Honoring veterans in Niwot

With a beautiful fall and another Great Pumpkin Party behind us, Niwot prepares to honor military veterans with banners along 2nd Avenue and in Cottonwood Square and with a ceremony at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6.

Although "a picture is worth 1,000 words," the stories behind the banners are worth even more. They tell the stories of military men and women with Niwot connections serving all over the globe from World War I until present day. A few of their stories are below.

Burton Gale Bergeson, Merchant Marines WWII - Burton was born on June 3, 1922, to Reno and Annie Bergeson in Lake Park, Minnesota. Burton was the oldest of five siblings and joined the Merchant Marines in 1940 at the age of 18. He held the rank of Merchant Seaman and the specialty position of Deck Cadet. In September of 1942, his ship, the U.S.S. Winthrop, was last in line in a convoy carrying critical supplies through the North Sea when the ship was hit by a torpedo from a German u-boat and sank. As was necessary practice, the convoy continued on to complete its mission. Burton was declared missing and dead on September 24, 1942. Bergeson was the uncle of Niwot resident and Niwot Wheel Works and Niwot Wheelhouse owner Eric Bergeson.

William Bowman, U.S. Air Force WWII - In World War II, Bowman flew the Himalayan Mountains, carrying supplies from India to China. A lack of reliable charts and an absence of radio navigation aids made this a treacherous and dangerous undertaking. When fully loaded, the plane (a Douglas DC-3) could not climb high enough to clear all the peaks and crew members had to weave a perilous path through the mountains, a task that was made virtually impossible when the treacherous Himalayan weather closed in. Turbulence could force a plane to drop thousands of feet in mere seconds. Even Bowman himself was amazed his plane had stayed aloft during those flights. Bowman was the father of Niwot resident and Niwot Inn owner Cornelia Swayle.

Ivan Henry "Bill" Dart, U.S. Army WWI - Born in Litchfield, Minnesota on December 5, 1897, Dart was a Corporal in the Medical Corps. Like many veterans, Dart didn't like to talk about his war experiences. However, much could be learned about his time in France from a war album that he created with numerous photographs and letters he had written home to his parents. Photos included French children sitting in the woods watching practice shell fire, pictures of direct hits on the Reims Cathedral, captured German tanks and prisoners, and numerous images of the war and its devastation. Dart was the grandfather of Niwot resident Karen Knutsen Quinn.

Laura Strecker Gastelum, U.S. Army, 2006-2016 – A Niwot High School graduate, Gastelum accepted a Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship at the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and then was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps. She was assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas from 2006-2009 as a medical-surgical nurse. While there, she was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and voluntarily deployed with the 86th Combat Support Hospital from Fort Campbell, Kentucky on a 15-month tour to a hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Gastelum was later assigned to Fort Richardson, Alaska, and eventually joined the Army Reserves, being promoted to Major prior to leaving the Reserves for Inactive Reserves where she currently serves. Gastelum is the daughter of Niwot residents Don and Patty Strecker.

Lance Kalahar, U.S. Navy 2010 – 2014 – A 2010 graduate of Longmont High School, Kalahar handled bomb and drug sniffing dogs (K9s). After the military, Kalahar handled bomb detection K9s for the National Football League and the Colorado Rockies. He now has his own dog training business and is also the head trainer for Victory Service Dogs in Colorado Springs, training service dogs for veterans with PTSD. Kalahar lives in Longmont and is the son of Longmont residents Dave and Kim Kalahar.

Theodore Plese, U.S. Army, WWII - Born in Pueblo Colorado in 1913, Plese was on the path to becoming a farmer in Pueblo, like his father and several uncles. Although Plese was a "sole surviving son" and could have opted out of service, he enlisted in 1943. He was stationed at a site on Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, Louisiana, and on December 17, 1943, he became trapped in a capsized boat where he and several other soldiers died. Plese was the father of Niwot resident Dallas Plese.

Lindsay Copperberg Underwood, U.S. Navy, 2005 – 2017 – A graduate of Niwot High School, Copperberg attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, on an NROTC scholarship, and graduated with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. She earned a spot in Naval Flight School and received her Naval Aviator wings in September 2007. Copperberg was deployed on board the USS Chancellorsville, and the USS Gridley, and flew helicopters in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Later, she moved to Maryland US Naval Test Pilot School, where she became a developmental test pilot in support of several military helicopters. Copperberg left the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander in 2017, and continues to serve as a test pilot for the US Government. Copperberg is the daughter of Niwot residents Charlie and Karen Copperberg.

Be sure to attend the ceremony outside Niwot Market on Nov. 6 honoring our veterans and acknowledging those who make the Veterans Day Banner project possible. The Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band will perform a variety of patriotic songs beginning at 1:30 p.m. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.

Look for more profiles in the next edition of the Left Hand Valley Courier and visit the website with biographies and banner locations at https://niwot.org/veterans/.