Sgt. Glen Martinez Memorial benefit planned May 28

MONTE VISTA—This is the ninth year of the 5K Run/Walk and Veterans Golf Tournament held at the Monte Vista Golf Course on May 28 to benefit the Sgt. Glen E. Martinez Memorial Scholarship Fund. Organizers are Ron and Carol Martinez, parents of the fallen Marine, in which $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to a senior boy and girl of Monte Vista.
Glen was a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, who was 31 when he was killed in action May 2, 2008, while on a combat mission as the Humvee he and three other Marines were riding in hit a roadside bomb in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
The 5k Run/Walk will begin on May 28 at 7 a.m. at the Monte Vista Golf Course Pro shop which will include: breakfast, t-shirt and ribbons/eight different age groups. Cost is $20 pre-registration or $25 on event day. Deadline for mail-in registration to P.O. Box 181, Monte Vista, Co 81144 is May 25 or register online at www.glenmartinez.org. To register or for more information, call Ron or Carol at 850-3758 or 849-1830.
The Veterans Golf Tournament, will begin at 10 a.m. shotgun start at the Monte Vista Golf Course. It will be a four-man team scramble, 18 holes. The cost is $240 per team; limited to 18 teams; $60 for singles (they’ll be grouped up). The cost includes: golf carts, team entry fee, tee prize, complementary range ball and lunch after golf. To sign up or for more information, call Britt at the Monte Vista Pro Shop at 852-4906.
Glen knew the value of education and the value of physical fitness. Growing up in Monte Vista, he participated in nearly every sport available, including football, wrestling and baseball. He played in the band and was an excellent student. He was quarterback for the Pirate football team for three years and competed four years on the state wrestling team and played baseball all four years. Before graduation from Monte Vista High School, Glen had scholarship offers in football, wrestling and baseball, but chose to play baseball for Ottawa Univ. in Ottawa, Kan. where he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics.
Glen subsequently earned a surveying degree from Westwood College and was going to work on his Master’s Degree in Hydro-Engineering at Boulder, CU when he made his decision to join the Marine Corps. Living in Boulder, he explained, “he got tired of hearing people cutting down his country,” so he decided to do something positive. Glen could have gone directly into officers candidate school, but chose to start at the bottom like all the other recruits.
Should he go on to command, Glen said, he wanted to have hands on experience rather than classroom philosophy. “I want those I command to know that I have been where they are” he said in an interview just after basic training.
He was ready for whatever came. After a childhood filled with the challenge of athletic competition, staying in peak physical shape was second nature to him and he strongly supported the discipline and leadership skills learned on the mat, football field and baseball diamond.
Sgt. Glen Martinez