Dateline: November 10, 2005

Four services planned to honor local veterans

By Roger  Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Several organizations will honor the local veterans on Veterans Day, Friday, with special services.

The VFW Post 7782 will host its annual Veterans Day Service on Friday, November 11, at 10 a.m. at the Donley County War Memorial located on the courthouse lawn.

The guest speaker is CWO-4 Joe McQuay, US Marine Corps Retired. The Bronco Band will also perform musical selections for the service.

Post Commander Larry Pettit invites all veterans and the public.

The American Legion Adamson-Lane Post 287 in Hedley is honored to announce that the guest speaker for the annual Veterans Day Service is Gary Dale “Butch” Weatherly.

Weatherly graduated from Hedley High School in 1965 and served with the US Army from 1965 to 1968.  He served in Vietnam with the First Cavalry Division from November 1966 to November 1967.  Upon returning to the United States, he joined the Colorado Springs Fire Department and continued to work with the department until his retirement in 1997. He has an Associates Degree in Fire Science and in General Studies from the Pikes Peak Community College. He is also a certified NFPA Fire Service Instructor.

Weatherly currently lives in Memphis with his family. He is a fourth generation member of the Adamson-Lane Post. His grandfather, Roy McKee, a WW I veteran, was a member.  His father, M.O. Weatherly, served in Europe during WW II; and his son, Curtis, served during Desert Storm.  They were all members of the Post.

Gary will speak at the annual Veterans Day Service at the Veterans Memorial at Rowe Cemetery in Hedley on Friday at 10:00 a.m.

The Post will place flags on the graves of over 200 veterans who are buried at Rowe Cemetery.

Clarendon Elementary and the Clarendon High School Student Council will hold an appreciation luncheon for the Veterans at noon on November 11. 

They will be serving a home cooked meal to all veterans in the CHS Home Economics room. 

The Vera Dial Dickey Library at Clarendon College will host its own Veterans Day Celebration next Monday, November 14, at 6:00 p.m.  The celebration will honor and pay tribute to veterans and current military. 

Library Director Jewel Houston encourages the community to join them as they set this time aside to thank and honor all who served honorably and sacrificed so much during times of war.

The community is also invited to stop by the college library and checkout the Veterans Day display of books including Letters from the War.

For additional information on this program, contact Jewel Houston at 874-4813.