The Loveland Marine Corps Detachment is fairly new and has plans for being involved in the community. The detachment is planning to install another flag bin in the future. If you would like to help the Loveland Marine Corps League you can send your tax-deductible donation to the Marine Corps League Loveland Detachment #1250, P.O. Box 7861, Loveland, Co 80537.

The Loveland Marine Corps League meets on the second Thursday at 1930 at the Associated Vets Club. We are always looking for new members. If you would like to join the League or the Auxiliary please visit our web site mcl-loveland-1250.com for more information.

From left to right in the attached photo are Allen Brink: Department of CO Sr. Vice Commandant Chuck Davies: Department of CO Commandant Mike Davis: Department of CO Judge Advocate Terry Wright: Loveland Commandant Doyle Biggs: Loveland Paymaster Tom Buchanan: Loveland Web sergeant Jack Ashley: Loveland Sr. Vice Commandant Photo taken by Joe Meilinger

That was the press release, but there is more to the story.

Celebrating the 1000th flag outside of the Sam's Club BBQ are left to right are Solomon Martinez, Alan Woodhams, Charles Nibbelin, Abel Herrera, Frank Albillar, John Merritt, Doyle Biggs, Tom Buchanan, Greg Walent, Terry Wright and Jack Ashley.

That is what happened in the first nine months of the Loveland Detachment's Worn Flag Bin's existence, but here was much done before the installation and some emotional moments during those few months. Here is a little history of what went on behind the scenes and some of the people involved in making it happen.

The adventure began in February by asking around for anyone that knew how to obtain a discarded US Post Office mail bin. In May we acquired one from John Rinne, a member of the Northern Colorado Detachment 785 who was retired from the Post Office.

The next step was getting someone to donate the painting of the box to Marine Corps red and getting someone else to donate the signage. I contacted my friend Dennis at Ozzie's Body Shop and Towing agreed to do the painting, but because the box may be in the sun for the better part of everyday, the paint would have to be of superior quality. Dennis asked if we could find someone to donate the paint.

We contacted Ed's Auto Paint and Supply and he would donate half of the $130 a quart paint. We took up a donation at detachment meetings for the remainder.

Next I delivered the mail box and paint to Ozzie's and it took around three weeks for them to paint it. When I picked it up it was a beautiful shade of red!

Now the signage had to be acquired. For this I contacted Tom Silva at 1st Street Signs. Tom liked our cause and donated the signage. We had two 12” Marine Corps decals and put them on the sides.

We originally wanted to install the flag bin at Dwayne Webster Veterans Park in Loveland. The park is maintained by the All Vets Club board of directors so permission had to be maintained from them. I went to board meeting prepared with mock up drawings of the layout and site plans for the park. The board said that they would like to see the first flag bin outside of the club on 3rd Street. The club had been taking flags from the public, but it was cumbersome for people to drop off their worn flags and having a bin outside would make it much easier. The permission was granted and it was time to make it happen!

On August 22, 2009 I sent an email to Jeff Mashino, Adjutant, of the Sons of the American Legion. Loveland Squadron 15 and general all-around helper at the club for his assistance in setting the flag bin in the concrete. We originally had planned a flag retirement ceremony in conjunction with the installation of the bin on September 11, 2008. The plans for the flag retirement fell through and so we moved the installation up to September 1, 2008.

I met Jeff outside the club at 7:30 AM and by 8:30 the bin was installed and ready for business.

Business was brisk from day one and in the first two months we had over 300 flags deposited. The Reporter Herald ran an article about the flag bin on November 4, 2008. Here is a link Reporter Herald Story

Most flags have no story attached to them, but some do. Flag 93 had a note attached (Flag 93) On November 23, 2008 I emptied the bin and was counting them when I got home and Flag 482 had a note attached that I read and it made my eyes tear up with emotion. Letters of this magnitude must not be hidden so I wrote a guest columnist article in the Reporter Herald and shared it with all of Loveland. (Flag 482)