Courtney Kuhlen, Author at Highlands Ranch Veteran Memorial

Anthony Andreas

Courtney Kuhlen — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 21:23:21 +0000

Msgt Anthony Andreas was born in Beverly, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the Marine Corp in Salem, MA, on June 24, 1954. He attended boot camp at Parris Island, SC and completed his infantry training at Camp Pendleton, in CA.

ASSIGNMENTS: Msgt Andreas’ assignments and duty positions include Fifth Marine Regiment, 1^st Marine Division until 1958; 1^st Marine Brigade, Kaneohe Bay, HI, until 1963; 1^st Marine Division Camp Pendleton, CA, until 1964; 3^rd Marine Divison, Okinawa; Camp Lejeune, NC, Jan. 1966, Radio Relay Chief of 7^th Communications Battalion, 2^nd Marine Division; Marine Corps Base, Barstow, CA, July 1968; Instructor-Inspector Staff, Boston MA, 1^st Marine Corp District until 1972: 1^st Marine Air Win Electronics Chief Iwakuni, Japan; Camp Pendleton, CA, October 1973, Base Communication-Electronics Chief.

Deployments: Msgt Andreas served in the following deployments during his career: Dec. 1954, Nara, Japan, 3^rd Marine Division; Feb., 1955, Kaneohe Bay, HI, 4.2 inch mortar man 4^th Marine Regiment, 1^st Marine Brigade; March 1965, Danang, Vietnam, 9^th Marine Expeditionary Force; Nov., 1968, ChuLai, Vietnam, Communication Electronic Chief, Marine Air Group 13; Mar. 1969, Danang, Vietnam, 1^st Marine Air Wing Electronics Chief.

EDUCATION: Msgt Anthony Andreas graduated from Beverly HS, in Beverly MA. He attended Basic Electronics School, Treasure Island, CA, 1958; Radio Relay Electronics School, MCRD, San Diego, CA, 1968; Mira Costa College, Oceanside, CA, awarded an AA degree.

Msgt Anthony Andreas received the Navy Commendation Medal and retired from the Marine Corp in February 1974.

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Christopher Basquez

Courtney Kuhlen — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 02:01:47 +0000

Christopher Basquez was born on February 28, 1950 in a small mining town of Trinidad, Colorado. After graduating high school in 1968, from Holy Trinity and Trinidad Catholic High, Chris entered the United States Navy, as a Boatswain’s mate. In 1971 he changed rate to Yeoman. His first duty assignment was as a crewman aboard the USS Richard S. Edwards (DD-950), where he participated in one of two Western Pacific deployments. As a member of this ship, Chris stood upper-level lookout watch. Chris’ second duty was aboard the ship USS Morton (DD-948), stationed out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Chris got out of active duty as a YN3 in May of 1972 and joined the Naval Reserve, where he was attached to CINCUSNAVEUR, Det 118. Chief US Naval Forces Europe was a high-profile logistics unit with many Top-Secret personnel attached to the unit. Chris with his unit was activated and spent 7 months in London, England during Desert Storm.
He retired from the US Naval Reserve November, 2000 as a RM1. He spent the rest of his civilian career as a technician and engineer for Mountain Bell/US West and Qwest Communications.

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Kenneth Dale

Courtney Kuhlen — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 21:56:41 +0000

Kenneth Dale served in the US Army Military Police during the Cold War. He served as a garrison MP at Ft. Bliss, TX and was part of MPI or Military Police Investigations as well as being the security detail for Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1989 on its return flight from California to Florida.

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Wallace DeGroot

Courtney Kuhlen — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 21:33:53 +0000

Wallace W. DeGroot was born in Norway, Michigan, on July 7, 1930, and earned his pilot’s license at the age of 16. A Korean War Veteran, he served in the U.S. Air Force from 1948 to 1957, earning the rank of Technical Sergeant.

Wally and his beloved wife of 70 years, Nettie Elizabeth, met in 1954 while they were both serving at Hamilton Air Force Base in northern California. Wally was a self-employed Syracuse, New York, business owner from 1958 to 1977 and a commercial pilot until his retirement in 2000.

Wally passed away in early 2025 at the age of 94. His survivors include eleven children and many cherished grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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Danny Dietz Jr.

Courtney Kuhlen — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 14:21:51 +0000

Danny Philip Dietz Jr., (January 26, 1980 – June 28, 2005) of Littleton, Colorado was a graduate of BUD/S class 232 with 4 years of SEAL service assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two, Virginia Beach, VA.

For extraordinary heroism in actions against the enemy while serving in a four-man Special Reconnaissance element with SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE, Naval Special Warfare Task unit, Afghanistan from 27 to 28 June 2005. Petty Officer Dietz demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Operating in the middle of an enemy-controlled area, in extremely rugged terrain, his Special Reconnaissance element was tasked with locating a high-level Anti-Coalition Militia leader, in support of a follow-on direct action mission to disrupt enemy activity. On 28 June 2005, the element was spotted by Anti-Coalition Militia sympathizers, who immediately revealed their position to the militia fighters. As a result, the element directly encountered the enemy. Demonstrating exceptional resolve and fully understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz fought valiantly against the numerically superior and positionally advantaged enemy force. Remaining behind in a hailstorm of enemy fire, Petty Officer Dietz was wounded by enemy fire. Despite his injuries, he bravely fought on, valiantly defending his teammates and himself in a harrowing gunfight, until he was mortally wounded. By his undaunted courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and absolute devotion to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz will long be remembered for the role he played in the Global War on Terrorism. Petty Officer Dietz’s courageous and selfless heroism, exceptional professional skill, and utmost devotion to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for the cause of freedom.

On September 13, 2006, in a public ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., SEAL teammates Danny Dietz Jr. and Matthew Axelson were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. Navy Secretary Donald Winters honored their heroic acts of June 28, 2005:

Even after being wounded, both men “continued to fight the enemy with undiminished zeal, covering the extraction of the rest of their team while they stayed and fought. Putting the safety of their teammates ahead of their own, they displayed extraordinary heroism in combat.”

Winters concluded, “Extraordinary heroism has earned them the Navy Cross and a place of honor in the hearts of their countrymen.”

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Richard Eisenberg

Courtney Kuhlen — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 18:33:43 +0000

Richard Eisenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted in the army on March 25, 1964 and was honorably discharged on March 24, 1967. Rich completed his basic training at Ft. Dix in New Jersey and Ft. Eisenhower (formerly Ft. Gordon) in Georgia. He then served overseas in Vietnam at Soc Trang as a Helicopter Door Gunner. He served on a Huey gunship and provided cover fire for ground operations during the Vietnam War. He also was a member of the Military Police.

Rich earned the United States Department of the Army Air Medal for heroic achievement while participating in aerial flight. He also was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. Rich was honored with the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal presented by the Department of Defense.

He was always proud to have served the United States of America. He was a proud veteran and hero.

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Anthony J. Fabian

Courtney Kuhlen — Fri, 13 May 2022 16:49:35 +0000

Anthony J. (Tony) Fabian, a Colorado native, was raised in the mountain town of Leadville. A 1987 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, he was commissioned as an Ensign, USN that same year. He served as Main Engines Division Officer and Guided Missiles Division Officer aboard the battleship USS IOWA (BB-61) from 1988 until the ship’s decommissioning and inactivation preparations concluded in 1991, earning his Surface Warfare Officer designation and Officer of the Deck and Engineering Officer of the Watch qualifications. Fabian acted as interim head of Damage Control Central during the Turret Two explosion on April 19, 1989 and was a major contributor to the IOWA earning the prestigious Engineering “E” award. He then served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to RADM Byron E. Tobin, Jr., commander of the world’s largest naval base in Norfolk, VA from 1991-93, and finally on the staff of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea from 1993-96 before his honorable discharge at the rank of Lieutenant Commander in 2000. His personal awards/citations include the Navy Commendation Medal (awarded by CINCLANTFLT), Meritorious Unit Citation Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and Navy Rifle Marksman Ribbon.

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Robert A. McGrew

Courtney Kuhlen — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 15:00:45 +0000

Bob McGrew was born in Burbank Calif. on January 28, 1940, to Charles F. McGrew and Margret Vivan (Wood) McGrew.

Bob graduated High School from Sewanee Military Academy in Lookout Mountain, Tenn. He enrolled in Colorado School of Mines (Engineering), Golden, Colo in 1958.

Bob joined the United States Navy in 1961. After boot camp, he graduated from A, B, and C Advanced Electronic Schools, Inertial Guidance School, and Polaris Missile School. Before he had the chance to go to Submarine School, he was assigned temporary duty to the USS Argonaut, SS-475 a Guppy Class Submarine, during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He then attended and graduated from Submarine School in New London/Groton Conn in 1963.

Bob was assigned to USS Thomas Jefferson, SSBN 618 in 1963, where he served for the remainder of his Navy career. He qualified for his Submarine Service (SS) Dolphins aboard Thomas Jefferson while operating out of Holy Loch Scotland. He was honorably discharged in 1972 as a Missile Tech, 2^nd Class (MT2-SS) with a rank of Petty Officer 2^nd Class.

Bob was married to Sandy McGrew for 15 years, and is currently married to Joy McGrew for 28 years. He has three sons and 1 daughter: Shawn, Mark, Tim McGrew and Jackie (Egger) McGrew. Five Grandchildren (Brandon McGrew, Cameron McGrew, Alyssa Egger, Hailey Egger, and Cody Egger). He has since worked at University of Colorado and Colorado School of Mines. He retired in 2002 from Mines. He is presently residing in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

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Chris Millson, Jr.

Courtney Kuhlen — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 15:54:23 +0000

COL, USAF 1953 – 1976

NRO, Space Ops

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Thompson Tate, Jr.

Courtney Kuhlen — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 12:04:50 +0000

Thompson Tate Jr. Was born in Illinois in 1933. His family moved to a farm in Missouri when he was three. He attended Williamsburg Elementary and Fulton High School there. In 1953 he joined the Navy where he served until 1957 as a radio man and eletronics technician in VP2. He was stationed at Whidby Island Airfield and was deployed twice to Kodiak, Alaska. After the Navy he received a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Electric Engineering at the University of Missouri. He was employed from 1963 to 1993 at McDonald Douglas Aircraft , St. Louis. In 1973 he moved to Denver where he currently resides. Tom was married to Juanita Windsor in 1960 and has one son, Douglas, and a Granddaughter, Ashley.

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