Jessie Martinez Chapter 50
Disabled American Veterans Department of Colorado

In June 2013, there came a need to establish a new Chapter of the Disabled American Veteran (DAV) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The mission set forth by the DAV mission statement, which states:

We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America's injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.

* Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government;

* Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically;

+ Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government;

+ Extending DAV's mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local Chapters; and

Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.

Several members of Chapter 26 conceived a vision of starting a new chapter in Colorado Springs. Steve Stewart, Ed Florez, Rob Soluren, Randy Faust, Larry McKenzie, and Bob Hanner were those visionaries who collaborated and started Chapter 50. During that period, Ed was elected to the Junior vice Commander position for Chapter 26, but his strong convictions in helping veterans compelled Ed to vacate his position with Chapter 26 and
joined the group who formed Chapter 50, thus the idea was set into motion!

The founders of Chapter 50 were Ed Florez, Steve Stewart, Larry McKenzie, Bob Hanner, Randy Faust, and Rob Soluren. They began forming what would become Jessie Martinez Chapter 50, Disabled American Veterans Department of Colorado, named after Mr. Jessie Martinez.

The founders adopted The Colorado Chapter Jessie Martinez 50, Disabled American Veterans Department of Colorado to keep a man with values, candor and respect alive. We will talk more about Mr. Jessie Martinez
More in depth later.

The Life and Stories of Mr. Jessie Martinez

Jessie Martinez was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on February 15, 1959. His parents were Jessie and Elida Martinez, and he was the fifth of seven children. He spent his early years on a farm, later moving to the small south Texas town of Orange Grove. He graduated from Brenham High School in 1978. That same year he joined the US Air Force and entered into Power Production.

In 1979, while stationed in Germany, he met Astrid. They were married thirty-three years. They had four sons and five grandchildren. He retired in 1994 and, with the skills he earned in the Air Force, entered into the UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) industry.

Jessie traveled the country (and parts of the world) for work and made friends everywhere he went. From the facility manager at a NASA complex, to the guy behind the counter at Auto Zone, he was on a first name basis with everyone he met. Always quick to joke and tell a story, Jessie was never shy. He was born to fix and build things, from cars to electronics to furniture, and loved doing it.

Friends and coworkers often referred to Jessie as The Cowboy, as he was seldom seen without his cowboy hat and boots and even rode bulls in the rodeo when he was younger. He also loved to hunt. Whether it was elk in Colorado or rabbits in Texas, Jessie would jump at any opportunity to go shoot something.

Jessie was always open to trying new things and embracing new hobbies. Paintball, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, racquetball, volleyball, camping, and 4-wheeling were some of the many things he loved to do. He would dive in headfirst into any new activity he or his boys could come up with. Even after turning fifty, he would still ride (and crash) dirt bikes and play football (flag or even the occasional game of tackle). He hiked
to the top of Pikes Peak after being diagnosed with ALS.

Jessie lived his life from one challenge to the next, always looking for some wild new adventure to share with his boys. It was rare to see him stop moving. He always had something to try, something to fix, or sometimes even something to break. His life was a series of stories in the making.

In early 2012 he started losing his voice. At first slurring words occasionally, eventually getting to the point where he couldn't talk at all. He was told he had Progressive Bulbar Palsy, and that it would eventually lead to ALS. Breathing became increasingly difficult leading to a tracheostomy placement in October of 2013. After several weeks in intensive care, it became clear that Jessie would not be able to return home. He spent the remainder of his life in an acute care facility. Even there, he continued to make friends and share his recorded stories with anyone he could.

The process of standing up a new Organization took over a year to meet the requirements of establishing a new Chapter. One of the requirements was to have fifty new members; no transfers form other DAVs. Another roadblock was the new Chapter did not have a meeting place and little to no support from other DAV organizations. After negotiations with Colorado State DAV, we were eventually authorized to use the old DAV building on LaSalle Street.

In the beginning, what we were doing was a modified, trial by error concept. We would send something in for approval, and it would come back denied or with multiple questions about our intentions or purpose of the action. We received a couple of boxes of forms from National, but there was no guidance. We took it one step at a time and with the help of the growing numbers of new Chapter members, we finally achieved our goal in numbers and were issued a Charter to establish Chapter 50.

The next step was naming the new Chapter. Once again, the founders of Chapter 50 assembled together for a brain storming session and agreed to name the Chapter, Jessie Martinez Chapter 1.

Jessie Martinez goes like this; Jessie Martinez first came to the DAV for help on March 29, 2012. Jessie was having a hard time speaking and he was diagnosed with Bulbar Palsy. His doctors were saying that he may have ALS, but they were reluctant to diagnose him at first. The VA subsequently denied his claim for Bulbar Palsy.

On February 5, 2013, he brought in medical records with a diagnosis of ALS and did another claim. That claim was made and approved in just over a month. The VA does have a heart, sometimes, if you have the paperwork to back up your claim.

The condition that Jessie Martinez had is called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or (ALS) a terrible disease. It slowly robs those affected of the ability to control their muscles and is considered a death sentence for those who have the disease. It is a horrible way to die and no one should have to endure the harsh and cruel journey that ALS provides. Lou Gehrig is the most famous person to have ALS in which bears his name. Lou Gehrig famously made a speech and he said, Today, I consider myself to be the luckiest man alive. Everyone who met Jessie Martinez should consider themselves to be lucky enough to have known him.

Naming the Chapter after Jessie Martinez was a no-brainer. Jessie had a flame in his heart that was not extinguishable. He knew the circumstances surrounding his disease and he never asked for sympathy. He knew of the plan to name the Chapter after him even though he was using a communication device to speak, he was thankful for the consideration, and you could see the expression in his face and the appreciation in his eyes to how much it meant to him.

He loved to have visitors in the hospital, his days would be better when a member went to see him. It seemed to take his mind off of his situation for a while. He was an inspiration to everyone who met him. His courage, strength, positive attitude, and overall disposition are virtues we should all strive to have and live by. Even after being hospitalized and facing a losing battle, Jesse never wavered and maintained his sense of humor and enjoyed the company of those around him. From the chapter members to the hospital staff who were taking care of him. He would tell jokes and would be thinking of others and how to make them comfortable. He kept his sense of humor and a Positive outlook. People that accept their fate as Jessie did are rare. Most people would completely fall to pieces facing ALS, Jessie never shed a tear. Everyone got to know him much better as his disease got worse. Jessie Martinez passed away on October 1, 2014. Don't know if it were a coincidence of not, but the summer before Jessie died, the Ice Bucket Challenge was a nationwide event to benefit the research and cure for this dreadful disease.

Currently, The Jessie Martinez Chapter 50, Disabled American Veterans Department of Colorado, Colorado Springs is approaching 200 members, and we are active in the community. We are currently focused on veteran employment services, veteran advocating for the homeless, and helping veterans and their family members in obtain benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA). We all hope that Chapter 50 maintains a focus on the mission and continues to help Veterans any way possible, Chapter members, including the Jessie Martinez family proudly wear DAV Chapter 50 hats and shirts that bear his name. You should be proud to wear your Jessie gear, proud to call yourselfa friend of Jesse Martinez, and proud to be a member of the Jessie Martinez Chapter 50, Disabled American Veterans Department of Colorado

Jessie Martinez is the name of our chapter; we should all inspire to be a Jessie when we face adversities that life has given us and strive to be like him in all that we do.

Below in chronological order are the accomplishments completed in the establishment of the Jessie Martinez Chapter 50. (Reference information received from DAV National)

+ Last new Chapter in Colorado was established Jan 03, 1980 (Chapter 25 in Grand Junction)
+ Officers voted in: Aug 13, 2014

* Chapter 50 Charter Date: July 03, 2014

+ Name Change to Jessie Martinez: Dec 09, 2014

Jessie believed in making the best and most out of every situation. Through his iPad, he was still telling stories and making people laugh up until his last days. On October 1, 2014, he passed away surrounded by his wife and children. He left behind a large family, and a countless friends.

Locations and Dates of Military Service:

June 1978 - October 1995

+ Jan 1979 - Apr 1983: Hahn AFB, Germany

+ Apr 1983 - July 1984: England AFB, Louisiana

July 1984 - July 1988: Rhein Main AEB, Germany

+ July 1988 - Nov 1992: Pave Paws Cape Cod, Mass

Nov 1992 - Nov 1993: Camp Red Cloud, Korea

+ -Nov 1993 - Oct 1995 Falcon AFB, Colorado Springs