Index

INDEX

A Word from the Editor…This issue of AroundTrinidad is dedicated to our Las Animas County Veterans in honor of Veteran’s Day which will be celebrated on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, and observed as a national holiday on Mon-day, Nov. 12. We wish to thank our local veterans as well as our nation’s veterans for their dedicated and loyal service to our country, “Land of the Free Because of the Brave!”

Let us not forget what our men and women who have served in the U.S. Military have experienced while executing their duties; the challenges, the fears, the dangers, the tears and the hardships over the years.

Let us always remember that Freedom is NOT free!

E.R.A. McCarthey

Our Mission…Around Trinidad is focused on bringing the com-munity together and building relationships with the people, the businesses, organizations, govern-ment, educational institutions and the community as a whole. Our focus is to provide local informa-tion so our residents can rediscover their home-town and visitors can see it SHINE!

AROUND TRINIDAD CREDITS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/OWNERE.R.A. McCartheyART & DESIGN DIRECTOR/OWNERJay MartinezEXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITORMarty HackettFEATURES DIRECTORDavid J. Santistevan Jr.

Around Trinidad has been funded by Merged Me-dia and Everything AroundUS. It was built by Jay Martinez, E.R.A. McCarthey, David J. Santistevan Jr., Marty Hackett and many lovely people in the Trinidad Community.

Share Your News...Around Trinidad is proud to present an exciting new feature added to all the other online services we offer our community. Now visitors to the web-site have an option to create free announcements for engagements, weddings, births, graduations, business/organization events, create memorials, post obituaries for loved ones or announce an important occasion. Include photos, a personal message and best of all – it’s free. Share your news with our community.

It’s easy and takes only few minutes.

How to create an announcement:Visit www.AroundTrinidad.com. Click on An-nouncements/Create an announcement: Enter title: for example New Baby, It’s a girl, Happy B-day. On name – person’s name, choose category of announcement – New baby, Birthday, Anni-versary, etc, post your message. If you would like to post an image – you can now add one from your computer – click submit and you are done! Because of Around Trinidad security and privacy policies all announcements are subject to adminis-trator approval.

Note - Registered users of the Around Trinidad website can post comments on displayed an-nouncements but the comments are also subject to administrator approval.

Index About Us

Pg.1 Desert Storm Following in My Father’s Footsteps

Pg.2 Howdy Visitors Camp Trinidad

Pg.3 Fresh Air Bill Prator Gun Range is Now Open

Pg.4 The Story of Armistice Day

Pg.7 Hall of Fame A Package of Goodies for Serviemen

Pg.8 Horoscopes

Pg.9 Bits and Pieces

Pg.11 Business Spotlight Helping Our Veterans

Pg.12 Art and Music TAAC Presents The United States Air Force Academy Band

Pg.13 Government Making Good On A Favor

Pg.15 We Gave Everything for Our Country

Pg.16 We Were Very Short of Men to Fight

Pg.17 The First National Bank Honors Veterans of WWII

Pg.18 New Views Patriots Pen and Voice of Democracy

Pg.19 Trinidad Treasures A Memorable Impression

Pg.19 When the Iron Door Closed Behind Me

Desert StormFollowing in My Father’s Footsteps By David J. Santistevan, Jr.

Navy Radiomen Third Class Communications Specialist Kathy Gallegos is proud to follow her family’s tradition of serving their country. Her father, Eugene Gallegos served in the U.S Army, Uncle Orlando Paul Romero served in the Navy, and her younger brother Dan served two years in the Marines. Her family’s rich heritage of standing in defense of their country helped her as a radio-man during Operation Desert Storm. Gallegos was born in Trinidad in September of 1967 to Eugene and Frances Gallegos, and has two sisters; Juanita Romero, and Gina Gallegos, and three brothers; Anthony, Benji and Dan. She was raised in Trinidad, graduating from Trinidad High School in 1985. She then attended Trinidad State Jr. College for a year and half studying Human Ecology and Physical Education before joining the Navy in 1988. “My Uncle Paul, who eventually retired from the Navy after 30-years, wanted me to enlist in the Navy. I always wanted to follow in my dad’s and uncle’s footsteps,” Gallegos said. “I passed all my tests and off I went. I was excited and nervous.” Gallegos headed to Orlando, Florida for 12 weeks

of basic training and then was sent to A School Training in San Diego, California to be a Com-munications Specialist in 1989. With her training complete, she was allowed 30 days to spend time with family before beginning her naval duties. She was shipped out to Naples, Italy where she spent the next three years, playing a huge part in Desert Storm. “In Italy we transmitted and processed traffic. We were a subscriber of over 44 commands from ship to ship, shore to shore and ship to shore,’ Gallegos added, “We were in constant contact with hun-dreds of thousands of subscribers/sailors and other military. We knew a lot of highly classified and top secret information, sometimes even before the president did, with a “Top Secret” clearance.” The position of Radioman in the U.S. Navy was created in 1921 to operate the Navy’s ELF, VLF, LF, HF, UHF, and SHF systems. Radiomen were also used for the prompt special delivery of codes and other classified messages and traffic control.

Two years after Gallegos enlisted, Iraq invaded Ku-wait. Operation Desert Shield began on Aug. 7 and the first U.S. forces in F-15 Eagle fighters arrived in Saudi Arabia. President George Bush authorized the first call-up of Selected Reservists to active duty for 90 days on Aug. 22. Five months later, as Gallegos was in her third year as a naval special-ist, war erupted when air armadas were ordered to “hammer” Iraq. The U.S. and its allies took the first steps to crush that Arab nation’s military power and drive it from conquered Kuwait. Wave after wave of warplanes flew from Saudi Arabian bases dropping bombs on the grounds of the Iraqi

capital. Operation Desert Shield became Operation Desert Storm and Gallegos and her crews directed the military and battle ships safely to and from their destinations, relaying important information that kept our men and women safe and steps ahead of the enemy.

By the end of February, the allies liberated Kuwait’s capital. President Bush announced that all allied military objectives had been met after exactly 100 hours of the “most devastating ground offensive in military history.” A cease-fire would go into effect in the Persian Gulf on Feb. 28, 1991.

In an address to the nation, the President said, “…let us be proud of what we have accomplished. Let us give thanks to those who have risked their lives. Let us never forget those who gave their lives. May God bless our valiant military forces and their fam-ilies and let us all remember them in our prayers.”

“It was a scary time, but it was rewarding in the fact that you knew, we knew, I knew that what we did helped keep America safe. You were part of keeping fellow military personnel safe and sent them back home to their families,” Gallegos said with a tear in her eyes. “It was great to know that we all worked as a team at all levels to make America and the world a safer place. That was a stressful time in our lives, but the ending made it very rewarding knowing you were a part of world history.”

Photo courtesy of Kathy Gallegos and the Gallegos family

Camp TrinidadBy Marty Hackett

In September 1942 after the atomic bombing of Pearl Harbor, 640 acres of land near the tiny town of Trinidad in southern Colorado was selected as a Prisoner of War camp site for the internment of “aliens of war.” Soon after the decision was reached that this was an ideal location for a POW camp, construction began at Beshoar Junction, 8 miles east of Trinidad, a site that was not visible from either the highway or the railway.

The World War II prison camp was to hold thousands of captured German soldiers, and was reportedly only one of more than 240 such camps in the United States. Eventually known as one of the better POW camps in the U.S., Camp Trinidad boasted 330 structures, was privileged to have its own electrical, sewage and water supply systems, and a hospital, blacksmith, stables, and post office.Higher ranking prisoners were allowed to take college courses through correspondence with Universities in Northern Colorado as well as on site and a theater offered both on-stage and movie entertainment. Active sports such as soccer kept the inmates not only entertained but exercised and many of the prisoners were paid in scrip for the work they provided to keep the facility in opera-tion.

More than 1, 000 American servicemen and 140 civilian personnel reportedly watched over the camp until it closed in early 1946.

Not much is left of Camp Trinidad today, except remnants of the main entrance gate, a building foundation, and what is reported to be an old wa-ter treatment plant, but the recollections of several Trinidad residents and data documented by others is available locally.

Look for these historical documentations:

Prisoners of War at Camp Trinidad, Colorado 1943 - 1946: Internment, Intimidation, Incompetence and Country Club Living by Kurt Landsberger and Echoes of Yesteryear by Patrick Donachy.

Howdy Visitors THINGS TO DO______________________________________________

Area veterans, spouses and widows are invited to attend the annual Veteran’s Day dinner at Sebastiani Gym begin-ning at noon on Nov. 10, 2012.

Join the business community at the Bell Block as the Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual Business EXPO beginning at 11 a.m on Nov. 14, 2012.

“Happy Thanksgiving to all from the staff at Around Trinidad magazine and website.!

Kick off the holidays with the Train & Tree Lighting ceremony at City Hall on Nov. 23 and the annual Parade of Lights on Saturday, Nov. 24 sponsored by Hometown Holidays. “Watch www.aroundtrinidad.com for times and additional information)

Shine up those bowling balls and head to Trinidad Lanes to support the AR Mitchell Museum Bowling for Art Fundraiser on Nov. 24 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

pg 02

FRESH AIR

BILL PRATOR GUN RANGE IS NOW OPEN!Range will be available for Summer NRA students at no charge while you are here for your classes.

A long-time local tradition has found new life in rural Trinidad. The Bill Prator Shooting Range was formally reopened Saturday, November 13th. The range has been revitalized thanks to the interest, hard work and enthusiasm of many area citizens.

Two covered shooting stands, one for pistols, the other for rifles, are part of the range’s new look. Five heavy concrete shooting stations allow for steady aiming. The stands were donated by the NRA Whittington Center. The earthen berms at the facility have been completely rebuilt, to protect the public from wayward rounds.

The main building is in the process of renovation, with insulated walls and new bathrooms for the public’s convenience.

Remodeling and updating the range has been the project of Speedy Gonzalez, director of the Brownell’s-Trinidad American Firearms Institute at Trinidad State Junior College.

Many people contributed funding and hard work in getting the range up and running. Dirt was do-nated by the Trinidad community, and was worked

into shape by the students of the heavy equipment operator’s classes at TSJC. The state Department of Corrections supplied much of the labor on the project, and the new gates and signage were con-tributed by students from TSJC’s welding classes. Las Animas County Sheriff Jim Casias and his department funded one of the shooting stands. The newly renovated range will now provide a place where law enforcement officers can train.

The facility is owned by the TSJC Educational Foundation, which leases it to the college.

By next spring, trap and skeet shooting will again be available at the range, with fees for shooting used as a way for the range to fund continuing operations.

Contact Carl Putz to schedule individual times: 719- 680-9455

Information Courtesy of www.trinidadstate.edu

BE HEARDAround Trinidad was created to feature the people, places, and events of Trinidad and the surround-ing areas. Be Heard is our section to feature stories and announcements sent to us. In this section you can announce births, engagements, marriages, loss of loved ones, family reunions, anything YOU feel is important. You can email your news to info@aroundtrinidad.com or mail it to 1513 Arizona Ave, Trinidad CO 81082. Include photos if you like. If you have ideas for our “Hall of Fame,” “Busi-ness Spotlight,” or any other section send those to us as well. Please login to our website and use the free platform; we created for you.

Thank you for making Around Trinidad a positive and exciting highlight of our community.

The Story of Armistice DayTo commemorate the ending of the “Great War” (World War I), an “unknown soldier” was buried in highest place of honor in both England and France (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These ceremonies took place on November 11th, celebrating the ending of World War I hostilities at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). This day became known internationally as “Armistice Day”.

In 1921, the United States of America followed France and England by laying to rest the remains of a World War I American soldier -- his name “known but to God” -- on a Virginia hillside over-looking the city of Washington DC and the Po-tomac River. This site became known as the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” and today is called the “Tomb of the Unknowns.” Located in Arlington National Cemetery, the tomb symbolizes dignity and reverence for the American veteran.

In America, November 11th officially became known as Armistice Day through an act of Con-gress in 1926. It wasn’t until 12 years later, through a similar act that Armistice Day became a national holiday.

The entire World thought that World War I was the “War to end all wars.” Had this been true, the holi-day might still be called Armistice Day today. That dream was shattered in 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe. More than 400,000 American service members died during that horrific war.

Veterans Day

In 1947, Raymond Weeks, of Birmingham Ala., organized a “Veterans Day” parade on November 11th to honor all of America’s veterans for their loyal and dedicated service. Shortly thereafter, Congressman Edward H. Rees (Kansas) intro-duced legislation to change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to honor all veterans who have served the United States in all wars.

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day, and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presi-dential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration (now called the Department of Veterans Affairs), to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day.

Congress passed legislation in 1968 to move Vet-erans Day to the fourth Monday in October. How-ever as it became apparent that November 11th was historically significant to many Americans, in 1978, Congress reversed itself and returned the holiday to its traditional date.

Veterans Day National Ceremony

At exactly 11 a.m., each November 11th, a color guard, made up of members from each of the military branches, renders honors to America’s war dead during a heart-moving ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.The President or his representative places a wreath at the Tomb and a bugler sounds Taps. The balance

of the ceremony, including a “Parade of Flags” by numerous veterans’ service organizations, takes place inside the Memorial Amphitheater, adjacent to the Tomb.

In addition to planning and coordinating the National Veterans Day Ceremony, the Veterans Day National Committee supports a number of Veterans Day Regional Sites. These sites conduct Veterans Day celebrations that provide excellent examples for other communities to follow.

pg 04

pg 06pg 06

A Package of Goodies for ServicemenThe Las Animas County Veterans Memorial Committee

By Marty Hackett

The Las Animas County Veteran’s Memorial Com-mittee is dedicated to serving and honoring the Veterans within the community and they do so with a number of events and projects throughout the year. For the past 11 years, Linda Barron and her dedicated volunteer committee travel around the county, cleaning and restoring the older cem-eteries and placing flags on the graves of all the veterans who have been laid to rest. The area Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts, First Christian Church, Kiwanis Key Club and many other local volunteers gather on the days prior to Memorial Day to accomplish all the work that needs to be done for the annual event.

To ensure that their loved one is included, that the location of their gravesite is known and that it is on the list of fallen and deceased, community mem-bers are asked to contact Linda or other members of the committee.

“We want to make sure that each and every veteran is honored with a flag,” said Linda. “But, someone has to give us the information or we don’t know!” Call Linda at 719-846-8223 and give her your veteran’s information.

For the second event, celebrated each Veteran’s

Day, the committee joins together again with a number of community volunteers to host a luncheon. Held at Sebastiani Gymnasium at noon, 400+ area vets, their spouses/widows are served a free lunch, entertained and honored. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 10 and will be a little different than the past 12 years. The din-ner will be a sit down affair featuring roast beef and mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and cake for desert and the youth volunteers will be serving the seated guests their dinner.

The kick-off for Operation Trinidad Responds that the Veteran’s Committee hosts annually begins once all the work is completed for Veteran’s Day. Again, Linda asks that anyone in the community who has an active duty soldier serving in Afghani-stan call her with their name and address so they will receive a package of goodies to share with their fellow servicemen. This is yet another service that the Veteran’s Committee works on to honor the servicemen in our area.

Years of hard work, planning and fundraising also paid off for this group when several monuments were erected at the Colorado Welcome Center Trinidad to honor those who fought bravely in all the nation’s conflicts including WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, War on Terror, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This ongoing project includes the posting of new names on the monu-ments and asks that family members contact them with the names of any recent servicemen and women serving in Operation Enduring Freedom. Linda Barron coordinates these annual events with a heartfelt passion. It is an honor for her to give back to the military men and women in Las Ani-

mas County as thanks to those soldiers fighting the Vietnam War that freed her from the harsh life she and her family were subjected to in her country.

The story brings tears to her eyes each time she tells it, and no one who has heard it goes away with any doubts that her gratitude is genuine. It is best summed up by the words of many who give thanks to those brave patriots who have protected our Nation’s ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. “We of-fer a tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedoms, have bravely worn the uniform of the United States!”

Hall of FAMETrinidad

HAVE A SAFE VETERANS DAY

Weekly Horoscopes AriesVery important events will happen this week. Finally you will be able to make progress solving a professional or legal issue. You will be forced to change your original plans. Do it without any fears. Try to be proactive, avoid standard methods. Success will have a stimulating effect on your self-esteem and creative potential. Management of love relationships is now entirely in your hands, take advantage.

TaurusBefore trying to implement all of your ambitions first make sure you have all required information and have come up with effective tactics. During this week you have a wonderful opportunity to do so. Do not underestimate yourself. You must be proactive, don’t just react to whatever happens. Only make important decisions related to finances if you are convinced that you have the strength to make them. Business relationships can be trans-formed into more personal ones.

GeminiYour energy level is high, this week you will deal with a huge amount of work, but it would be an unforgivable mistake, if you do not allow yourself enough rest. Don’t forget to indulge in the fun and excitement that you need so much. Be careful - someone might try to take advantage of your gen-erosity. Rely on your intuition in difficult times. In terms of love - follow your fantasies, this guaran-tees wonderful experiences.

CancerAspirations for progress will be fully and com-pletely satisfied. Do not underestimate opponents. Do not expect support from all with whom you associate. You will successfully handle most tasks related to travel and business negotiations. You will be able to combine work with leisure, and this is an achievement.

LeoIn the beginning of November events will be dynamic and unpredictable. Prepare for a string of surprises. You’ll probably get extra income. Despite the success you must be very careful to evaluate real risks and challenges - too much ambition can cause losses. Love relationships will be pleasant.

VirgoThe upcoming period will be relatively calm. Allo-cate your time so as to realize some old promises to meet with friends for short leisure trips or simply to satisfy your personal spiritual needs. Regard-less of whether you are with old company or new acquaintances you will be the object of universal praise. You may revert to an old romance. This will excite you, but at this stage it is better to cool your passions.

LibraLuck will wake you up in the morning, but whether it will accompany you throughout the day depends on your own decisions. You need to be a little tougher to defend your rights if you want to achieve your goals. If you just do your job and listen to the opinion of others you will be success-ful. Use a little insight and remember how to apply it to your advantage. Do not be tempted to start a new love affair – it will end quickly and fall far from your idealistic expectations.

ScorpioThe most significant events this week will relate to family members or loved ones. Now you can enjoy new delights and successes. This will motivate you and give you a lot of enthusiasm. Use your imagination and sense of humor when choosing gifts. The reward for the best choice will be pleased screaming recipients.

SagittariusDo not stay another minute without activity. Not everything can be promising or profitable, but it should not keep you from enjoying it. Use the energy and inspiration that you feel from the stars this week. Your progress is locked. The more your wishes are related to delighting someone else, the easier they will be to implement. You will have no shortage of romance at the end of this week.

CapricornConcentrate, this week can start with a message or unexpected stress. In fact, if you analyze the details calmly, you will find that nothing much has hap-pened. What can scare others will only motivate you to improve your organization and arrange your priorities. Make a bold and clever purchase, do not think about the cost. You will soon find out the value of the investment.

.AquariusReview ongoing projects or you will miss or forget something. You need a lot less time to navigate in the environment. Do not waste time or money. There are no obstacles to close your path to the selected target, as long as you distribute the re-sources. Keep a sparrow in your hand rather than chase the eagle in the sky. A short conversation will get rid of doubts related to your love life.

PiscesOpposites - the stars predict this week. It is rather for domestic problems rather than personal fail-ures. Save yourself some trouble, do not engage in any indulgent activities. Get help in situations you do not fully understand, no one will be angry. If you feel boredom or indifference from loved ones do not panic - give them a little emotional break, this will refresh mutual feelings.

pg 08

Bits and Pieces (That I remember About the Korean War 1949-1952)

John Rios

By Marty Hackett

I thought I’d write what I remembered about my friends. In a far- away land. Away from home. Many years ago.

“One day my friend Bernie Chavez & I decided to join the army. He was 18 years old and I was 15, going to be 16. I forged my way into the service by changing the year on my baptismal certificate. We were sent to Pueblo, Colorado for our physicals and we both passed. We were very happy!”After eight weeks of basic training with Battery D, 15th AAA, and then three months of advanced training with heavy equipment, John was a trained M.19 tank driver.

“When the Korean conflict started, we received orders to go to San Francisco to ship out and I remember as we were leaving the bay area, there was a small boat with a loud speaker playing the song “I Saw Those Harbor Lights,” bidding us fare well as we headed out to sea.”

As John headed out to sea aboard the Lucky Lulu, he was amazed at the vast ocean surrounding the ship and his unofficial training taught him how to walk on deck with “one leg shorter than the other, depending on what side the ship was leaning to; trying not to be seasick; never spit into the wind; never leave your clothes out on the deck line for too long ; hold onto your tray in the galley or it would slide down to someone else as the ship rocked; and hang on tight down below so you wouldn’t get slammed against a bunk bed or something.”

Eight days later, they finally made it to the shore-line. Of Japan. On a sign on the shore of Sasebo Japan read, “Through these portals pass the best fighting men in the world!” While there, the troops were assigned to train R.O.K.S. (Republic of Korea Soldiers) how to fight alongside American troops so they could help save their country from communism.

Next Stop, Korea

As his “outfit” landed in Pusan, John saw combat for the first time. “The first casualty I saw was a sol-dier step on a booby trap. He flew up in the air and landed face down. I was in shock, when I realized he was dead. Then I noticed his boots were still on his feet but the soles on his boots were burned and curled, like when you open a can of sardines. His clothes were all torn, bloody, and full of soot, from the explosion and for some reason I wanted to look at the bottom of his feet but couldn’t bring myself to do it. The stench of death was all around. It’s a smell that’s hard to get rid of. It just stays in your nostrils. Till this day, I don’t know what made me

want to see if his feet were still in his boots. That’s when it hit me. This is REAL! The Enemy WILL KILL YOU! My stomach tightened up and for the first time, I felt real fear.

My Journey through hell and back

Fighting alongside the 7th Infantry Division, Johns brigade advanced north. They came across some soldiers who had been ambushed during the night. “They were still in their sleeping bags, some with their zippers all the way up. They were shot and bayonetted as they slept. They never had a chance. It made you want to get even if you got the chance!”

No celebration was planned for John’s 17th birthday in Korea. “I just remember it being so cold that to get warm, I started the tank engines and we all huddled around the vent grill on top of the tank where the heat from the engine would warm us. We had to break our food and coffee into little chunks and suck on them” With nothing to burn for warmth, they would often take the Army scrip given to them and light a fire with it. “There was nothing to spend it on anyway!” Quiet times around the fire were spent reading mail and think-ing about “what you would be doing if you were home; cleaning weapons or writing letters” all the while being aware of any noises around them.

“At one time the enemy was so close to our troops that someone called the Navy for support and then they would fire their “big guns.” You could hear the roar of the shells coming over your head, but if you didn’t hear them, we knew they were hitting somewhere very near. And we knew we had to run for cover and pray and pray hard, because when they exploded near you, the concussion alone could kill you. It made me wish I were small enough to crawl inside my helmet!”

Now being “way up north” there was little resis-tance from the North Koreans. The 7th Infantry and our battalion plus all of the UN and U.S. forces had the North Koreans all the way to the Manch-

urain border, from Pusan to Seoul to Panmunjom and all in between.

“We thought the war was over. We heard that General McArthur said we would be home for Christmas. Then we heard rumors that the Chinese were coming to help the North Koreans. A few days later the Chinese were coming in droves and overpowering our troops. Cargo planes that were supposed to drop supplies were dropped right into their possession. There was nothing we could do about it, but keep fighting.”

Thinking he would be home soon, John found out that the government extended his services for an-other year in 1950. Another year of more fighting, more lives lost, more hardship suffered.

“I thought I would never see Trinidad again, but we finally made it to the ship which was very crowded and we headed south to Tague. And the rest is History. I arrived back aboard the U.S. N. General William Weigel on July 20, 1951 docking at Ft. Mason on Pier 2 in west San Francisco. He arrived home in Trinidad in January 1952.

After the war I was never debriefed and the transi-tion from the war to civilian life was pretty rough. I stayed in the cellar of my dad’s house and slept most of the day. I only came up once or twice a day to eat or smoke. I did this for a couple of months. If I heard a loud noise or firecrackers go off, I would hit the deck. I was very hostile and it took a long time for me to come back to reality. “

After 60 years, John Rios finally received the medals he earned. On Memorial Day 2012 he was awarded the United Nations Medal; the National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars; the Korean Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal from the U.S. Army. “After writing this, I feel relieved,” John said after completing his memoirs. “I am at peace with myself now. Thank God!”

pg 10

Helping Our Veterans By Marty Hackett

Veterans share a unique bond with other veter-ans of overseas conflicts and those who wear this country’s uniform. Regardless of what conflict they served in, from World War II to the present day Global War on Terror, they can join with others who feel the same.

A variety of local groups are available to help Las Animas County veterans and active duty soldiers, focusing on service to veterans, service members and communities. The American Legion cur-rently has about 2.4 million members in 14,000 posts worldwide. American Legion Post 0011 Stanley Hardman is located at 2001 N. Linden. The American Legion was chartered and incorpo-rated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest wartime veterans’ service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in communi-ties, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to service members and veterans.

Las Animas County Veteran’s Services headed up by Nick DeBono is another agency at the ready to provide services to local vets. They are located at 200 E. First Street in Trinidad and can be reached by calling 719-846-3940

The Las Animas County Veteran’s Committee (see related story) is yet another group of hardwork-ing volunteers who conduct recognizable work in many area’s for veterans and active duty military. Contact Linda Barron at 1144 Robinson St. or call 719-846-8223.

VFW Post 984 and Commander John Rios invite those U.S. citizens who have served in the Armed

Forces and who have served or are serving in an overseas conflict to join the VFW. This veterans’ group counts over 75,000 active-duty, reserve and National Guard service members among their ranks. You can contact Commander Rios at 719-846 -6094.

Keep these vital organizations active and strong with your membership as they work to help those who have served our country honorably.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Leone Pit #2 off of Hwy 160Walsenburg Pit Hwy 69 Cty Rd. 611

Trinidad Area Arts Council Presents The United States Air Force Academy BandThe United States Air Force Academy Band’s Stellar Brass will present a free public concert on Friday, November 16, 7:30 PM at the Mt. Carmel Health, Wellness, and Community Center Theater in Trini-dad, Colorado. Free Tickets will be distributed starting October 29th at TAAC’s Gallery Main, 130 East Main, Trinidad Colorado, (719)846-1441; or at Cedar Street Printing, 123 West Cedar Street, Trinidad Colorado, (719)845-1300. Free e-tickets will be available at www.usafacademyband.mil. Tickets are not required for this free event. Doors will open to ticket-holders at 6:30 PM, and non-ticket holders at 7:15 PM.

The dynamic five-piece Stellar Brass ensemble serves as musical ambassadors for the US Air Force Academy, travelling nationwide from their base in Colorado Springs to advance the Academy’s and Global Air Force’s missions. Their concert will feature a variety of music, from traditional classical brass music and military marches, to Dixieland

and Jazz. And of course, the show will include a salute to our nation’s military veterans.

The Stellar Brass has represented the United States Air Force through internationally distributed audio and video recordings and broadcasts, and they are nationally recognized and respected as clinicians, presenting university, college, and high school master classes. They have provided musical sup-port at numerous civic and military ceremonies, and have spotlighted the Air Force at prestigious symposia such as the International Trumpet Guild Convention, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Colorado Music Educators Association Clinic and Conference, and at highly-coveted pub-lic performances at major concert halls throughout America. The United States Air Force Academy Band and Stellar Brass appear on behalf of the Superintendent, The USAF Academy. All per-formances are free and open to the public. More information about the Air Force Academy Band can be found at www.usafacademyband.af.mil.

For more information, please Call or Write: Technical Sergeant David McCormick, The USAF Academy Band, 520 Otis Street, Peterson AFB, CO 80914, call (719)556-9977 or email david.mccormick.4@us.af.mil

Art and Music

pg 12

GOVERNMENTMaking Good On A Favor

Photo courtesy of Jim Fernandez and the Fernandez family

Fernandez Celebrates Over 40 Years with the City of Trinidad

By David J. Santistevan Jr.

This military veteran wasn’t sure if he would like working for the City of Trinidad, but 41 years after making good on a favor to try out working for the city, Utilities Superintendent Jim Fernandez is still going strong and fighting for his workers, city hall and residents to take Trinidad into the future.

Jim Fernandez, 65 was born and raised in Trinidad. He jokingly calls himself a “world traveler” because he lives only a block away from where he was born. He graduated from Trinidad High in 1964 and from Trinidad State Jr. College with a degree in Technical Engineering in 1967. “As I looked for what to do next, the military made the decision for me when I was drafted in 1968. I went to Vietnam and proudly served my country. What an experi-ence!” Fernandez said with a gleam in his eyes

Fernandez went to boot camp in Fort Bliss, TX, and received ETI Advanced Training in Arizona, trained in Georgia specializing in Radio Commu-nications, before he was flown to Vietnam to serve with the 318th Aviation Support Detachment in South Vietnam. “When I came back, I worked for my dad in his plumbing shop which my brother still owns and operates today!” Soon after, the then City Engineer Dick Langoni, who believed Fernan-dez had the skills, education and training, asked him to come work for the city.

“As a favor to Mr. Langoni I applied for the posi-tion of Draftsman/Engineering Tech. Our office was on the third floor of city hall,” Fernandez explained. “Back in December of 1971, I told Mr. Langoni after he persuaded me, that I would try this out, BUT if I did not like it I would leave, and here I sit, still working for the city.” When Fernan-dez started his new job, funding was available and many projects were on the table. Much work had to be done, and with five members on the staff, work began on the new fire station on Country

Club Drive (now Santa Fe Trail), a new community center, and Southside Park.

In 1977, he was appointed to Utilities Superinten-dent. “I knew first hand all of the superintendents before and I have had the pleasure of working with 10 or 12 city managers.” He now oversees 30 workers in three departments and Fernandez has seen the successful completion of numerous city projects that he is very proud of.

“I saw us improve our water and sewer infrastruc-ture which has been very rewarding, but one of the biggest challenges was when our city water transmission line busted in the early 1980s and a flood washed out the line over by Madrid,” Fernan-dez recalled. “Our town was without water for 13 days. We worked hard to restore our water, and it was a tough time. We built half the pipeline, then we moved the river over, put the other half of the pipeline in and then moved the river back.” Fernandez says he loves working with everyone in the city. He considers them all close family and believes all the city employees are hardworking and dedicated to their jobs. “Jim is a great man and he has been a great mentor to me,” Linda Vigil said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and all that he stands for. He has taught me so much in the 15 years we have been working together. He teaches me something new every day.” City Clerk Audra Garrett added, “I have worked for Jim for 23 years, I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Fer-nandez. I know he has always had the city’s best interests at heart and all that knowledge the city needs that can’t be replaced.”

Believe...Bible Baptist Church 1102 Stonewall AveTrinidad, Colo. 845-0827

Fisher’s Peak Community Church10377 Santa Fe TrailTrinidad, Colo. 846-6018Holy Trinity Catholic Church719-846-3369

First Christian Church200 S. Walnut StreetTrinidad, Colo. 846-3843

Church of Christ1000 Nevada Ave. Trinidad, Colo. 846-2919

All Nation’s Fellowship131 W. Main St.Trinidad, Colo. 846-9100

Jehovah’s Wintnesses Trinidad Congregation1713 Goodale Ave. Trinidad, Colo. 846-3119

Zion’s Lutheran Church613 Prosect Trinidad, Colo. 846-7785

First United Methodist Church216 Broom St. Trinidad, Colo. 846-6824

Church of the Nazarene733 Stonewall Ave. Trinidad, Colo. 845-0383

Faith Christian Fellowship2608 Santa Fe. Trail Trinidad, Colo. 846-9673

The Lord’s Chapel Hwy 12 ¼ mile west of Segundo846-8506

First Pentecostal Church10375 Santa Fe. TrailTrinidad, Colo. 846-846-2987

United Presbyterian Church801 San PedroTrinidad, Colo. 846-6513

Seventh Day Adventist Church 1605 Aiello St. Trinidad, Colo. 846-0244

FAITHThey’re the pride of our countryOur bravest by far,May God guide their journeysWherever they are.

Keep them safe from all harmOn land, air and sea,God bring them home safelyTo the land of the free.

But if they have fallenWe pray that they knew,The sacrifice givenWas to go home to you.

We Gave Everything for Our CountryJoe Van Loon Sr. - Military Man, Family Man

By David J. Santistevan Jr. Photo courtesy of Debbie Van Loon and the Van Loon Family

Naval Chief Petty Officer Joe Van Loon Sr. (left) and his wife Debbie (Petrucci) Van Loon are shown here at the 1998 Naval Ball. Ret. Naval Chief Petty Officer Joseph Berry Van Loon Sr. comes from a long line of military vet-erans. His father Richard served in World War II in the South Pacific’s major wars, and grandfather Chamler Copeland served in World War I. In ad-dition, his sons Tim Van Loon served in the Navy and Joe Van Loon Jr. served in the Army. His fa-ther–in-law Fred Petrucci was awarded the Purple Heart for his service during World War II.

Van Loon was born in Flint, MI on Dec. 27, 1941 and was raised in a little town called Grand Blanc, MI. Laughing, he jokingly added, “My mother always said there were two disasters in 1941- Pearl Harbor and me being born. His family comes from Malden, MO, owning a large piece of land with a small farm there. Legend has it that his grandfather played football against the legendary athlete Jim Thorpe.

Van Loon graduated from Grand Blanc High School in 1959 where he was a standout basketball and baseball player. After graduation he enrolled

at the University of Michigan, where he played shortstop. “At that time freshman and underclass-man were not allowed to play varsity college sports, so as a young man who thought he knew it all I packed my bags and enlisted to join the Navy,” Van Loon said with a smile. “I was scouted by the St. Louis Cardinals pro baseball team and would have been in the same draft as Pete Rose, how about that! But I went to the Navy and never looked back.” He graduated from the Great Lakes Naval School in 1960, and proceeded to train at the Avia-tion School in Memphis, TN.

“Be careful what you wish for,” he said. “I wanted to be a Photographers Mate but my test scores were high so the Navy decided that I was better suited to be an Aviation Electronics Specialist,” Van Loon added. “I studied Navigation Radio, graduated af-ter 29 weeks of training and from there went to Air School in Normal, OK and then on to San Diego for Survival Training.”

After training he was shipped to the Philippine Islands in late 1961 at a base across the bay from Manila. He was part of a squadron of C-planes; C-47’s, and C-54’s, where he said he was very for-tunate to fly in almost all of them, “We were flying 16-hour patrols catching Russian subs around the South China Sea,” Van Loon said. “We got to fly to Hong Kong as well, I spent two years in the Philip-pines.” He then returned to the states and was put on an Attack Squadron on the U.S.S. Midway- one of the best and biggest ships the Navy had. He flew in one of the last propeller-driven aircrafts that were heading to Vietnam, where he was involved in a number of Sandy Missions during the Vietnam War.

“In 1964 Vietnam was not fun, believe me, I had well over 2,900 hours in a Navy Aircraft, in Viet-nam I flew around 80 to 90 missions,” Van Loon said seriously. “I did two full tours on the Midway in ’64, ’65, and ’66 with an honorable discharge from active duty.” Van Loon re-enlisted in the Navy Reserves in the late 1970’s, serving nearly an additional 25-years until he retired honorably in 2001. “I am proud to have served my country with honor, and dignity, I was damn proud to have served in the Cold War and in Vietnam. Everyone who served during that time gave everything for their country,” Van Loon added. ‘I got to see the world, travel all over the United States and stand along side, fight, and serve with some of the best men and woman.” Chief Petty Officer Van Loon has received many military honors including the Navy Commenda-tion and Navy Achievement Medals in addition to many others which are all displayed proudly in the living room at the insistence of his loving family.

As a civilian once again, he returned to school in the late 1980’s earning his RN Degree from Trinidad State Jr. College. As a registered nurse, he worked alongside Dr. Stanley Biber in the operat-ing room at Mt. San Rafael Hospital for 10-years, the Veterans Hospital in Walsenburg, and the Prison in Walsenburg before retiring two years ago from the Trinidad State Nursing Home. Van Loon is now fully retired, enjoying his time alone with his wife of 26-years while he pursues his photography hobby as owner of the “FotoDoc.” He has four children; Pam, Joseph Jr., Tim and Tammy, stepson David, five grandchildren and one great grandchild. “I love my husband, and he pro-vided for his family with two great careers, nursing and the Navy,” his wife Debbie said proudly. “He is a fine military and family man, he took care of all of us, we are proud of his achievements. Being a wife of a hard working military man is tough with the travel and all but the family supported him all the way.” “The best thing about being in the military is, it was tough but it taught me to work hard and it sets you up to deal with tough situations as you move down the road in life. If it wasn’t for Vietnam I would have made the Navy my career. I miss it now!”

We Were Very Short of Men to FightWorld War II Veteran Albert Robinson

By Marty Hackett

In 1939, the global war that involved a vast major-ity of the world’s nations had formed two opposing military alliances- the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history with more than 100 million people serving in military units and an estimated 70 million fatalities. Five years after the Second World War began, a young Wet Canyon boy enlisted into the US Army to serve his country in the historical conflict. Albert Robinson’s family had owned and operated Robinson’s Sawmill in the canyon west of Trinidad and his father had advised him not to join the military, saying that his talents and interests would not be recognized or put to good use.

He entered military on Sept. 12, 1944 and the young 24-year-old soon discovered that his father’s words held true as he soon found himself in the in-fantry on the front lines facing the German enemy.

“The Bulge was just over,” Al said as he told the story of his fighting days with the 16th Battalion, B Company. “We were very short of men to fight at that time. Most of them were in the hospital or dead. We hit the front lines right away,” he said, noting that directly after leaving the foothills of the Sangre de Cristos in Weston, Colorado, he found himself in Mississippi and then in Texas, before heading for Germany, a long, long way from home.

“There were just 17 of us with a jeep and a trailer on the front lines.” Armed with an M1 rifle, Al was assigned the duties of mortar man, but he was also pretty handy with a typewriter. “No one else knew how to type,” so it was also his duty to type up all the papers for his patrol. Al served as rifle-man, MP and squad leader with Headquarters CO. 1st Battalion, 16th MP in Milrestad, Germany in

Rhineland Central Europe.It was in August of 1945 that Corporal Robinson and his troops received the word that the war was over. The United States defeated the Japanese Navy and captured Key West Pacific islands, dropping atomic bombs on the country. The war in Asia ended on Aug. 15, 1945 when the Empire of Japan agreed to surrender.

“Truman laid the egg on them,” Al said. “The people of Japan said it was the best thing that happened to them.” Corporal Robinson and those that remained of his fellow soldiers continued on duty as members of the “occupational troops” who patrolled the towns and villages in Germany mak-ing sure that “they didn’t hurt anybody.” Twelve men served under the Corporal, and he was given an additional ten soldiers to help him with the patrolling.

It wasn’t until July 27, 1946 that Al was discharged and he could return home. “They wanted me to stay in longer saying they would make me a Lieutenant if I stayed in, but I said ‘No! I’m going home!’” He was awarded the Good Conduct Med-al; Victory Medal; and European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon with 2 bronze battle stars.

Al and his wife Melanie started the mill over, as his parents had sold the operation, and raised 3 boys, Steve, Larry and Jeff and 2 daughters, Marilyn and Kathy. The sawmill is now under the fourth gen-eration of Robinson ownership and management, currently being operated by Al and Melanie’s son Steve and grandson Danny.

“He’s like his great-great grampa,” Al explained of the youngest progeny working at his beloved saw-mill. “He likes to work on the machinery!” Danny Robinson is one of 20 grandchildren, and Al boasts that there are also 20 great grandchildren to ensure the future of the sawmill located in those same foothills that once said goodbye to the young man that left for war to defend his country’s freedoms.

pg 16

Veterans of WWIIThe First National Bank Honors Veterans of WWIIBy Marty Hackett

On October 20, The First National Bank hosted an event at the AR Mitchell Art Center in honor of the area’s World War II veterans. The reception area abounded with memorabilia, photos and stories contributed by 27 local veterans from southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.

For the past eleven months Chris Huffman, Vice President and Marketing Officer with The First National Bank, had been working very closely with these veterans, gathering their stories and images from the war, which will be featured in the Bank’s 27th Annual Collector’s Series Calendar. The depth of the material gathered was more than the calendar could hold, so plans were made to host this reception and show in honor of these veterans.

“These are ordinary men and women who faced extraordinary challenges in their early lifetimes, beginning with the extreme economic despair of the Great Depression in the 1930s, then came of age at a time of world conflict, and answered the

call of duty to save the world from two dominating military aggressors,” said Huffman. “Without their efforts and sacrifices our world would be a far dif-ferent place today. “

The majority of the 27 veterans featured were present, which provided an opportunity for guests to visit with the few who “lived it” first hand. Also in attendance was Brigadier General Ryan F. Gon-slaves, Deputy Commanding General of the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson who made a formal presentation, recognizing the veterans for their service to America in its greatest hour of need. The 4th Infantry Division Band’s string quartet provided the music.

Memorabilia included clothing, ordnance, posters, news clippings, documents and more. Photos of the many veterans were displayed for guests to see and guests of honor included not only many of the WWII veterans, but their spouses/widows.

Around Trinidad owners and staff offer our grati-tude to the fallen and to those who returned home to share their stories, and a special thank you to the First National Bank for planning and hosting this outstanding event for our community.

NEW VIEWSPatriots Pen and Voice of DemocracyBy Marty Hackett

The good will for the Veterans of Foreign Wars reaches far beyond the realm of veterans helping veterans. In fact, direct involvement with America’s youth and communities has always been and always will be a VFW priority.

VFW believes strongly in good citizenship and fostering patriotism. That’s why they encourage youthful minds to examine our nation’s history and their own experiences in modern American society through their Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democ-racy essay-writing contest.

Annually, roughly 126,000 students nationwide from grades 6-8 enter the Patriot’s Pen contest and in the Voice of Democracy essay contest, more than 51,000 high school students from across the country enter to win a share of the $2.2 million in educational scholarships and incentives.

Knowing that a democratic society needs nurtur-ing, the VFW established the VOD to provide high school students the opportunity to express themselves in regards to democratic ideas and principles. Students in all Las Animas County schools were invited and encouraged to participate in the annual competition and this year’s entries submitted by VFW Post 984 were sent for judging the first week in November. The 2012 contest has contestants from all Las Animas County schools and they anxiously anticipate the announcement of this year’s entry winners. VFW Post Commander John Rios wishes them all the best of luck!

The 2011 winners included three Holy Trinity Academy students in the VFW Voice of Democ-racy essay contest. Trey Gagliardi was awarded first place and received $75, Joanna Jimenez, was the second place winner and James Spleen took third place. In the Patriot’s Pen contest, again three HTA winners walked away with prizes. Cheyenne Fiorino took third place; Noah Lucero was selected 2nd place and first place winner was Vanessa Villa-Terrazas who received $75. Post Commander Rios also presented the top two winners with a 38-star flag.

The following is Trey Gagliardi’s winning entry:

Is There Pride in Serving Our Military?

Our military has been America’s safety in the past, in the present, and in the future. Many brave and noble men went to other countries, fought and

died, for others. In other countries citizens don’t have the freedoms and rights that we do in the United States. Our troops willingly separate from their homes and families to try to help other coun-tries gain the freedoms and rights that America has.

February 23, 1945. American troops on the shores of Iwo Jima risk their lives to raise the American flag and claim the island taken. Those troops and many more proved that day that freedom isn’t free. A total of 6,891 American soldiers were killed and 18,700 wounded. And why did they do that? To me it’s simple; they had pride in their family, their friends and their country. So now the question is, is there really pride in serving in our military?It is 1965, the year a young 21-year-old man was drafted into the army and sent to Vietnam. The Vietnam War was a very un-liked and unpopular war. It was the war that America made a huge mistake in, but with that mistake came a valuable lesson.

During that war, America turned its back on their own troops. The decade of the Vietnam War was also a decade in which hippies were popular. They were the ones on the street, protesting the war, spitting in the troops’ faces as they arrived home after a difficult mission. Yelling at them and calling them “baby killer,” which was something they couldn’t control. It seemed like no one back home understood exactly what kind of horrible and devastating events occurred in war, events our troops could do absolutely nothing to avoid. Yes, the Vietnam veterans were the most unpopular and unrecognized troops of all; nobody thanking them for what they did to try to protect and save innocent civilians. Yes, accidents happen. In war, it is chaotic, shells and bombs exploding not four feet away. Other soldiers screaming as a shell hits its target. Having to go through all that, and then to return home only to be spit upon and turned away.

People may wonder, after the way those troops were treated, were they still proud of their country they fought so hard to protect? Yes, they were. That 21-year-old-man went into the service not because he was proud, but because he felt it was his duty to give back something to the country that gave him freedom. He believed it was something he needed to do. In a strange country he knows no one except his comrades, yet he was willing to be there, and fight for others. He said, “the worst part about coming home was that the protesters would rather spit on you than celebrate your return from war.” Men were shot, bombed and wounded, and then returned home only to be turned away. Yet they still love their country, they still have pride that they service in the U.S. military for others benefit and not theirs.

High school graduation, 1980. A young man walks up on the stage, receives his diploma, smiles for the camera and walks down the steps. One year later, a young marine drives up to a multimillion dollar aircraft and gets ready for his first lesson in loading bombs. As he is waiting for his sergeant, he sits and ponders about just how much respon-sibility is being placed on his shoulders. While he was loading bombs, his was “just a job.” Nothing

exciting or special about it, but now, looking back he realizes that he is proud to have served for the four years he was in. One thing he noticed though while he was serving, it is extremely important to have support, or it could go back to the Bietnam veterans, the way they were turned away. It is also important for America to have a strong leader. Wars of America go back to when the country was first settled. General George Washington, and Valley Forge. The Revolutionary War and the brave men that fought in that; going on to WWI and WWII; the Vietnam War, Iraq and Iran. All those wars our fathers and their fathers before them fought and died in: because they were proud of their country.

For the veterans looking back on their experience, yes there is pride there. For most of the soldiers in the military today, serving is “just a job” something they have to do. For me, a simple yes, no answer to the question is not enough. There has to be some want or reason that drives young men and women to serve in our military. Support from home is most likely the only thing that kept the Vietnam veterans in Vietnam. For the 21-year-old, it was his wife’s cookies and letters from home that kept him and his fellow soldiers going. Getting into line for mail call and holding his breath, wondering if he will receive something from her. And it wasn’t just the wives that sent things, parents and grand-parents added to the support from home. Yet no support from his countries leaders. For the high school graduated that accepted the responsibility placed on his shoulders just on year after graduat-ing. After all that those men went through, there has to be some pride behind it.

So the next time that you wonder why; why are they over there; why are they doing this? The have pride in their country and pride in the U.S. Mili-tary. They can stand up and say the pledge of al-legiance, and say, “Yes, I have pride in our military.”

pg 18

A Memorable ImpressionBy David J. Santistevan Jr.

Charles and Mary Rose Martorano are an amazing and spirited couple who have touched the lives of many community folks and make it a memorable impression. Chuck was born in Sopris, Colorado on Oct. 19, 1929 to the union of Bernardo and Josephine (Guisseppa) Martorano. His dad, a coalminer, passed away in 1943 as a result of a mining accident. Mom was a homemaker, caring for Chuck and his eight siblings, all of whom are now deceased.

Chuck graduated from Lincoln High School in Sopris in 1947 and began working for Hugh Sayers Automotive service. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1955 after four years of service, Chuck and Mary Rose were married on Nov. 30, 1957. Chuck went to work for the Colorado & Wyoming Railway, start-ing as a shop helper and rising through the ranks to superintendent, a position he held for twenty-one years. He retired in November of 1989 with 34 years of service, when the CF & I closed its doors, due to the decreased production of coal which required the C&W Railroad transport.

Mary Rose was born in Trinidad into the home of Ross and Marian DeBono, former owners and operators of the State Street Grocery. She attended parochial school, graduating from Holy Trinity in 1952 and became employed by the Trinidad National Bank as bookkeeper/teller, a position she held for ten years. Following the birth of her daughter, Mary Rose retired to become a homemaker, but remained active in community

affairs. She is an avid reader and uses her talent for crochet needle-afghans to create donations for several charitable organizations in the area. Her irresistible baking specialty of “Monkey Bread” has been enjoyed by friends and neighbors through the years. She belongs to the Catholic Daughters, holds a special fondness for members of the “5&2 Club” and was instrumental in planning the 60th class reunion held recently.

Chuck enjoys gardening and everything outdoors. He takes pride in decorating the family home for all the holidays and every season, which attracts viewers from near and far. Both he and Mary Rose are extremely proud of daughter Debbie (Terry) Gumlich who is well-known for her photographic skills within the community, and grandson Vin-nie who is equally popular in his profession as a theatre actor.

Mr. and Mrs. Martorano are highly respected and valued members of the Sayre Senior Center as well as the area Catholic Community. They give true meaning to the spirit of friendship!

When the Iron Door Closed Behind MeBy Robert “Doc” Leonetti

Any serious writer can relate to the trials and tribulations involved in publishing their work. Jack London used his rejection slips to cover the leaky gaps in his wall, local Vietnam veteran and writer Dan Leonetti knows the feeling all too well. He has a truckload full of rejection slips in the Leonetti garage, he has been a prolific writer of fiction and screenplays for years. Leonetti, in May of 2010 published his first novel,” Joe and the UFO.” It is an American Folk Tale, a delightful novel that encompasses the gamut of human emotions: greed, envy, power, debauchery, intrigue, humor and of course raconteurs. The book was initially published by CSpace on March

2, 2010. Carol Blatnik Barros created the masterful and colorful artwork for the book’s cover. The set-ting for the story is the enervating Hispanic culture found in the mountains of the American South-west. The fictional San Miguel Valley in Colorado could be any of these places and is a microcosm of what is right and wrong in contemporary America.

The story focuses on a financially strapped Joe Lucky who owns a small ranch that is about to be lost to foreclosure. A Flying Saucer crashes in the meadow of Lucky’s ranch. Joe drags the UFO into his barn with his rusty old tractor to launch a proverbial wild and wacky World War II. He de-cides that the alien creatures, still alive are with-in his newfound extra-terrestrial flying machine, are well-intentioned entities that merely lost their way.

Now, he must protect them in lieu of his own pending financial problems and intense govern-ment and military intervention. Joe too, is also a good man and like all good fathers and citizens, his primary motivation is to provide for his family. But his ranch has no seed to sow, no hay to cut and no

TRINIDAD TREASURES

cattle to eat the hay. And so it seems, initially there is no one in the isolated Hispanic community to provide support for him.

The consequences of his UFO results in a mael-strom of major social catastrophe. “I was over-whelmed by the response to the book,” Leonetti explained, in an interview with Around Trinidad. “I did not know what to expect. At times, I thought it was good, and then at times I thought it was a bad folktale. Everyone who has read it had done so in one sitting. They laugh and have fun with Joe Lucky’s plight and it has a few lessons for everyone to learn.” Leonetti, an avid reader himself, has had a special place in his heart for literature, movies, theater, and writing since early childhood. His script, “The Woodpecker Waltz” a true account of young Joe Arridy, a mentally challenged American youth who was wrongfully executed in the Colorado State Penitentiary in 1939, is currently in the hand of producers in Los Angeles.

Joe and the UFO was conceived at the VA Hospital in Denver, Co. where Leonetti was in an eight-week PTSD veterans program. “When the iron door closed behind me and I discovered the jump restraints on the windows of the eighth floor,” Leonetti added. “I figured I better get a hobby. I had a previous dream about the plot for the book. I dreamed of a rancher dragging a shiny UFO across the ranch with his tractor in the moonlight.

That vivid image produced the first few pages, and the vets in the program passed around the first chapter, “They loved it! So, I decided to write a screenplay and then the novel. My brother Doc gave me a book called “The Road,” it left me depressed. I could not talk. I did not finish it. So I went down to the local library and grabbed a book with hope and laughter, and composed this book with the short chapters.” The book is still available at Amazon.com and at Sentrybooks.com.

“People have mentioned that they like it so much that I should write a trilogy. The second book would be about how the folks in San Miguel Valley regain the sacred mountains from land speculators who have purchased the mountain from under their feet and put up fences and roadblocks. This would be a true conflict. A fight as old as the earth itself. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me and my writing over the years along with Doc, Barros, Linda Espinoza, Nancy Toupal, my sisters Connie Givigliano and Donna Leonetti.

pg 19