(As seen in the Greeley Tribune 5/13/08)
One of the largest tributes to veterans and others who served in the military is planned for Saturday, May 17th -- Armed Forces Day -- at the Veterans Memorial in Bittersweet Park.
The events include a jet flyover, a barbecue, a band playing patriotic music, and the dedication of a new Purple Heart memorial at the park.
The memorial will be unveiled at the park Saturday, but the local Order of the Purple Heart still needs donations to pay for it.
For the Armed Forces Day celebration, there will also be a helicopter museum featuring displays, World War II Jeeps, military memorabilia and a National Guard climbing wall. Events begin at 11 a.m. and will continue into the afternoon.
Also on the agenda is the presentation of a plaque to Hope Rogers, widow of Richard Rodgers, who died earlier this year in an accident at the JBS Swift packing plant in Greeley. Richard Rodgers received two Purple Hearts for wounds he received while serving in Vietnam.
Speakers for the day will include Gunnery Sgt. Brian Ivers of the U.S. Marines, and Phil Williams, Colorado Commander of the Order of the Purple Heart. Local attorney and retired military Col. Bill Suhre will present the Purple Heart to a wounded soldier.
If the parking lots at Bittersweet Park fill up, there will be extra parking and a shuttle service at the First Assembly of God Church, 3000 16th St., and the Sherwood Park Baptist Church, 3333 16th St.
Donations to the fund for a new Purple Heart Memorial at Bittersweet Park can be sent to the Suhre Law Firm, 1019 39th Ave., Suite K, Greeley, CO 80634