VFW Presents Initial Memorial Fund Grants To Police Officer & Fire Fighter of The Year

Arcadia-Monrovia Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2070 announced this month that it has created a scholarship fund to memorialize local service members who have been killed in combat.   

The Post 2070 Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide funds for awards to members of the community who are recognized for patriotism and excellence in their fields through the official VFW Programs, such as the Teacher of the Year, Scout of the Year and the Patriots’ Pen / Voice of Democracy program.  the first grants from the fund were presented on November 9 during the Post's Law Enforcement & Fire Fighter of the Year Awards dinner.

"Top among the purposes listed in our Congressional Charter is to 'perpetuate the memory and history of our dead'," said Clint Stamps, Commander of Post 2070.  "This Memorial Fund will ensure that everyone this Post recognizes going forward will themselves be memorializing fallen service members from our area, such as Kyle Colnot, Francisco Flores and Raul Mercado, and all of those whose names are on memorials in this community." 

Colnot, Flores and Mercado were graduates of Arcadia, Duarte and Monrovia high schools (respectively) who died in Iraq.  Flores, a Marine tanker, was one of the very first casualties of the war. His family still resides in Duarte. 

Presentations of grants from the Scholarship Fund will be accompanied by cards to inform the recipients of the sacrifices and significance the fund represents.  The first grants from the fund were presented this past Veterans Day Weekend at the Post's Law Enforcement Officer and Fire Fighter of the Year Awards Dinner.  

Monrovia PD Agent John Donchig and LA County Fire Fighter Fred Barbosa of the Duarte Station were honored for their excellence, professionalism and dedication. Their awards at the Post level also served as nominations to the State level award, winners of which are submitted for a national award.  

Also receiving acknowledgement as nominees for the awards were LA County Sheriff's Deputy Wayne Goodrich of Duarte and Monrovia Fire Fighter Joe Jansen.  Notably, Jansen was unable to attend the event as he was recovering from injuries suffered in a recent fire. 

The November 9 dinner was attended by Assemblyman Chris Holden, as well as Monrovia Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, Councilmembers Alex Blackburn and Larry Spicer, and Arcadia City Clerk (and Viet Nam veteran) Gene Glasgo.  Holden thanked the honorees for their dedicated service before presenting all of the nominees with certificates of appreciation from the State. 

Both Donchig and Barbosa received Memorial Fund Grants in the form of gift certificates to Keystone Uniforms of Covina.  In addition, all of the nominees received gift certificates for dinner from local restaurants, including Sena, Restaurant Devon, T Phillips Ale House, The Monrovia Family Restaurant and Rudy's Mexican Food. 

The dinner was produced and sponsored by area residents Lizet Angulo and Irene Flores.The Post 2070 Memorial Scholarship Fund was seeded with a grant from the Post and will be partially supported by a dedicated revenue stream the Post has allocated to the fund.

Additional contributions from the community are welcomed, and should be sent to:  VFW Post 2070 – Scholarship Fund, 825 S. Magnolia, Monrovia, CA 91016.  Please make checks to “Post 2070 Scholarship Fund” and, if submitting to memorialize a specific service member, attach a note explaining the dedication.