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Fallen soldiers honored in Silverton after train ride from Durango

‘It’s not until it touches your life ... that you truly start to understand’

After fighter jets roared over Silverton, solemn veterans and their family members gathered in Memorial Park to honor and remember those who died in war.

“Today, we cherish all those young men and women who did make the ultimate sacrifice,” said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Kathy Thomas.

The second annual memorial was organized by the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. It brought together about 100 people, who rode the train together to the ceremony.

Amid the bike race and the holiday sales, the ceremony has been welcomed by many, including the cyclists, said Janna Schaefer, who helped organize the event.

“Its bringing people back to what Memorial Day is about,” she said.

After her husband died in 1993 from an illness he acquired during the Gulf War, Schaefer has been passionate about veterans and their family members, including Gold Star parents, those whose children died serving their country.

Lona Bader and Karen Reinke were two of the Gold Star moms who attended the event in memory of their sons, who died in Middle Eastern conflicts.

“It’s not until it touches your life, sometimes in the worst way, that you truly start to understand,” said Reinke, who traveled from Pueblo.

Her son, Army Staff Sgt. Gavin Reinke, was killed when an improvised explosive device exploded during his second tour in Iraq. He was an Army combat engineer who loved his job.

This month in memory of the 10th anniversary of his death, she got a western yellow swallowtail butterfly.

Both mothers are concerned that the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have faded from the spotlight.

“It’s something we as Gold Star parents are still concerned about, we think about them all the time,” Reinke said.

Thomas acknowledged parents like Reinke and those who still have children in the service.

“The sacrifice of your family will always be appreciated and remembered,” Thomas said.

The crowd also included many veterans from the Vietnam era. Norman McBride takes this weekend each year to remember the 42 people he knew who died during the conflict.

“I go over their names and remember them and say a prayer,” the former Army medic said.

His friend, Bruce Bell, served as a helicopter crew chef specialist in Vietnam. He noted how attitudes toward the military and veterans have changed.

“We got a lot of grief ... since then, people have become appreciative of veterans,” he said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com

May 23, 2015
A special event for special citizens


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