* As reported by F.O. “Rep” Repplier in 1956 and John B. Schoolland in 1969.
The First and Second World Wars had a great impact on the Club. As mentioned before, World War I had just ended when Boulder Rotary was founded. In 1920, a meeting on Nov. 12 was devoted to honoring the ex-servicemen of the Club who served in the war. Eleven names were listed, including A. A. Paddock, father of Laurie Paddock, and Carbon Gillaspie and Harlow Platts, whose surnames live on as a street and a park.
In World War II, 16 members left the club for active service. Said historian John B. Schoolland, “Our ‘fightin’est’ member is unquestionably Frank Marvin “Dutch” Westerberg, who as a ‘footslogger,’ a combat infantryman, drafted at age 35, fought through several actions, including the never-to-be-forgotten Battle of the Bulge.” Later in his life Dutch saw every CU home football game (394 of them) from 1921 until 1999, when he passed away at the age of 94.
Of those who stayed home, many served in various Home Front capacities. One list shows eight members on the War Price and Ration Board, two on the National Defense Reemployment Committee, eight in other aspects of National Defense work, 11 on the board of the Red Cross, six on the United War Chest, one on the Veterans Advisory Council, and one on the Russian Relief Committee. Russia was of course our ally at the time.
Later, numerous Rotarians served in war and peacetime, in Korea, Vietnam, and other military endeavors. Often, at our Veterans’ Day meetings, they still wear their uniforms, or portions thereof.
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