To honor three veterans who are longtime residents of Cortez and nearing centenarian status, the Disabled American Veterans Outreach Center threw a party for them on Friday, Dec. 6.
The public was invited, and everyone squeezed into the DAV on North Broadway at noon to eat chili, birthday cake and, above all, to celebrate the veterans.
“Any time we can celebrate our older vets, it’s an outstanding day,” said Ron Terry, a commander at the DAV in Cortez.
The three honorary vets were Dick Reed, who turns 100 on Dec. 27; Dick Lindsay, who turns 99 on July 31; and Charles Grasse, who is 92 years old.
Reed and Lindsay are World War II veterans, and Grasse served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
“It’s rare. As a state commander, I go to four or five a year,” said Michael Schievelbein of Colorado’s DAV.
It’s rare on a few fronts.
Of America’s almost 330 million people, only 631,000 are over the age of 95, according to a 2020 report from the U.S. Census Bureau.
What’s more, less than 1% percent of the 16.4 million American soldiers who served in WWII are still alive today, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
And though Terry said, “we try to make every day one of recognition for our veterans,” Dec. 6 was decidedly special, as the three of them received a challenge coin, a personalized letter and a quilt.
Two of the quilts were from the Quilts of Valor Foundation, which started in 2003 as a way to offer healing, comforting sentiments “to service members and living veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces,” according to its website.
“The quilt isn’t a gift, it’s an award for your service and sacrifice. The quilt is a thank-you,” said Jane Hile, who presented the two Quilts of Honor to Reed and Grasse at the party. “With you in mind, this quilt was made. … Know you’re forever in the hearts of a grateful nation.”
Lindsay was also awarded a quilt, though it wasn’t a Quilt of Valor one since he was added into the combined birthday party a little later than the others.
“The quilt is a work of art, it’s beautiful,” Lindsay said as he sat in the chair, wrapped in his quilt with a large eagle on it.
Grasse sat to Lindsay’s left, and expressed feelings of joy and honor.
“I’m very much honored and humbled. I don’t know what to say or how to act,” said Grasse. “I can’t thank them enough; it’s unbelievable, a once in a lifetime thing.”
Wrapped in his quilt and enjoying birthday cake, Reed, who will soon be 100, said, “I’m an honored guest and I’m enjoying it.” … “The cake is very good.”
Terry of the DAV called the event a success, noting the standing room only status of the crowded room.
Some community members who came out knew the veterans personally as a friend or family member, others were veterans themselves, and the rest came out to show support to a few local heroes.
“This is really nice, to honor these three,” said Montezuma County Commissioner Kent Lindsay, the son of Dick Lindsay. “At their age, to still get in here and get around is incredible.”
Kent said his dad “never really talked about the war. These guys are pretty guarded about what they did.”
He said that he, his dad and a group still get breakfast together on Thursdays at McDonald’s in town.
“Our group is called The Old Guys at Breakfast,” said George Tripp, a U.S. Navy vet who’s part of that group.
Tripp said it started out as a church group sometime in the 1980s. Now, they meet over breakfast and talk about things going on in the world.
“And Kent shares what’s going on at the county level,” Tripp said.
Ron Kimmi is another member of the “old guys at breakfast” club, and said he’s been friends with Dick Lindsay for years.
Kimmi called him “a character.”
“He loves women. He owned the Flower Cottage and delivered flowers to my wife. He calls her his girlfriend,” said Kimmi with a smile. “He’s a great guy, raised great kids.”
The veterans in the crowd made sure to salute the three veterans once they had received their awards, and sang happy birthday to them, too.
“I told you we’d sing,” said Wes Soule, an officer at the DAV in Cortez. “And it’s just as bad as I predicted.”
