Buffalo Soldiers join 750 others marking Honor Flight route to DIA

From Denver Post.com: Buffalo Soldiers join 750 others marking Honor Flight route to DIA
FIRESTONE — More than 750 people filled a mile-long stretch of the frontage road west of Interstate 25 this morning to mark the route taken by bus loads of World War II and Korean war veterans from Loveland to DIA.

From the airport the veterans were flown to Washington D.C. to be honored for their service to the country.

Paying respects to those on the Honor Flight coincided with a rememberance of the first responders to the Twin Towers on Sept 11, 2001 and to the police, firefighters and emergency workers in the Tri-Town area of southwest Weld County, said organizers of today's Patriot's Day Remembrance.

"We wanted to do something for 9/11 and to show appreciation of what the emergency folks do for us here," said Barb Goettsch of the Carbon Valley Rotary Club. Her group, along with almost 50 or so other civic organizations in the Firestone, Frederick and Dacono area, helped plan and carry out the Patriot's Day ceremonies.

It all started with a dawn pancake breakfast hosted by the Sons of the American Legion, which attracted as many as 200 people.

Shortly after 8 a.m., people then lined the frontage road with flags and cameras. A 30-foot-by-50-foot flag donated by the Frederick Travel Center rippled overhead.

Boy Scouts and Young Marines along with old war veterans and families just starting out lined the nearly mile-long route.

Amanda and Matt Garza pushed their 7-month-old twins - Addison and Sebastian - in a stroller while working to get a better view.

"We just heard about this last night and decided we needed to come out here and pay our respects," Amanda said.

Also there were the mounted members of The Buffalo Soldiers of the American West, a non-profit group that travels the country educating people on the role of African-American soldiers in settling the Old West.

The group was dressed in circa-1870 U.S. Army uniforms and they were the first group the veterans saw as their buses flew past.

"We wanted to be part of this and we were so happy when they asked us to be here," said John Bell, president and CEO of the Buffalo Soldiers. "I thought it was important for soldiers to greet other soldiers."