In our quaint town of Berthoud, we have four patriot organizations. Not only do the members serve our area veterans but also offer a scholarship to a Berthoud High School senior recipient, starting with the class of 2023 with funds raised by holding a physical event called “Gabe’s Gauntlet” on September 11, 2022. The recipient will write and submit an essay to the Berthoud VFW Post 12189 – Specialist Gabe Conde Memorial. Judges will then decide who the inaugural recipient will be. Gabe Conde was killed in action on April 30, 2018. Gabe was an honor student and athlete at Berthoud High School and graduated in 2014. He briefly attended the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, before joining the Army, as he felt he was called to do.

Photo by Angie Purdy – (L-R) Ryan Armagost, Kraig Patriquin, Laurel Downer and Sarah Garmin.

Laurel Downer and Beth Starck spearheaded the organization of a group offering local military families a place to gather and talk about their commonality of having children in the service. They could relate to going through “the same uncertainty of military life as a parent,” as Downer explained. They knew of several area moms and dads whose children joined the service; they wanted to be able to gather and “just talk.” From this, the Berthoud Military Family Support Group was created.

Paul Talafuse, former American Legion Commander of Post 67, approached Downer and Sterck about the possibility of becoming the auxiliary of the American Legion Post 67 and made it happen. Downer has been the President of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 67 since it was established. The American Legion was founded in March 1919, by members of the American Expeditionary Forces still stationed in Europe awaiting passage home from World War I. The American Legion Post 67 in Berthoud, CO, was the 67^th post started in the nation in January 2007. The local post registered with the Secretary of State – Colorado on April 13, 2013, as the renamed Justin Bauer Memorial American Legion Post 67 in honor of Staff Sgt Justin Bauer – a Berthoud local who was also killed in action on January 10, 2009.

Kraig Patriquin is the Commander of the Staff Sergeant Justin Bauer American Legion Post 67. Downer has been and continues to be the President since the start of the American Legion Auxiliary, while Lynn Peterson is the Vice-President. The ALA organization does not have a secretary or treasurer at the present time.

If you’re driving through downtown Berthoud and the streets are lined with Old Glory, you can bet that the American Legion Auxiliary put them up. Not only do they line the streets with our nation’s flag, but they also provide support for the veterans in our community along with the AL, by delivering goodie bags to the Berthoud Living Center every Veteran’s Day and Christmas, mail care packages to Berthoud High School students who have joined the military, help the Berthoud VFW-Post 12189 with the annual veteran’s dinner, and most recently have raised funds for Wreaths Across America. The American Legion Auxiliary even gets Berthoud students involved by having students from all the Berthoud schools write letters to the veterans and thank them for their service.

In line with the AL helping, supporting, and caring for our local veterans, Commander Patriquin wrote a grant on behalf of the AL Post 67 and was awarded $35,000. The award was spent on local veterans and was extended to any Colorado resident. With the grant, they supported veterans by helping with car repairs, hotel vouchers, food vouchers, and helped veterans facing eviction remain in their homes.

If you’re eligible to be a member of the American Legion or the American Legion Auxiliary, please contact American Legion Commander, Kraig Patriquin at [email protected], Laurel at 970-980-6598 or go to https://member.legion-aux.org/Joining to download the application.

The most recent local patriot organization is the Berthoud Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 12189-Spc Gabriel David Conde Memorial chartered on April 30, 2019. Ryan Armagost and Kraig Patriquin wanted to honor Gabe Conde by having a local VFW chartered in his honor. The Berthoud VFW Auxiliary was started in May 2020, after the Berthoud VFW Post 12189 voted and approved to have an auxiliary. Sarah Garman has been and continues to be the President of the VFW Auxiliary since it started. Garman explained how the organizations work together to make an impact for our local veterans. The American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary with organization by American Legion Adjutant, Bill Sterck, and the VFW and VFW Auxiliary start the year in May with the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Green Lawn Cemetery.

The VFW/VFW Auxiliary will have a float in the Berthoud Day Parade which begins at 11a.m. along Mountain Ave. and will also have a booth at the Berthoud Day event at Waggener Farm Park. Members are asking residents to stop by and visit their booth between 12 – 5 p.m. Participants will answer any question on how to become a member of the VFW or the VFW Auxiliary. There will be a drawing for a fire pit, created and made by local veterans. It’s free to enter your name for the drawing.

As previously mentioned, Gabe’s Gauntlet will be held on Sunday, September 11, 2022, at 9:11 a.m. Gabe was an athlete and, in his honor, the VFW/VFW Auxiliary along with Gabe’s parents – Bob & Donna Conde – came up with an annual event to raise funds to award a Berthoud high school student a scholarship. Students are asked to submit a written essay to the VFW from a prompt. The essays will be read, and judges will choose the recipient.

Gabe’s Gauntlet is a 5K with four stations throughout the course that include a rock wall, axe throwing, push-ups and sit-ups, and lunges with weights. The event will start and end at Waggener Farm Park.  More details will be available at berthoudvfw.com/ in the coming months. Businesses can sponsor this cause for $250 and according to organizers any donation is always deeply appreciated. On the day of Gabe’s Gauntlet, Berthoud Brewing has offered to donate $2 of every beer back to the scholarship fund from the hours of 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day.

The second Saturday in November, the VFW/VFW Auxiliary puts on a dinner and silent auction in honor of the local veterans. The dinner is complimentary to all local veterans. It is a time when veterans can gather and share stories with those of us who are honored to be in their presence. Organizers would love to work with any businesses interested in supporting veterans in this capacity.

Please visit berthoudvfw.com/ if you’re interested in becoming a VFW or VFW Auxiliary member.