LOVELAND, Colo. — Serving those who serve. For Bart Bartholomew, a Navy veteran who deployed to Vietnam in the late 1960s, it's a commitment he takes great pride in.
And on Saturday mornings at the Golden Corral restaurant in Loveland, that commitment is on full display. As the founder of the nonprofit Veterans Honoring Veterans, Bartholomew honors fellow members of the military with commemorative statuettes for their branch of service.
"We formed the organization in 2017, and then founded the nonprofit in 2018," he remembered. "At last date, [we've] probably put over 750 that we've presented to other veterans."
And as the name of the nonprofit implies, Bart knows exactly what it means to serve.
"He was a veteran of the United States Navy. He's also a veteran of the Colorado State Patrol," said Bill Kaufman, vice president of Veterans Honoring Veterans. "He's just absolutely been dedicated to veterans in northern Colorado. It's just amazing!"
"He's tireless. The man goes six different directions at once," said Charlie Russell, a United States Air Force veteran. "And [he's] very successful at it."
"All what I do is strictly from the heart," said Bartholomew. "It's not a hard job, it's a fun job. And to be able to honor our veterans is just a great, great thing."
It's why on behalf of Denver7 and West Shore Home, we're proud to call Bart Bartholomew this week's Everyday Hero!
"I'm not a crying man, but this kind of chokes me up," said Bartholomew. "[It] makes me feel just very privileged to be among these people."
Denver7 features a different Everyday Hero each week. To nominate a hero in your life, click here.
