Romero receives George Washington Badge of Merit Award

MONTE VISTA — Monte Vista celebrated Veterans on Friday, Nov. 10, with a parade downtown and ceremony at Faith Hinkley Veterans Memorial Park.

U.S. Army Veteran Steven Romero received the local George Washington Badge of Merit Award, a plaque. Phillip Mackey explained that the award is now known as the Purple Heart Medal.

In May of 1969, Romero was sent to Fort Ord, Calif., for basic training before being shipped to Vietnam in October of that same year and spent time with the First Infantry Division. He was transferred to the 25th Infantry Division for the remainder of his tour. In September of 1970, he was sent to Fort Carson, Colo., and completed his tour of duty on May 7, 1971.

The parade was headlined by the Monte Vista High School Pirates Marching Band fresh off placed second at the 1A State Bandmasters Association competition.

A couple of hundred people lined the parade route, took photos and video, waved as the cars, trucks, tractors and marching band went to the park next to Bill Metz Elementary on the corner of Broadway and First Avenue.

A large American flag was held high above the street near the park by Monte Vista and Del Norte fire ladder trucks.

Following the parade, people moved to the bleachers in front of the Faith Hinkley Memorial for the 45-minute ceremony.

U.S. Air Force Veteran Richard Nagley was the guest speaker. He is also the president of the Veterans Coalition of the San Luis Valley.

Nagley spoke of the history of Veterans Day, which was first proclaimed by President Woodrow Wilson on Nov. 11, 1919, to commemorate the end of World War I. It was originally called Armistice Day. It celebrates all who have served in the U.S. military. He also noted that Nov. 10 was the 283rd birthday for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Nagley asked the Veterans in attendance to stand, and the crowd thanked them for their service with a hardy round of applause. He also asked people to become involved with Veterans services and to become an advocate.

Rio Grande County Commissioner Scott Deacon led the ceremony with a prayer.

Rio Grande County Commissioner Gene Glover led the wreath ceremony. The families of Army Sgt. Faith R. Hinkley and Marine Sgt. Glen E. Martinez placed wreathes at the base of the memorial in the park that honors each person’s contributions to Monte Vista.

Hinkley, 23, died Aug. 7, 2010, in Baghdad, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit in Iskandariyah, Iraq.

Martinez, 31, was one of five Marines killed May 2, 2008, when their Humvee hit a roadside bomb in Fallujah.

The ceremony concluded with the traditional retiring of the colors by the Rio Grande County Color Guard.

SLV VETERANS DAY EVENTS

• Saturday, Nov. 11 — American Legion — Dickey-Springer Post 113, and the Ladies Auxiliary will host the annual Veterans Day Parade on Main Street in Alamosa. The parade begins at 11 a.m. The parade recognizes veterans, past and present.
• Saturday, Nov. 11 — Civil War Veteran Capt. Jose Maria Sanchez will be celebrated at the Sangre de Cristo Catholic Church in San Luis at 10 a.m. He will then be given a military service at the San Pedro Cemetery by an Honor Guard provided by American Legion Post 142 and VFW Post 6101 of San Luis.
• Saturday, Nov. 11 — Proud Military Parents group is hosting its first annual Coffee with a Veteran from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. This event will take place at the Colorado Veterans Community Center of Homelake in Monte Vista. The event will be open to the public
• Saturday, Nov. 11 — The San Luis Valley Theatre Company is presenting a comedy play called “Breaking and Entering” at Society Hall, 400 Ross Ave., Alamosa. Veterans are welcome to attend at no charge.
• Saturday, Nov. 11 – The SLV Big Band will host a Veterans Day concert at 7 p.m. at Ortega Middle School. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted.