Remembering West Grand’s Heroes
by Paula Ohri-Chamberlain
It’s been said that “Freedom is never free.” This weekend we celebrate with family gatherings, cookouts and outdoor fun, but let us not forget the true reason for Memorial Day is to remember the brave service men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
Take a few moments this weekend to visit the various locations in our town dedicated to our hometown heroes:
Spruce Trees
Just off the junction of Hiqhways 9 and 40, tucked between two building that are now the Silver Spruce Senior Apartments, majestically stand seven spruce trees.
In 1946, the students of the Kremmling Union High School, which was located where the apartments are now, planted six trees – one for each of the graduates of Union High School who lost their lives in World War II.
The planting of the trees “was very emotional. Patriotism was so high after the war and to lose so many of our classmates in a small town was hard,” said Laureen Myers who passed away in 2014.
The trees stand today as a symbol of the loss suffered by communities all across our nation. The seventh tree was later planted anonymously and is thought to represent the Korean War.
Veteran’s Memorial Park
The official Cobra Attack Helicopter that adorns the corner of Veteran’s Memorial Park is on loan to our community from the U.S. Government. The bricks lining the walk path are engraved with the names of men and women from our community who have served in the armed forces.
Bricks are still available for sale to honor local servicemen and women. For more information, contact Martha Schake at 970-724-1007 at the school district.
Kremmling Cemetery Members of the Kremmling Veteran’s of Foreign Wars (VFW) will be placing flags on the graves of departed veterans, starting at 8:00 am on Saturday, May 29. The public is invited to help with flag placement and to pay respect anytime throughout the weekend. For more information, contact Jim Sloan at 724-9251.
Grand Lake Memorial Day Parade
Grand Lake’s Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony will return for 2021.
The parade will begin at 10 am and an outdoor ceremony will follow in the Town Park.
Editor’s note – The article above was written by Paula Ohri-Chamberlain for the Grand Gazette in May of 2012. It has become an annual keepsake to remind us of our history, traditions and our special places in Kremmling. The “Gold Star Trees” was written by former Kremmling resident Bill Curran who passed away in the fall of 2015.
