Residents will gather the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 11 to honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces at the annual Highlands Ranch Veterans Day Celebration. The event begins a 6:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Douglas County Libraries at Highlands Ranch, which is adjacent to the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument.
Tom Mustin, award-winning journalist and director of media relations for the 23rd Judicial District, will serve as master of ceremonies. Our guest speaker will be Flint Whitlock of Denver, a U.S. Army veteran, military historian and author of 17 books. He will share the stories of Colorado veterans across time periods and branches of service.
The Veterans Day Celebration also features the American Legion Christopher M. Falkel Post 1260, the Knights of Columbus and the Highlands Ranch Concert Band. Members of a local scout troop will greet guests as they arrive and lead the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Guests are encouraged to arrive early and visit the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument, located outside of the library, prior to the event. A focal point of the monument is a special tribute memorial to three very special hometown heroes whose names are etched in stone: Staff Sgt. Christopher Falkel, Sgt. Jon Stiles and Cpl. Max Donahue.
Douglas County Libraries at Highlands Ranch is located at 9292 S. Ridgeline Blvd. Additional parking is available at the RTD lot across Ridgeline Boulevard.
For more information about the event, call 303-791-0430 or visit highlandsranch.org.
About the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument
The Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument story began in 2006 with a vision of people from the same community who were once strangers, now friends united in a common cause. These people, after reading of the death of Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Falkel, the first Highlands Ranch resident killed in action, wanted to pay tribute to Chris’ sacrifice and to the sacrifice of his fellow veterans as well as active military members. They set out, sharing their goal to create a local veterans monument. After several years of planning and construction, the monument was dedicated July 1, 2009. People of all ages can learn about their friends’ and family members’ sacrifices and service to our nation with a visit to a monument dedicated to sharing that history. For more information, visit the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument website at www.hrvets.org.
