Skip to content

Uniting and celebrating our community’s veterans

By Amy Shanahan; photo courtesy of Nick Lucey

Approximately 100 people came out on a blustery, snowy day to honor our nation’s veterans and active military at the beautiful and inspiring Douglas County Veterans Monument in downtown Castle Rock. The fourth annual Veterans Day tribute was sponsored and organized by the Douglas County Veterans Monument Foundation (DCVMF), and the Office of Veterans Affairs for Douglas County.

The very special ceremony included the presentation of colors by the Douglas County Young Marines, the playing of “Taps” by Ken Reck of the U.S. Navy, a moving speech by Douglas County Commissioner Roger Partridge, and a keynote address from Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler. Gessler’s remarks spoke to the courage and sacrifices made by those in the U.S. military and were greatly appreciated by the veterans and active military members who were present.

David Maxwell is the veterans services officer for Douglas County and he said he felt that the ceremony was made even more special by the show of people who attended on such a frigid day. “The best part of the day was being able to honor all the veterans for their duty to serve their country, especially the WW II veteran who attended,” Maxwell stated.

An additional highlight of the day was the singing of the national anthem and the performance of an original song by former Castle Pines Village resident Amelia Salsbury. Salsbury is a 14-year-old aspiring musician who has been featured in The Connection and The Denver Post, and has made quite an impression as a songwriter. Members of the DCVMF asked Salsbury to write an original song for the event, and she debuted “This Fight” at the ceremony.

“It took me a couple of weeks to think about what I wanted to say in the song, but I was very excited and honored to be a part of the celebration ” Salsbury remarked. “This Fight” is a beautiful piece that honors the sacrifices of those who fight to keep our country free. Of her inspiration for the song Salsbury said, “I’m thankful to our military and veterans and appreciate the fight they fight for a better world.”

To learn more about the DCVMF, visit www.dcvmf.org, and to learn more about the Office of Veterans Affairs for Douglas County, visit www.douglas.co.us/veterans.

Avatar

CPC

Posted in

Tags

Recent Stories

Archives