harlan Ripley, Dick Karst, Bob Bunderson, Gordon Grimes, and Mike Linder

12

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

12

J R Mc K in l e y , A K A , Ro s ie t h e Riv e t e r Rosie the Riveter was the iconic symbol during

just how hard and how much she gives to the

World War II that represented the major role

event, and thinking how fitting that she portrays

women played on the home front in the war effort

Rosie once the event starts. She sees it from a

with their ?Can Do? attitude. I find it fitting that

different angle. With all of the event organization

Jeneal ?JR? McKinley?s alter-ego is Rosie the

behind her, all weekend long she loves to grab a

Riveter when the Collings Foundation brings in

golf cart and shuttle people to and from their

the old WWII airplanes each July to the N.

cars to the planes. ?The moment Rosie pulls up

Colorado

to their car they start talking about their

Regional

Airport

(this

year

July

12-14th).

experiences. These veterans are the reason I

JR has been involved in organizing the event for

do this." she says. "They are always so gracious

16 years now. Rob Pehkonen first organized and

and we owe them so much."

ran the Wings of Freedom Tour event that brought the Collings Foundation here and at the time JR was his assistant at his business. Rob asked JR to help out, and with her love of both veterans and aviation, she eagerly agreed. With her forte being organization, she soon had all the aspects of the weekend event in place and everything

running

like

a

well-maintained

airplane.

Five years ago the event was in danger of being canceled when sadly and unexpectedly Rob passed away just prior to the event. Rob loved the roar of the engines and called them ?the sounds of freedom?. Remembering that thought, JR and her Can Do attitude stepped up and pulled it off. Today the event is a joint effort of JR; Deb Montgomery of the Jet Center; Jason Licon, Airport manager; re-enactors; and the many volunteers that JR says she can never thank enough.

Jeneal McKinley with WWII veteran Jerry Ravenscroft

While there is a lot of hard work and time put in by many people, JR is still the heart of the event.

I have been observing her for a decade, watching Remember andHonor Honor 1313 Rem em ber and

On t h e l ig h t e r Sid e ___ A Soldier, a Sailor, an Airman and a Marine got into an argument about which branch of the service was "The Best." The arguing became so heated the four servicemen failed to see an oncoming truck as they crossed the street. They were hit by the truck and killed instantly.

Soon, the four servicemen found themselves at the Pearly gates of Heaven. There, they met Saint Peter and decided that only he could be the ultimate source of truth and honesty. So, the four servicemen asked him, "Saint Peter, which branch of the United States Armed Forces is the best?"

Saint Peter replied, "I can't answer that. However, I will ask God what He thinks the next time I see Him. Meanwhile, thank you for your service on Earth and welcome to Heaven."

Sometime later the four servicemen see Saint Peter and remind him of the question they had asked when first entering Heaven and asked Saint Peter if he was able to ask God for the answer to their answer.?

Suddenly, a sparkling white dove lands on Saint Peter's shoulder. In the dove's beak is a note glistening with gold dust. Saint Peter opens the note, trumpets blare, gold dust drifts into the air, harps play crescendos and Saint Peter begins to read the note aloud to the four servicemen:

MEMORANDUMFROM THE DESK OF THE ALMI GHTY ONE TO: Al l For mer Sol di er s, Sai l or s, Ai r men, and Mar i nes SUBJECT: Whi ch Mi l i t ar y Ser vi ce I s t he Best 1. Al l br anches of t he Uni t ed St at es Ar med For ces ar e honor abl e and nobl e.

2. Each ser ves Amer i ca wel l and wi t h di st i nct i on.

3. Ser vi ng i n t he Uni t ed St at es mi l i t ar y r epr esent s a gr eat honor war r ant i ng speci al r espect , t r i but e, and dedi cat i on f r omyour f el l ow man.

4. Al ways be pr oud of t hat .

War mr egar ds, GOD Uni t ed St at es Navy, Submar i ne Ser vi ce (Ret i r ed) Joke submitted by David McPherson, US Navy.......you guessed it, Submarine Service

14

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

14

Ru n f o r t h e H o n o r 5 k Jaeden Nelson has always had a passion for running. He runs with both his school?s cross country and track teams. A number of years back he ran in a 5k called ?Run for the Honor 5K?. It combined another passion with his passion for running, that being a passion for veterans. Soon Jaeden found himself helping out founder Jordan Gage with the annual race.

Gage started the race back in 2012 as a fundraiser for Honor Flight Northern Colorado. Jordan, then a student at Northridge High School in Greeley, ran it for 4 years before stepping down to go to college.

Jaeden asked to take over the race and on short notice put together a race in 2017 that raised $13,000, enough to send 13 veterans on Honor Flight. His stint as race director looked like a short one though, as in 2018 Honor Flight decided to

Jaeden Nelson and Jordan Gage

close down after ten years and 21 trips. Thus no race was held last year.

With High Plains Honor Flight starting up and taking over where Honor Flight Northern Colorado left off, Jaeden has started the event up again. It will be held Saturday, July 27th at Weld County Veterans Memorial in Bittersweet Park in Greeley.

Registration begins at 7am. Running the race is a family affair, with many family members involved including dad Scott, mom Codi, and grandmother Connie. He hopes to attract 300 runners this year, up from the 200 in the 2017 race. In addition to the race, there will be prizes, food, and a silent auction.

For more information, contact Jaeden via email at run4thehonor5k@gmail.com or visit the event?s Facebook page: Run 4 the Honor 5k.

I failed to mention above that Jaeden is a 15 year old upcoming sophomore at Northridge High School. Hats off to you Jaeden!

Remember andHonor Honor 1515 Rem em ber and

Co mb a t V e t e r a n s Mo t o r c y c l e A s s o c ia t io n 3 - 6 I will readily admit that I was guilty of judging a

The members have tremendous respect for each

book by its cover for a good part of my life.

other and constantly check-in with one another

Motorcycle riding was as activity that I was never

according

bitten by, so it was a culture I knew very little

Commander Jeff ?Redrider? Peters concurs:

about. My ignorance was the basis for the

?When you are in a combat theater, you rely on

attitude that riders, especially those who rode in

the buddy system and the teamwork concept for

groups, were just a bunch of motley misfits.

support. Once you leave the military, that system

Quite frankly, I was intimidated by them as well.

is gone. That support and trust system is found

This misconception completely changed when I

again in the CVMA.?

got to know members of the Combat Veterans

While the 3-6 Chapter looks after each other

Motorcycle Association (CVMA) Chapter 3-6 a

internally, they also are very active in helping

number of years ago.

veterans externally. On July 14th they will host

to

Dane

?LunchBox?

Wetterer.

their 5th Annual Charity Golf Classic at Pelican Lakes. Each year they choose a different veteran organization charity to support and to date have given out over $40k. They also put on a poker run in September that raises funds for their Troop Box program, a program that sends critical items to personnel in combat zones during the holidays. You will also see CVMA members out supporting other veteran charity events, further demonstrating their generous spirit!

Members of the CVMA 3-6 Chapter

I quickly learned that you can?t find a nicer group, or a more giving group of people, than motorcycle riders in general, and the characters

To learn more about CVMA 3-6 or their various fundraising efforts, please go to: website www.cvma3-6.org, email 1RedRiderCVMA@gmail.com or call (970) 302-4858

in the 3-6 chapter in particular. CVMA national formed in 2001 with the purpose of helping returning service personnel adjust back into civilian life. With the common denominators of having combat experience and a love of motorcycles, a strong camaraderie develops.

16

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

16

Remember andHonor Honor 1717 Rem em ber and

Ge t t in g H is D a ma g e d P l a n e B a c k Sa f e l y Growing up in the hills above the airport in southern California, Ken Curry would sit and watch the post war bombers land and take off. Years later he would become a pilot himself and flew a plane that dwarfed these bombers he used to watch, the B-52 Stratofortress.

Ken flew 157 missions over three tours in Vietnam. It was during his second tour that his ship would be hit by a SAM missile. It would the first B-52 in the war to be hit by what was nicknamed, ?Flying telephone poles?. The missile exploded under the left wing, spraying the plane with shrapnel and knocking out 2 engines. Between his skills and what he credits as the toughness of the B-52, Ken managed to get the plane out of North Vietnam air space and land at Da Nang airport.

Once they landed, they went about inspecting the plane. It was pockmarked with holes, many larger than 4? in diameter. Multiple holes in the fuel tanks looked like open faucets, with fuel pouring out. Ken sees getting back safely was nothing short of a miracle. He and the crew were all fine physically, but were pretty shook up. Years later, due to this

Ken Curry (US Air Force)

experience and other missions, Ken would be diagnosed with delayed PTSD. Within 36 hours, the crew was back up flying missions in a new plane.

Months later after it was fixed, there was their plane again when they showed up for a flight briefing. One of the crew refused to fly in it, but Ken reminded him that this plane brought them home safely.

Ken?s plane can now be found on display in the Southeast Asia hangar of the National Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force base in Ohio.

B-52 Stratofortress

18

Rem em ber and Honor

Remember and Honor

18

V e t e r a n Ow n e d B u s in e s s e s : AUTOM OTIVE

M OTORCYCLES

Christian Bros. Automotive 6601 29th St., Greeley, CO (970) 795-2277 CBAC.com/Greeley

American Fender Art 6730 N. Franklin Ave Loveland, CO (907) 593-6950 AmericanFenderArt.net

COLLECTIBLE ART

OUTDOOR EQUIPM ENT REPAIR

Designs by Ricker 6730 N. Franklin Ave. Loveland, CO (970) 593-6950

KD Repair 1261 S. Cleveland Ave. Loveland 970-203-5043 Kensrepair@myscritch.com

Norm Oliphant (94 year old WWII veteran) Facebook.com/Norman.Oliphant.3

REALTOR

EXCAVATING

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

Barry Barnett (970) 443-1912

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

HVAC American Air Heating and AC Inc. 561 E Garden Dr Unit F Windsor, CO (970) 686-6086 - (970) 686-6087 AmericanAirHeatingCo.com

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

LAWYER Casey Alexander 640 E. Eisenhower Blvd., #200 Loveland, CO Phone: (970) 518-4350 Casey_Alexander@hotmail.com NOCOVeteransLaw.com

TRAVEL Humpday Cruises, Inc. 303-518-0855 www.humpdaycruises.com

YOGA Grace Yoga Nicole Murphy Lovegraceyoga.com 970-646-2022

CUSTOM CNC WOODWORKING Attention to Detail CNC Router Design (2D, 3D & Laser) (970) 691-4979 JFolse@hotmail.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

TRANSLATION SERVICES Yvonne Paez Paez Translation & Lang. Services 970-204-0212 PaezTranslations.com

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

TRASH BIN CLEANING Residential & Commercial services Bins Bee Clean//Blue Wave Power Wash Rob Godek 970-775-3393 Binsbeeclean.com

Remember andHonor Honor 1919 Rem em ber and

Remember and Honor

20