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Donald G. Stratton (USS Arizona Survivor) I-25/Fillmore Bridge Dedication Ceremony June 8, 2018

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Donald G. Stratton(USS Arizona Survivor)

I-25/Fillmore BridgeDedication Ceremony

June 8, 2018

Thank you for being here today to recognize and honor Donald G. Stratton,WWII Navy veteran and USS Arizona survivor

ComcastSponsor of the I-25/Fillmore bridge signs and today’s ceremony

Holiday Village and parent company, Equity LifeStyle PropertiesHost of today’s event and reception

Widefield High School Navy JROTC

Colorado Springs Conservatory

The U.S. Navy

Interstate-25/Fillmore Diverging Diamond BridgeColorado Department of Transportation

HDR, Inc., lead bridge design firmSEMA Construction, Inc., general contractor

Wilson & Co., construction manager

Donald and Velma Stratton ChildrenRandy Stratton,

Gypsy Stratton (deceased), Roxane Stratton (deceased)Robert Stratton, USMC, Vietnam (deceased), and other members of the Family

Boy Scout Troop 777

Pikes Peak Heroes Legacy Committee

Chair Bob Lally, CAPT USN (Ret), Chief of Staff, Pikes Peak YMCACo-Chair Stan VanderWerf, COL USAF (Ret), El Paso County Commissioner

Dr. Andy Cain, CAPT USN (Ret), Chancellor Emeritus, CTUWelling Clark, CDR USN (Ret), Principal Systems Engineer, Harris Corporation

Matt Coleman, President, HUB International Insurance Services/ColoradoMark Dancer, President, Channelvation, Inc.

William Nelson, Partner, Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Law FirmWilliam Linn, LTC, USA (Ret), VP/COO Heritage Arsenal

John O’Donnell, Owner, O’Donnell and O’DonnellMark Seglem, CDR, USN (Ret), Regional VP, CTU

Andy Vick, Executive Director, Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak RegionHenry Yankowski, El Paso County Administrator

William LinnEthan Noss

Mason AaronCollin Cummings

Marcus WinterJack Kirkpatrick

Recognitions

10:45 – 11:45 a.m.

WelcomeMaster of Ceremonies Bob Lally, Chief of Staff, Pikes Peak YMCA, CAPT USN (Ret)

Posting of the ColorsWidefield High School Navy JROTC Color Guard

Mark A. Davis, MAJ USMC (Ret), Senior Naval Science Instructor

National AnthemLed by Colorado Springs Conservatory

Pledge of AllegianceBoy Scout Troop 777 and William Linn, Assistant Scout Master

InvocationChaplain Brenda BradleyDavila, CAPT USN (Ret)

IntroductionsBob Lally, Chief of Staff, Pikes Peak YMCA, CAPT USN (Ret)

Comcast NBC Universal, Military and Veterans Affairs

SpeakersLarry Liston, Colorado House Representative

Stan VanderWerf, El Paso County Commissioner, COL USAF (Ret)Andy Pico, Colorado Springs City Councilman, CDR USN (Ret)

Rear Admiral Dietrich H. Kuhlmann, III(Director, U.S. Navy Programming Division, OPNAV N80)Stephanie Bourne, Holiday Village, Community Manager

Donald G. Stratton – USS Arizona SurvivorRandy Stratton

Presentation of a locally made wooden flag to Joe Ann George Taylor daughter of U.S. Navy veteran Joe George, rescuer of Don Stratton and

five other U.S. Navy Sailors from the USS Arizona, December 7, 1941

Bob Lally – Closing Remarks

I-25/Fillmore Bridge Sign UnveilingAdmiral Kuhlmann, Representative Liston, Commissioner VanderWerf and Donald Stratton

11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.All guests are invited to stay for photos and refreshments

graciously provided by Holiday Village

As a token of his gratitude for attending today, Don has personally autographedcopies of the book, All the Gallant Men. If you do not already have a copy,

please feel free to take one following the ceremony

Program

Reception

Interstate-25/Fillmore BridgeReconstructed in 2016 by the Colorado Department of Transportation, the I-25/Fillmore diverging diamond

interchange is an innovative improvement to the safety and traffic flow through the corridor to meet existing and future travel demands. The new bridge is 220-feet long with a 14-foot wide sidewalk and 5-foot-wide

eastbound and westbound bicycle lanes on both bridges.

Donald Stratton is one of the last five remaining survivors of the USS Arizona. Donald was just 19 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor sending the Navy’s flagship, the USS Arizona to the depths of Pearl Harbor. 1,177 men perished in that explosion leaving just 300 alive. Donald Stratton was burned over 65percent of his body, and escaped the inferno by climbing across a line to a neighboring ship—the USS Vestal. Donald and fellow survivor Lauren Bruner were saved by a man named Joseph L. George. Joe never knew if the men he saved lived and it wasn’t until nearly 60 years later that his daughter Joe Ann knew the full extent of her father’s incredible heroism on that day. Donald,Lauren and their families tried for more than 15 years to get Joe the honor he truly deserves. This past December 7, Joe George received a Bronze Star with Valor during an emotional and beautiful ceremony on the USS Arizona Memorial.

Following the Pearl Harbor attack and spending more than a year in the hospital recovering, Donald re-enlisted in the US Navy as WWII was still raging. At first, the Navy wouldn’t allow Donald to re-enlist due to his medical discharge; however, he proved them wrong by going through boot camp a second time. He participated in six more invasions aboard the destroyer USS Stack. After WWII ended, Donald was 100 percent medically discharged and went on to work with deep sea divers and oil rigs offshore. He traveled the world with his wife Velma and their two sons Robert and Randy.

Donald turns 96 in July and he and his wife Velma celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary in April.Donald’s life was recently chronicled in the New York Times Best Selling book, All the Gallant Men.

Donald G. Stratton

Here today are two of the five men still alive saved from the USS Arizona: Donald G. Stratton (Seaman First Class, age 95)

and Ken Potts (Coxwain, age 97)