Remember and Honor Magazine - March 2020

March 20 19

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Important Phone Numbers 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 This Issue From the Publisher ............................................ 4 Index of Sponsors ............................................. 5 Events ................................................................. 6 Weight off His Shoulders................................... 7 Incomprehensible Experiences ....................... 8 The Honor Bell ................................................... 9 Attic Hat ..............................................................10 News Brief .......................................................... 11 Memorializing Murals ........................................ 12 Separation .......................................................... 13 Military Order of the Purple Heart..................... 14 Veterans Honoring Veterans ............................ 15 On The Lighter Side .......................................... 16 Dialogue and Feedback .................................... 18 Veterans 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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From the Publisher's Desk

Dear Reader s, Welcom e to the m onth of M ar ch and the M ar ch issue. Com e on Daylight Savings Tim e and Spr ing!!!!

Brad Hoopes, Publisher Remember And Honor

The ar ticles in this m onth?s issue all play off the them e of the m agazine?s title, r em em ber and honor.

If you have been to dow ntow n Loveland lately, you w ill notice that the Associated Veter ans Club is tr ansfor m ing the exter ior of their building w ith beautiful m ur als of scenes w hich honor our countr y?s m ilitar y histor y and those w ho ser ved. Ar tist Wer ner Schr eiber is w or king har d to br ing the club?s vision to r eality.

Honor Bell Foundation is an or ganization founded in 2016 to honor veter ans at their passing. They do so w ith a 1000 lbs for ged br onze bell. W ithin the br onze ar e m ilitar y ar tifacts fr om tw elve deceased Color ado veter ans. The bell is tolled seven tim es, each toll r epr esents a phase in the Veter an?s jour ney: Choice to Ser ve, Cam ar ader ie, Patr iotism , Respect, Dignity, Honor , and Value of Life.

A tr ip on the Honor Flight in 2018 r einvigor ated Vietnam veter an John Tallm an?s desir e to r em em ber and honor. Like so m any w ho have taken this tr ip, it w as a pr ofound and tr ansfor m ing exper ience for John. W hile alw ays ver y pr oud of both his countr y and his ser vice, ever ything laid latent inside him since his r etur n fr om Vietnam until m anifested by the tr ip. John set out on a jour ney last fall to honor his father ?s ser vice as w ell as his ow n and the m en he ser ved w ith.

The Pur ple Hear t m edal acknow ledges and honor s those w ounded or killed in battle. PH r ecipient Rober t ?Bob? Wuestenber g gives us a histor y of the m edal. Bob, the adjutant for the local chapter 434 of the M ilitar y Or der of the Pur ple Hear t w as w ounded in Vietnam , but his m edal w as never pr oper ly pr esented to him until 2012.

W W II veter an Dave Lander s is a kind m an and the r eigning r oyalty at the Loveland Pamvets br eakfast.

Doing a sm all par t to honor him this m onth by telling the stor y of his tim e as a B-25 bom ber pilot in the Pacific Theater and the sacr ifices he m ade. One sacr ifice w as leaving behind a w ife and a new baby gir l w ho he w ould not see for the fir st nine m onths of her life.

I hope you enjoy this issue w ith the m agazine?s continuous quest to r em em ber and honor nor ther n Color ado veter ans.

Br a d Hoopes

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

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I ndex of Sponsors

Ou r Spon sor s m ak e i t possi bl e t o pr ov i de t h i s m on t h l y pu bl i cat i on t o t h e com m u n i t y. W h en you h ave a n eed f or ou r spon sor s' pr odu ct s or ser v i ces, w e ask t h at you gi ve t h em a ch an ce t o ear n you r bu si n ess. Pl ease t el l t h em you f ou n d t h em i n t h e Rem em ber An d Hon or m agazi n e!

Desi gn Cr eative Connection 303-746-6859 Cr eativeConnection.biz

Sen i or Car e Colum bine Health System s 800-718-2164 Colum bineHealth.com

Au t om ot i ve Pr im e-Tim e Autoglass 970-305-0478 ThePr im etim eAutoglass.com

Sen i or Resou r ces Senior Living Advisor s of Color ado 970-541-4592 Slacolo.com

Chr istian Br other s Autom otive (970) 795-2277 CBAC.com /Gr eeley

Vet er an Pu bl i cat i on Rem em ber And Honor 970-631-2027 Rem em ber AndHonor M agazine.com

Hom e I n spect i on Pillar to Post 970-599-0282 Pillar toPost.com /JohnBabin

Vet er an Su ppor t Hear t Scar s 6, LLC M ar y Scott 970-449-3665

M or t gage Stephen Ponce-Por e 970-231-4024 Rate.com /StephenPoncePor e

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Upcoming Events

M a r ch Sat u r day M ar 7t h , 14t h , 21st , an d 28t h Pr ou d Am er i can Vet er an s (Pam vet s) br eak f ast 0730hr Golden Cor r al Restaur ant 1360 Sculptor Dr., Loveland, CO Join veter ans fr om all ser vice br anches for a buffet br eakfast and cam ar ader ie.

Sat u r day M ar 7t h an d 21st Vet er an s Hon or i n g Vet er an s St at u e Cer em on y 0800hr Golden Cor r al Restaur ant 1360 Sculptor Dr. Loveland, CO Veter ans Honor ing Veter ans bi-m onthly cer em ony w her e five veter ans ar e honor ed for their ser vice w ith a 12? statue. Held dur ing the Pamvets br eakfast.

Wedn esday M ar 4t h , 11t h , an d 25t h Vet er an s Wr i t i n g Wor k sh op 1800-1930hr s Eddy Bldg Room 105, CSU Cam pus For t Collins, CO This w or kshop is open to all veter ans, active m ilitar y, dependents and fam ily m em ber s, and m ilitar y affiliates. No exper ience is necessar y. Contact Ryan Lanham at: Ryan.E.Lanham @ gm ail.com or visit their w ebsite at: english.colostate.edu/char liem ike/ for m or e infor m ation.

Th u r sday M ar 5t h , 12t h , 19t h , an d 26t h Vet er an Su ppor t Gr ou p 1100hr N. Colo. Veter ans Resour ce Center 4650 West 20th St, Suite A Gr eeley, CO Pr ovides the oppor tunity to shar e, listen and gr ow individually. The gr oup is r un by a Navigator and a cer tified counselor. Call (970) 888-4249 for m or e infor m ation.

Th u r sday M ar . 5t h Ti m ber l i n e Vet er an ?s M i n i st r y (Th e pu bl i c i s w el com e) 1900hr Tim ber line Chur ch Rm #208, 2908 S Tim ber line Rd, For t Collins, CO 80525 A gr oup consisting of Vets, their fam ilies, and suppor ter s. A faith based gr oup that helps individuals deal w ith issues unique to veter ans.

Sat u r day M ar . 14t h Wel d Cou n t y Vet er an s Br eak f ast 0730hr Golden Cor r al Restaur ant 3035 23r d Ave. Gr eeley, CO Com e join veter ans fr om all ser vice br anches for a buffet br eakfast and cam ar ader ie.

Wedn esday M ar . 18t h Vet er an s Toget h er M eet i n g 1600hr Lar im er County Bldg. 200 West Oak . St. For t Collins, CO 80521 A m onthly gather ing of veter an or ganizations and inter ested veter ans to shar e and discuss veter an issues.

Fr ee Yoga f or Vet er an s Fr ee yoga classes to veter ans, active duty and their fr iends and fam ily. Wear com for table clothes; yoga m ats ar e pr ovided.Questions: (507) 881-9642 or em ail: Info@Com eBackYoga.com - M ondays 1500hr Loveland Associated Veter ans 305 Cleveland Ave. Loveland, CO 80537 - Tuesdays 1900hr Raintr ee Athletic Club, Studio 22555 S. Shields St. For t Collins, CO 80526 - Thur sdays 1000hr Loveland Associated Veter ans 305 Cleveland Ave. Loveland, CO 80537

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Wei gh t of f Hi s Sh ou l der s Like m any Vietnam veter ans, once John Tallm an got out he put aside the fact that he w as a veter an. It w asn?t that he w as asham ed of his ser vice. In fact, he w as and is ver y pr oud of it.

But w ith the tim es the w ay they w er e back then, he felt it w as best to just m ove on.

John?s ser vice included m ultiple tour s to Vietnam w ith the Ar my?s 589th Engineer ing Battalion, ser ving 26 m onths in-countr y. He says that he feels lucky in that he cam e back w ith no physical or hidden w ounds. He now thinks back on the tim e though w hen his m other passed about year after he r etur ned hom e. His sister s w er e m ad at him because he didn?t cr y. To him it w as nor m al, as he had just com e fr om a place w her e tr agedy and death w as all ar ound him and a daily occur r ence. He w as fine, or so he thought.

That thought changed decades later w hen he w ent on the Honor Flight in 2018. It w as dur ing the tr ip he felt this unexplained w eight lifting off his shoulder s. ?The tr ip gave m e a lot of r elief fr om things I didn?t know existed?, John said.

M any things changed w hen he r etur ned. He star ted w ear ing his Vietnam hat. He w ould go up and thank veter ans for their ser vice and w elcom e them hom e. He joined the VFW , Am er ican Legion and the honor guar d. Tw o additional thoughts sur faced after the tr ip as w ell, one of the buddies he ser ved w ith and the other of his father.

His father w as w ith the Air bor ne in W W II. His father ?s funer al didn?t include any m ilitar y honor s w hich at the tim e John didn?t put m uch thought to, but that now bother ed him . In r egar ds to his buddies, he hadn?t r eally thought of them since he left Vietnam . One night he did

an inter net sear ch of the 589th, and found that they had been having r eunions for 39 year s.

Last Septem ber John set out to br ing som e closur e to those thoughts of his father and buddies.

W hile on an Honor Guar d detail, he w as talking to Chr is Goes of Goes Funer al Ser vices about his father. Chr is said that ever y veter an deser ves m ilitar y honor s and he w ould get ever ything ar r anged w hen John w as r eady, even though his father w as bur ied in Iow a. ?I w ill for ever be gr ateful for w hat Chr is and Br ett at Goes did for m e?, John said.

Fr om that inter net sear ch of the 589th, he found a buddy?s contact infor m ation. John called him up and announced, ?This is a voice out of your past?.

After getting caught up, his buddy told him of the upcom ing r eunion and m ade John pr om ise he w ould com e.

Coor dinating the ser vice ar ound the r eunion, John and his lovely w ife Bonnie set off for Iow a. It w as handled by a full Colonel (r etir ed) and a lar ge honor guar d. Tw o additional things m ade the ser vice extr a special. It w as r aining heavily pr ior to the ser vice. The skies then clear ed up dur ing the ser vice and opened up again w ith heavy r ains r ight after w ar ds. The other w as that it w as held on Sept.11th.

After the ser vice, the Tallm ans jum ped into the car and headed to Tennessee for the r eunion.

Sixteen veter ans show ed up, w ith four being fr om John?s platoon. John said it w as just unbelievable.

Ther e w as a lot of catching up and it br ought back m any good m em or ies. John w as one of seven to be pr esented w ith a Quilt of Honor that w eekend.

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I n com pr eh en si bl e Ex per i en ces One of the m any things that I have alw ays been am azed at w hen I?ve talked to or inter view ed veter ans, ar e the vastly differ ent exper iences they w er e often exposed to because of their ser vice in com par ison to those they gr ew up w ith. It could be a differ ent envir onm ent or clim ate, a new gr oup of people or cultur e, or cer tainly just being in the m iddle of a w ar zone. M any of these exper iences had to be incom pr ehensible at the tim e. Cam er on Divis and his exper iences ar e a pr im e exam ple of this.

Cam er on w as r aised on a far m outside of Bur lington, out on the dr y plains of easter n Color ado. Like m any of his gener ation, he had never tr aveled all too far fr om the far m and r eally knew little of w hat it w as like outside his local ar ea.

W hen W W II br oke out, Cam er on enlisted in the Navy and w ould have an adventur e only found in a fictional book at the tow n libr ar y.

After boot cam p, an exper ience w ithin itself, Cam er on shipped out for the S. Pacific. Going to sea for a landlocked Color ado far m boy m ust have been som ething else. Landing in New Guinea, he w as stationed on a base on an island off the coast. Raised on the ar id plains, he now found him self on a hot, hum id and lush jungle island.

He had an exper ience on the island that even today w ould m ake a per son?s head explode (no pun intended) thinking about it.

W hile dr iving a jeep dow n a dir t r oad one day, a native suddenly popped out of the vegetation.

Cam er on slam m ed on the br akes and he and his buddy in the passenger seat star ed at the m an. W hat is that he?s holding? Is that a head? They had com e acr oss a headhunter. Cam er on put his pistol on his lap. His buddy, w ho happened to have his cam er a, snapped a pictur e and they got out of ther e.

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Th e Hon or Bel l

By M ichelle M allin Our nation has alw ays been for tunate. Thr ough the decades, our fellow citizens have defended our com m unities as m em ber s of the ar m ed ser vices. On land, at sea and in the air , m any have given m uch to m aintain the Am er ican ideal.

For Color adans w ho have sacr ificed selflessly by ser ving our Nation, w e can offer a final salute ? a tr ibute that r esounds w ith tr adition, dignity, solem nity and r espect. This is the m ission of The Honor Bell Foundation, a Color ado-based nonpr ofit or ganization w or king to pr oper ly r ecognize depar ted veter ans dur ing bur ial ser vices.

We do so w ith the Honor Bell, a 1000-pound br onze instr um ent specially for ged fr om the legacy of other her oic ser vice m en and w om en, w hich is tolled at public cer em onies and funer al r ites to signal our r espect and sound our loss.

Founded in 2014, Honor Bell Foundation is dedicated to honor ing veter ans at their passing.

The Honor Bell, cast in M ay 2016, is the only instr um ent of its kind cast specifically to r ender Honor s for those w ho have ser ved our nation.Since its dedication, it has tolled for over 2,100 m ilitar y funer als at For t Logan National Cem eter y. W ithin the br onze ar e m ilitar y ar tifacts fr om tw elve deceased Color ado veter ans; they include m ilitar y m edals, dog tags, and unifor m item s. Those veter ans r epr esent each br anch of ser vice and each m ajor conflict since Wor ld War II. They include a M edal of Honor Recipient, a W W II Flying Ace, a Kor ean War POW , tw o KIAs fr om the Global War on Ter r or , and other m en w ho ser ved adm ir able, but enjoyed their fam ily life in Color ado.

by honor ing their br other s and sister s in ar m s.

These veter ans also inter act w ith the gener al public and school childr en as par t of our education pr ogr am ; shar ing the im por tance of r especting m ilitar y histor y.

In late 2019, Honor Bell Foundation launched a cam paign to expand its m ission into Souther n Color ado. We ar e r aising funds and aw ar eness to cr eate a second bell in late 2020 that w ill ser ve the new Pikes Peak National Cem eter y and sur r ounding ar eas.

All veter ans ar e w elcom e to exper ience tolling the bell and w e invite them to visit our w ebsite at w w w.honor bell.or g to lear n m or e.

Reflecting the seven star s in the bell?s logo, the bell is tolled seven tim es, each toll r epr esents a phase in the Veter an?s jour ney: Choice to Ser ve, Cam ar ader ie, Patr iotism , Respect, Dignity, Honor , and Value of Life.

Just as the bell only tolls for veter ans, it m ay only be tolled BY veter ans. M en and w om en w ho volunteer their tim e and find a new w ay to ser ve Remember and Honor 9 9 Rem em ber and Honor

By: M a r y Scott, M SW , Loss & Tr auma Consulta nt Hea r t Sca r s 6, Lovela nd, CO

At t i c Hat Sm all spindly legs clim b big stair s: a daily r itual.

Up, up the dar k and w ide br ow n steps, a lack of light encour aging om inous dar kness, encasing the child w ith yellow shor ts and pink top.

Up, up as if it w as a fir st tim e, but w ith 100 clim bs behind her.

This! This am azing and dar k attic w ith m any r oom s, hiding ver y special secr ets, suitcases, and r em nants of success.

Pur pose pr opels her to the long floor boar ds at

That hat! So big , black and w hite but slightly

last, lighted by little boxy w indow s she alw ays

yellow , gold and black bands ar ound the m assive

liked. This tim e, she ignor es the loom ing

sur face, an inside so lar ge and em pty her m ind

bookcase stuffed w ith National Geographics fr om

could not com pr ehend r eal use or m eaning.

befor e her bir th, thousands of color ed pages offer ing up scenes she?d devour like special candies.

But that hat w as dignity, a w or d she didn?t know then. She w anted to have it, to be it, to fill it, to m ove it thr ough her hands, r un her finger s over

Eyes on the pr ize, she spots her tr easur e: a black

the soft top, br ighten the bold eagle and shield,

chest fr am ed in cheap steel, housing pr ecious

and dust the plastic br im to r eflect all that the dim

gem s stashed by a Lieutenant Com m ander

light above could offer.

dr inking Scotch tw o floor s below.

She dar ed not. It w as his? she knew that. And just

She lifts the lid, sm all squeaks fr om hinges

its pr esence her e com for ted her som e? know ing

br eaking her silence. She?s hungr y; hungr y to

but not know ing ther e had been an im por tant

see? no feel? som ething new , but so fam iliar

past; and that som ehow he w as dr inking it all

w ith all w ithin. Str etching to lift higher , w atching

aw ay, dow nstair s, in his sanctuar y and hell: their

a slight bend in a w eak fr am e. Fear ful but

hom e.

m indful: a br eak w ill expose her and take it all

W ith Respect Always,

aw ay.

M ar y Eyes dance over the insides, view ed countless tim es but never this w ay: Japanese sw or d asking

M ary Scott, Heart Scars 6

to be unsheathed, w hite dr ess-pants and shir t

M aryscottretreats@gmail.com

begging fr eedom fr om their folds, and the

(970) 449-3665

?untouchable? hat dem anding to be filled.

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News Brief Cof f ee, Con ver sat i on an d Cam ar ader i e Thr oughout our ar ea veter ans get together to visit over coffee or br eakfast.

W hether it is just a couple veter ans m eeting for coffee at a M cDonald?s or som e of the lar ger or ganized but yet casual gather ings, they ar e gr eat oppor tunities to shar e conver sation, laughs, infor m ation and cam ar ader ie.

Gener a lly with this gr oup, the needle on the Br avo Sier r a meter stays in the r ed zone most of the time.

Pam vet s Br eak f ast - Ever y Satur day @ 0730 Golden Cor r al 1360 Sculptor Dr., Loveland.

Below ar e a few of the lar ger gr oups found in the ar ea.

Vet er an s Br eak f ast - Ever y 3r d Wed. of the m onth @ 0730 Br eakfast Club 121 W. M onr oe Dr. For t Collins.

M on day Vet er an s Br eak f ast - M onday @ 0730 Gr eel ey Vet er an s Br eak f ast - Ever y 2nd Sat. of the IHOP 5450 Stone Cr eek Cir., Loveland. m onth @ 0730 Golden Cor r al 3035 23r d Ave. Gr eeley.

Fu n dr ai ser f or Vet er an s Hon or i n g Vet er an s Ther e w ill be a fundr aiser held at Rock Bottom Br ew er y on M ar ch 5th for Veter ans Honor ing Veter ans (VHV). VHV is an or ganization that honor s veter ans by pr esenting them w ith statues depicting their ser vice br anch. A per centage of sales that day w ill go to VHV. Rock Bottom is also br ew ing a beer for VHV. Ther e w ill be a tapping par ty fr om 5-7 pm that evening w ith com plim entar y sam ples fr om 6-630 pm . A per centage of this beer ?s sales thr ough the m onth of M ar ch w ill go to VHV as w ell.

Rock Bottom is ver y suppor tive of veter ans and is located at 6025 Sky Pond Dr. out at the Center r a M all.

Tr avel i n g Vi et n am M em or i al Wal l Veter ans Plaza w ill be hosting the tr aveling Vietnam M em or ial Wall fr om M ay 21-25th. The 80% scale m odel w ill ar r ive by escor t on that Thur sday and stay up until the follow ing M onday. Dur ing this tim e ther e w ill be a w ide r ange of activities and cer em onies.

Included ar e: assem bling of the w all on its ar r ival, nightly cer em onies, a Satur day evening Gala, and the m ain cer em ony on Sunday. Som ething special this year w ill be the m otor cycle r ide to touch the w all. Veter ans Plaza is located in Spr ing Canyon Com m unity Par k at the ver y w est end of Hor setooth Rd in For t Collins.M or e details to follow.

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M em or i al i zi n g M u r al s Wer ner Schr eiber m eticulously m ixes var ious paints together to get the tint just r ight. W ith the angle of the P-51 fighter plane he is painting on the outside of the Associated Veter ans building in Loveland, he w ants to m ake sur e the var ious par ts of the plane ar e the cor r ect shade.

Loveland to help cover som e of the costs.

Ar tw or ks also help connect them w ith Wer ner.

Wer ner has been com m issioned to cover the Associated Veter ans building w ith m ur als depicting and honor ing Am er ica?s m ilitar y histor y and those w ho ser ved. Accor ding to M yr na Lopez of the Associated Veter ans, the idea star ted w hen the folks at Ar tw or ks Loveland suggested painting m ur als on the building. The building itself has an inter esting histor y. It w as pulled over fr om the W W II POW cam p east of W indsor in 1947 (the Am er ican Legion in W indsor is another building fr om that cam p). An Associated Veter ans m em ber tr aveling in Flor ida cam e acr oss a VFW building ther e cover ed in m ur als and cam e back w ith pictur es w hich fur ther pr om oted the idea .W ith help fr om Ar tw or ks Loveland, the Associated Veter ans applied for and got a gr ant fr om the City of

Wer ner is a fascinating m an. He is a self-taught ar tist w ho m igr ated fr om Ger m any in 1974.He gr ew up a few m iles fr om the bor der w ith East Ger m an and has fond m em or ies of inter acting w ith Am er ican GIs stationed ther e. You pr obably have seen his w or k scatter ed thr oughout NoCo as he has done other m ur als, stor e w indow s, gr ound electr ical tr ansfor m er s, and a num ber of the painted pianos in For t Collins. He feels ver y honor ed to be doing this pr oject.

W hen you get a chance, take a dr ive by the building, located at the cor ner of Cleveland and 3r d Str eet in Loveland. The east side is alm ost done, w ith the south side a lar ge em pty canvas left for Wer ner to finish. If Wer ner is out w or king w hen you go by, stop and visit w ith him . An inter esting conver sation is guar anopez

Wer ner Schr eiber on la dder . (l-r ) his wife Heather a nd Associated Veter a ns member s M yr na Lopez, M a x Deca mp a nd Ed Aitken.

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Separ at i on David Lander s w as in his fr eshm an year at the Univer sity of Wyom ing w hen Pear l Har bor w as bom bed. A few m onths later he enlisted, choosing the Ar my Air Cor ps because he w anted to fly. They told him they w ould defer his enlistm ent until he gr aduated fr om college, but it didn?t w or k out that w ay, as he w as called up the follow ing year.

David w as sent to M issour i for basic tr aining and schooling. He w as then tr ansfer r ed to Califor nia for flight school. Tr aining in single engine planes, he soon discover ed that he got sick w hile doing loops and r olls, and the base doctor s decided to w ash him out of the pr ogr am . Still ver y m uch w anting to fly, how ever , David r equested and r eceived a tr ansfer to fly m ulti engine bom ber s.

The tr ansfer br ought him to the air base in La Junta, Color ado, to tr ain w ith the B-25 bom ber.

Since he w as now closer to Wyom ing, his fiancĂŠe, Nancy, a cute coed David had m et at a m ixer on their fir st day of school, joined him , and they w er e m ar r ied in Pueblo. She stayed in Color ado w ith him until he r eceived his or der s to go over seas.

and Japan sur r ender ed. Shor tly after that, David w as assigned the task of flying a colonel and som e nur ses up to Kor ea. En r oute, they m ade num er ous low -level passes over Hir oshim a and Nagasaki and got a bir d?s eye view of the destr uction. He w as aw ed by the com plete destr uction caused by these bom bs. On the r etur n flight, low on fuel and unable to r etur n to Seoul or land in Japan because of the w eather , David?s only choice w as to tr y to m ake it as close as possible to Okinaw a and land in the sea. ?The backup bom b bay tanks on all planes had been or der ed em ptied at the w ar ?s end, but w e checked them , and by the gr ace of the Lor d ther e w as enough fuel in them to m ake it,? David says.

Follow ing a shor t tim e in Japan, David r etur ned hom e to Nancy and their daughter , Janet. He laughs as he looks at a pictur e of him holding Janet. The baby has her ar m s ar ound Nancy?s neck . ?She w anted no par t of this str anger ,? David says w ith a chuckle.

David shipped off for the Pacific w ith the 405th Bom b Squad, 38th Bom ber Gr oup of the 5th Air For ce, leaving behind a pr egnant Nancy. Because of the slow com m unications at that tim e, it w as tw o m onths after the bir th of his child that he lear ned he w as the father of a baby gir l. It w as nine m onths befor e he w as actually able to see and hold his daughter.

David fir st landed in New Guinea and then m oved up to the Philippines befor e tr aveling on to Okinaw a, w her e he w as based. Outside of a m ission to Bor neo, he flew all his tw elve m issions over the Sea of Japan. These m issions w er e designed to take out Japanese car go and supply ships. They ser ved a dual pur pose? to pr event supplies fr om getting to Japan, but also to tr ain the air m an for their par t in the planned invasion of the Japanese hom eland. David?s plane w as equipped w ith four teen for w ar d guns, r ockets, and bom bs, and he flew it no m or e than fifty feet off the sur face of the w ater. In his ar senal w er e skip bom bs, w hich w er e dr opped and w hich then bounced into the ships. This m aneuver had to be tim ed ver y pr ecisely, or David r isked blow ing off the tail of his plane.

In August 1945, the atom ic bom bs w er e dr opped, Remember andHonor Honor 1313 Rem em ber and

M i l i t ar y Or der of t h e Pu r pl e Hear t

By Robert Wuestenberg The Pur ple Hear t m edal has it or igin late in the Revolutionar y War w hen Gener al Geor ge Washington w r ote of a desir e to honor and aw ar d the com m on soldier for his ser vice w ith m er it.

The w ebsite of the M ilitar y Or der of the Pur ple Hear t of the USA also indicates that the Gener al said that ? Not only instances of unusual gallantr y, but also of extr aor dinar y fidelity and essential ser vice in any w ay shall m eet w ith a due r ew ar d, The r oad to glor y in a patr iot ar my and a

The M ilitary Order of the Purple Heart (M OPH) is

fr ee countr y is thus opened to all. ?Thus, Geor ge

an organization that fosters camaraderie among

Washington established the ?Badge of M er it?. In

combat wounded veterans, promotes patriotism,

its shape and color , the Badge anticipated and

and provides services to veterans in need.

inspir ed the m oder n Pur ple Hear t?. Evidence of its continued use has not been found.

To lea r n mor e, go to their website: w w w.M OPHColor a do.or g

The cur r ent Pur ple Hear t M edal w as a r esur r ection, of sor ts, of the ?Badge of M er it? in 1932 by Gener al Douglas M acAthur , then Secr etar y of War w ith the follow ing; ?On Febr uar y 22, 1932 -- the 200th anniver sar y of Geor ge Washington?s bir th -- the War Depar tm ent (pr edecessor to the Depar tm ent of Defense) announced the establishm ent of the Pur ple Hear t aw ar d in Gener al Or der No. 3:?. Cur r ently, the Pur ple Hear t, per r egulation is aw ar ded in the nam e of the Pr esident of the United States to any m em ber of the Ar m ed For ces of the United States w ho, w hile ser ving under com petent author ity in any capacity w ith one of the U.S. Ar m ed Ser vices after Apr il 5, 1917 has been w ounded, killed, or has died after being w ounded. ...By or der of the

Robert Wuestenberg is the Adjutant for M OPH

Pr esident of the United States, the Pur ple Hear t,

Chapter 434 in Longmont. Robert was wounded in

established by Gener al Geor ge Washington at

Vietnam when his troop carrier hit a landmine,

New bur gh, August 7, 1782, dur ing the War of the

throwing him 20+ feet into the air. He was never

Revolution is her eby r evived out of r espect to his

properly presented his Purple Heart, as the Army

m em or y and m ilitar y achievem ents. By or der of

simply just mailed it to his mother?s home. That

the Secr etar y of War : Douglas M acAr thur

was corrected in a ceremony held at the Veterans

Gener al, Chief of Staff.

Plaza in 2012.

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Feb. 1st Cer emony. Fr ont r ow (l-r ) Dona ld Okla nd, Ja ck Bla ckbur n, Clyde Bulla r d. Ba ck r ow (l-r ) John M iller , M icha el M iller , Da nny Robinett, Clyde Br ewer , Richa r d Ra na ba r ga r , a nd Jer r y Buckna ll

Home visit to Ssgt Jim Pea r ce,

Ja n. 18th Cer emony, (l-r ) Ron Alber s, Ter r y Tometich,

20 yea r Ar my veter a n.

M a x DeCa mp, a nd Tom Eva ns

The Veter a ns Honor ing Veter a ns tea m: (l-r ) Ba r t Ba r tholomew, Ka r la Umlauf, Br a d Hoopes, M iki Fletcher , Shelley Wa mpler , Jer r y Folse, Pat Folse, a nd Bill Kaufma n. Fr ont: Dot Ba r tholomew.

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On the Lighter Side

Bill M audlin?s ca r toons wer e popula r with soldier s in W W I I . Dur ing the Vietna m Wa r , Bill visited his son in Vietna m a nd dr ew the a bove ca r toon. Seems like it is still r eleva nt with our cur r ent wa r s.

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Remember andHonor Honor 1717 Rem em ber and

Dialogue and Feedback

Th an k s, I ?l l bu y m y ow n cu p of cof f ee A combat veter a n?s view on veter a n?s discr imination in Amer ica Over the last couple of year s, I have battled w r iting and publishing this ar ticle. Tim es have changed.

The Global War on Ter r or ism is alm ost 20 year s deep in the souls of Am er icans. M ost kids w ho join the m ilitar y these days w er en?t even bor n w hen 9/11 happened. Ever y year , Veter ans of all ages celebr ate Veter ans Day, and M em or ial Day by donning their m ilitar y hats and jackets, and pr oudly displaying them in r em em br ance of those that have ser ved and those w ho have paid the ultim ate pr ice. It is a happy and sad day for m any of us w ho w ear the distinction of being a com bat veter an.

On one Veter ans Day, my gr andfather , w ho w as a 45th Infantr y com bat veter an fr om Wor ld War 2, stopped in to a local Star bucks for a cup of joe. This is som ething w e have done for year s. We both spor t our veter an?s m em or abilia as if it?s our favor ite spor ts team . As w e sat, a w om an appr oached us and asked if w e w er e both veter ans. Of cour se, w e both said yes. She said that she w ould like to buy a cup of coffee for us, and she handed us tw o Star bucks gift car ds. We delightfully accepted them and talked about how nice it w as for her to do that. How ever , does a cup of coffee m ake som eone a veter an?s suppor ter , or is it about som eone w ho feels better about giving som ething to a veter an, so they can go back to their w or ld not under standing veter an?s str uggles?

Retir ing after 22 year s of ser vice in both the Active Ar my, and the Ar my National Guar d, I have found it ver y difficult to land a local job over m inim um w age her e in Lar im er County. I have applied to over 300 com panies, Feder al jobs, local businesses, and local Police and Fir e fighting jobs. Of those applications, I have had five inter view s, and w ith no success. I still have not found a decent job in the local ar ea. Ever y inter view I w ent to, I explained my ser vice, r esponsibility, tr avel, leader ship, honor and pr ide, and com bat duty. M ost inter view er s look at m e w ith am azem ent that one could have lived thr ough so m uch at my age. Their eyes locked into m e as I tell of challenges of w ar , accountability, and integr ity. Ever y tim e I left an inter view tw o things happened; ?M r. Jir on, w e w ill be contacting you soon w ith our decision, and thank for your ser vice?, or ?M r. Jir on, w ow w hat a life you m ust be pr oud of, how ever w e just don?t have a position her e for people like you, thank you for your ser vice?.

You don?t have a position for people like m e? W hat does that m ean? I?ll tell you w hat it m eans: Civilian m anager s, businesses, and m any public gover nm ent jobs don?t w ant a veter an as the face of their com pany or business. Questions like; W hat if he has a m eltdow n, w hat if he has PTSD, W hat if this veter an has m or e exper ience and is m or e com petent then m e, W hat if he tells an inappr opr iate stor y and offends co-w or ker s, W hat if?

It am azes m e how people r eally look at veter ans, and especially com bat veter ans. We have becom e a classification of people of undesir able status. All the negativity in the m edia, the com bat veter an suicide r ate of 22 veter ans a day, and the negative new s stor ies of veter ans com m itting cr im es. If Joe the plum ber gets in to an alter cation, then the stor y r eads; Joe, w ho w or ks at Joe?s plum bing ser vice w as in an alter cation last night? ., but if it's Joe, Com bat Veter an, the stor y r eads, Joe w ho is a Com bat Veter an, w as involved in an alter cation. So, if a per son is a Com bat Veter an does that change the cr im e?

If a Veter an ser ves his countr y in a tim e of w ar , does that change the veter an?s w or k ethic, his ability to w or k, or his ability to be successful or not?

We as a com m unity m ust w ake up. We need to suppor t our local veter ans w ith love, com passion, and the ability for veter ans to pr ove their w or th in the civilian job ar ena. We need a chance to be able to pr ovide for our fam ilies, and still continue to give back to our com m unity by being pr oud of selfless ser vice to this gr eat nation. Yes, I am em ployed, aw ay fr om hom e, aw ay fr om my fam ily, still in a m ilitar y capacity in a m or e veter an fr iendly envir onm ent. I ask for com m unities ar ound Am er ica, to give veter ans a chance and offer good paying jobs, and a chance to be the face of your business. It?s tough being a com bat veter an, but you know w hat, show your thanks by investing in us, believing in us, and not buying us a cup of coffee but giving us a chance to be par t of your business and our com m unity. Today, thanks, but I?ll buy my ow n cup of coffee, how about a Job? - M a ster Ser gea nt Jer emy Jir on (Retir ed US Ar my) JJIron5373@aol.com 9/11 Tribute 18

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Veteran Owned Businesses 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 FLOORING Northern Colorado Carpets 5837 S. College Ave. Fort Collins, CO (970) 226-6800 NorthernColoradoCarpets.com FOOD & BEVERAGE Snack Attack 120 W. Stuart Fort Collins, CO 970 -825-5989 SnackAttackit.com HOM E CONSTRUCTION Lance Jones Remodel * Maintenance * Repairs 970-852-4433 Lance@LanceMJones.com

Tradesmen Remodeling, LLC (970) 631-1607 TradesmenRemodeling@gmail.com TradesmenRemodeling.com 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 PROM OTIONAL PRODUCTS Colorado Promotional Supply 970-663-9498 Sandie@copromosupply.com www.CoPromoSupply.com REALTOR Bob Sprague - Broker Love Northern Colorado Real Estate 970-372-8520 Bob@LovenNOCORealEstate.com LoveNOCORealEstate@gmail.com

James Hagerman (970) 999-2816 JHagerman@C3-RE.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 Ar e you a Vet er an an d ow n a bu si n ess?

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We will be hosting the Traveling VIETNAM _M EM ORIAL_WALL M ay 21-25t h Remember and Honor

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