Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 2H. The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado

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2 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 2H The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado

3 The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 3H This Memorial Day, take time to reflect upon the rights and privileges that you exercise and owe to the dedication and perseverance of military personnel. HONORING OUR HEROES Memorial Day has achieved Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) status. For one-and-ahalf centuries, Americans have gathered in late spring to honor the sacrifices of those who have given their lives in service to their country. What began with dozens of informal commemorations of those killed in the Civil War has grown to become one of the nation s most solemn and revered holidays. From its earliest incarnation as Decoration Day to its modern-day observances, Memorial Day is an important time to appreciate veterans and their invaluable contributions. Pueblo in particular has a special connection to veterans and their service. It is the hometown of four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients William J. Crawford, Carl L. Sitter, Raymond G. Jerry Murphy and Drew D. Dix. The honor is the highest military award that can be bestowed upon a member of the United States Armed Forces, and Pueblo represents more Medal of Honor recipients than any other city. President Dwight D. Eisenhower once remarked, after bestowing the Medal of Honor upon Murphy, What is it in the water out there in Pueblo... all you guys turn out to be heroes. In 2000, a memorial plaza to all of the recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor was built at the Pueblo Convention Center. Largerthan-life statues honor the lives and stories of Pueblo s four Medal of Honor recipients. The names of the soldiers are inscribed on the black granite slabs behind the sculptures. The current Pueblo Convention Center expansion caused the sculptures to be removed for safety sake during construction and will CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/FILE In 2000, bronze statues of Pueblo s four Medal of Honor recipients were placed in The Medal of Honor Plaza at the Pueblo Convention Center. New construction at the Convention Center site has temporarily shut down the MOH Plaza. be relocated upon completion of the project. They may be moved to another location. In addition to the plaza, Pueblo is home to the Center of American Values a nonprofit, non-partisan organization whose mission statement is: to develop good character and leadership skills in the next generation of emerging citizen-leaders. Fittingly, the visionary and cofounder for the center is Pueblo s own Drew Dix. The center s mission was born from Dix s desire for all generations to understand that the sacrifices made by both civilians and veterans is what made America the greatest country in the world. Housed along the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, the center offers a variety of programs to the public, including the Mobile Learning Lab a 600-square-foot, climate-controlled classroom that allows educators the opportunity to travel around the country and teach curriculum. The lab covers topics like Remembering 9/11, Anti-Bullying and Team-Building skills. Visitors are encouraged to take a free tour. The Pueblo Chieftain CENTER FOR AMERICAN VALUES is open daily from 10 a.m. 4 p.m., and is located at 101 South Main St., Riverwalk 100. For more information, see page 7.

4 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 4H The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado HARP Memorial Day celebration CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/FILE Members of the Pueblo fire and police departments present the colors during a past Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Bridge on the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo. BY JON POMPIA THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN It is the most solemn of veterans-related holidays and ceremonies, an opportunity to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of the more than 1 million soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedom, in the words of Gen. Norton Schwartz. This Memorial Day (Monday), the ceremony honoring those who gave all will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Veterans Bridge on the Riverwalk. The introduction and welcome will be given by veterans Chris Carter (Marines) and Jeff Chostner (Air Force), followed by a Doss Aviation flyover, advance of colors by the Pueblo Police Department and the invocation by Navy Chaplain Matt Maestas. After presentation of the ultimate sacrifice flowers, Chostner will delivery opening remarks. This year s guest speakers are Michael Sumida (Air Force), Army Col. An opportunity to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of the more than 1 million soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedom. NORTON SCHWARTZ RETIRED AIR FORCE GENERAL Christopher Grice and Jacob Harmon (Marines). The ceremony will conclude with the laying of the wreaths along the bridge, a gun salute, playing of taps and a benediction by Ed Riccillio. Lunch will then be served at the American Legion Post #2, 701 W. Ninth St. The Memorial Day ceremony is a cooperative effort involving a number of veterans service groups and auxiliaries, the Riverwalk, private businesses, government entities and other stakeholders. A Better Choice for Adults, Babies & Children Medical and non-medical services offered. Locally Owned and operated. Medicaid, Medicare, Private Insurance and Private Pay Accepted 3715 Thatcher Ave, Pueblo CO Office: (719) Fax: (719) Let our personalized services keep you safe in the comfort of your own home!

5 The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 5H Keeping the Memory in Memorial Day Remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and the families who live with their loss. Let Memorial Day be a day we count our blessings. In honor of those true heroes who gave everything for our freedom we remember and we thank you. You have earned our undying gratitude. Let America never forget.

6 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 6H The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado Take the Walk of Valor Tour along the Riverwalk Medal of Honor Memorial Pueblo Convention Center 320 Central Main St. In 1993, the Congressional Record stated Pueblo is the Home of Heroes. At that time, Pueblo was the only U.S. city with four living Medal of Honor recipients. In 2000, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society s National Convention was held in Pueblo where four largerthan-life bronze sculptures were unveiled, honoring Drew Dix, William Crawford, Carl Sitter, and Raymond Jerry Murphy. The plaque behind the sculptures lists over 3,400 Medal of Honor recipients since its creation during Civil War times. USS Pueblo Memorial Front Door of the Pueblo Convention Center This bronze plaque is dedicated to the USS Pueblo, its captain and crew. Named for the City of Pueblo, many Pueblo businessmen were at the launch of this vessel. On Jan. 23, 1968, the USS Pueblo, in an unprovoked act of war by North Korea, was attacked and seized in international waters. One crewman was killed and the remaining 83 were held prisoner for 11 months. Pueblo hosted a reunion in 2000, and this plaque was unveiled at that occasion letting crew members know that Pueblo will never give up hope that the USS Pueblo will be returned to the United States. Peter C. Lemon Rose Garden Front Door of the Pueblo Convention Center This plaque and rose garden was created to permanently honor Medal of Honor Recipient Peter C. Lemon. Lemon possesses a unique bond with the people of Pueblo and has shown a personal dedication to working with young people in our community to help them learn more about leadership, ethics and patriotism. It also honors the members of Lemon s battalion who lost their lives in Vietnam. Veterans Bridge Gateway Park on the Riverwalk off Richmond Avenue Dedicated on Nov. 11, 2010, the Veterans Bridge honors soldiers from every branch of the service who either live here or have ties to the Pueblo area. Veterans, families, and friends helped build the bridge by making donations to have their names engraved on the 5,000 granite plates. A series of military service seals span both sides of the bridge. A kiosk under the north east side of the bridge allows visitors to locate a veteran s name and biography on the bridge. Zebulon Pike Plaza South End of the Riverwalk Just off Grand Avenue On July 15, 1806, a young Army Lieutenant, Zebulon Montgomery Pike, left Fort Bellefontaine, Mo, to begin an expedition with 23 men through the southwest region of the Louisiana Purchase his arrest by the Spanish and eventual incarceration in Chihuahua, Mexico, riveted a nation. Pike s journals, published ten years prior to Lewis and Clark s journals, gave American s their first glimpse of the wide expanse of the western United States. In November 1906, Pike and his men stayed in this spot along the river while planning to climb the Blue Mountain to the north. Poorly clad for winter and underestimating the terrain, they were not successful. The mountain that bears Pike s name, but not his footprint, enticed a nation to Go West with slogans like Pike s Peak or Bust. Center for American Values See Page 7. Memorial Hall 100 Central Main St. Built in 1919 to allow for large theatre productions and concerts, this auditorium now connected to Pueblo s City Hall, was dedicated by President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was on a train trip through the United States to promote the League of Nations. He stopped in Pueblo to speak, and while the hall was not quite finished, it offered a shady place for the speech. At the end of his speech, he dedicated the beautiful auditorium in honor of the veterans of World War I and so it was named Memorial Hall. It was Wilson s final public speech. He suffered a stroke on the train ride home and died a year later.

7 The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 7H Center for American Values spotlights veterans BY RYAN SEVERANCE THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN Honor, integrity and patriotism. Those are the core values upon which the Center for American Values were founded and the values the center is instilling in the community s youth and public on a daily basis. The center, which sits along the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, opened on Veterans Day of 2010 and has drawn attention both locally and nationally. The center hosts a number of activities and has a display of photographs of Medal of Honor recipients lining its walls. There are 154 portraits of Medal of Honor recipients, according to Matt Albright, the program director of the CAV. Many living Medal of Honor recipients visit the center to have their portraits unveiled and give talks. Albright said more than 20 of the 75 living Medal of Honor recipients have visited the center. We want to bring those messages to the community, Albright said, adding that having them come to town is a good way to show off Pueblo, the Riverwalk CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/FILE Medal of Honor recipient Drew Dix speaks at the Center for American Values. and the center. While the center most well-known for its display of MOH recipients and speaking engagements, the core of its existence is its educational programs. It is 90 percent of what we do, Albright said. In its first year of operation, the center had about 1,200 children take part in var- ious curriculums that can be tailored to different age groups or even a topic that goes along with what they re learning in school. The center also now has a mobile learning lab that allows it to take its lessons across the region and country. The mobile learning lab has gone as far as Indianapolis and Boston, among other locales. The center reached 14,464 students with its educational programming last year. Albright said the CAV has a dedicated group of about 15 volunteers, and a core of seven or eight volunteers who are there on a daily basis and help with education. We do ask a little more of our volunteers than other places because they have to kind of learn a lot, especially when they see someone who s been volunteering here for a few years, Albright said. They learn stories. We tell them to learn one story first and be able to tell that well and go from there. The CAV was very involved in the 2017 Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention that took place in Pueblo from Sept We are very proud of our involvement, Albright said. Other highlights for the CAV in 2017 included hosting Action 22: The Southern Colorado Suicide Prevention Symposium, and hosting the Colorado Business Roundtable and Boots to Business. ryans@chieftain.com

8 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 8H After nearly two decades of lobbying and planning, a Veterans Affairs national cemetery in Pueblo s backyard is set to become a reality. With ground having been broken in fall 2017, Pikes Peak National Cemetery at Drennan Road in south Colorado Springs will partially open this fall. According to cemetery Director Paul K. LaGrange, strong community support from veterans and citizens in both Colorado Springs and Pueblo played a key role in seeing the $31 million Veterans Affairs project come to fruition. Starting back in 1998, they worked with their elected officials to try to get the cemetery established, La- Grange said of the supporters. It s a long process. Plus, there is a 75-mile rule involved and there s already a National Cemetery in Denver (Fort Logan National Cemetery). So the elected officials had to get around that 75-mile limit, and they were eventually able to do that. The location, LaGrange said, will make it more convenient for Southern Colorado veterans who want to be buried in a national cemetery, as well as for family members who want to The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado VA national cemetery to partially open this fall BY JON POMPIA THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN COURTESY ILLUSTRATION/PIKES PEAK NATIONAL CEMETERY An artist s rendering of Pikes Peak National Cemetery, located in south Colorado Springs, shows plans to construct burial sections and an administration building. pay their respects. It s about a 45-minute drive from Pueblo a lot shorter drive than going to Fort Logan National Cemetery or Fort Lyon National Cemetery, LaGrange said. Not only do a lot of Pueblo veterans want to be buried close to home, the VA seeks to provide the service of a veterans cemetery within 75 miles of 90 percent of the veterans across the country. The cemetery is currently under construction. In the fall, what is called the early turnover section officially will open. At that time, we will be accepting in-ground cremations and in-ground caskets, LaGrange said. And in Fall 2019, the entire cemetery will be completed. We will have permanent facilities with additional burial options. The cemetery will encompass 374 acres, with full capacity expected after 80 years. Although there are some stipulations, veterans with two years of active duty discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and with a DD 214 as proof of service are eligible to be buried in any national cemetery. Also eligible are members of the reserve and the National Guard, mobilized under presidential orders and honorably discharged, and veterans spouses and dependent children again with some conditions attached. As part of the Pikes Peak National SEE CEMETERY, PAGE 9

9 The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado CEMETERY/from page 8 Cemetery committee, Pueblo veterans Luis Valerio, John Saenz and Gerry Oyen played a strong role in the process to see the cemetery become operational. Valerio, a Marine who plans to be laid to rest in the new cemetery, appreciates the grand scope of the facility. When you look at the plans and the architectural concept, it s really outstanding, Valerio said. It s been a lot of work, but it s something to be proud of. Oyen, also a Marine, added, It s a real convenience for us, my family, who are also veterans. And we are all considering this to be our final resting place. Not now, but in the future. We still have some living to do. In addition to Pueblo veterans, Saenz said the cemetery will serve all of Southern and Southeastern Colorado. Several people from Pueblo and one from Canon City have worked on this committee, the retired Army colonel explained. The important thing is that veterans will have a place to go relatively close to Pueblo. And it will be able to service all members of the veterans community, The initial phase of construction will develop approximately 65 acres and provide for approximately 13,300 gravesites, accommodating both casketed and cremated remains. In addition to gravesites, the cemetery will include a front entrance on Drennan Road, administration and maintenance buildings, a flag pole assembly area, a memorial walkway, committal shelters and a public information center with electronic gravesite locator and restrooms. Other cemetery infrastructure features will include roads, landscaping, utilities and irrigation. including those from the San Luis Valley and Alamosa, the Arkansas Valley and those areas with veterans who want to be buried there. At 11 a.m. on Friday, a patriotic cemetery dedication took place. At that time, the cemetery plaque was be unveiled and dedicated, with addresses from VA and elected officials. For more information, visit the VA s National Cemetery Administration s website at jpompia@chieftain.com Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 9H

10 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 10H The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo JROTC programs continue to thrive Training corps teaches military and life skills BY ZACH HILLSTROM THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN Over a century has passed since the U.S. National Defense Act of 1916 created the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps as part of its preparation for the U.S. entrance into World War I, but the storied tradition of JROTC persists in Pueblo to this day. Title 10 of the United States Code details that the purpose of JROTC programs is to instill in students the values of citizenship, service to the United States, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment. Pueblo s local high schools have seemingly seen the importance of perpetuating those values over the years, as both high schools in District 70 and all four high schools in Pueblo City Schools (D60) currently have successful JROTC programs. One Pueblo middle school D60 s Heroes Academy even has its own junior JROTC program. Retired Army Sergeant Major Alfred Lewis, a JROTC instructor at Pueblo County High School in SEE JROTC, PAGE 11 CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/FILE Members of the Pueblo County High School JROTC march along Union Avenue during the annual Veterans Day Parade in Pueblo.

11 The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado JROTC/from page 10 D70, has served as an instructor for the past eight-and-a-half years, and said he s seen firsthand the positive impact the program has on its participants. From my experience it s a great reward and great thing for the kids to participate in, Lewis said. Most of the kids when they get into the program, they really step right up. They like the leadership, they like the values we teach and working with their peers and being in leadership positions. When freshman students enter into the program, their progression mirrors that in the military, where they begin with classifications and may work their way up to leadership positions in their junior and senior years. Lewis said that each of the six Army JROTC programs in Pueblo has between 100 and 150 cadets,who learn a variety of skills, including the seven Army core values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. Many JROTC students join the program because they are interested in serving in the military in the future, and Lewis said JROTC is a great launching point for those interested in attending military service academies like the Air Force Academy, the Naval Academy and West Point. But Lewis said the skills students learn in JROTC are meant to benefit them not only during their time in JROTC or in future military careers, but for the rest of their lives. I tell the kids my job is to coach you to be a better person in life, Lewis said. My job is not to sell you on the military, but to coach, teach and mentor you and make you a better citizen so that when you go out into the world, you ll know how to handle things. zhillstrom@chieftain.com CHRIS LARSON 110 N 7TH STCANON CITY, CO INSURANCE SOLUTIONS chris.larson@american-national.com Representing American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas, American National Property And Casualty Company, and American National General Insurance Company, Springfield, Missouri Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 11H

12 Sunday, May 27, 2018 Page 12H The Pueblo Chieftain Pueblo, Colorado