Alvin Siefkas Grand Marshall of the 9/11 Tribute Parade

Alvin Siefkas

Alvin Siefkas was born January 21, 1917, close to LaSalle, Iowa. His family moved to Haswell, Colorado, arriving August 1, 1920 when Alvin was three years old. He started school at the age of four and graduated from the Haswell School in 1934 in the middle of the depression and the dust bowl. He worked various jobs including the CCC Camp in Red Feather Lakes, while building up a cow herd with his dad and brother. By the end of the 30’s they had a farm of their own.

In February of 1942, after Pearl Harbor, Alvin volunteered in the Marine Corps. He trained in San Diego and left the United States for the South Pacific the last day of August 1942, as part of the 2^nd Marine Division. After more training in New Zealand where he also worked transferring combat supplies for Guadalcanal, he shipped out and participated in the landing on Tarawa, an island encompassing less than a section of land, located in the Gilbert Islands on November 20^th, 1943. Combat lasted 76 hours, and his unit received a Presidential Citation for “bravery beyond the call of duty”.

He then shipped to Hawaii, the big island, where he trained until May 1944, then shipped out to participate in the assault on the Island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands on June 15, 1944. Alvin landed in the second wave after making a decoy run to draw fire from the first wave. It took about a month to secure the island of Saipan, and then Alvin participated in landing on the neighboring island of Tinian and was in battle for about 20 days till it was secured. Both of these islands were converted to bases for B29 operations against the main island of Japan.

Alvin was rotated back to the States on January 5^th, 1945, after being overseas for almost 30 months. He and Louise Jacobs were married 15 days later in Denver. Alvin was one of the first marines to be discharged in San Diego on September 16^th, 1945.

In the years following Alvin and Louise raised a family of eight, while successfully operating dairy farms first outside the town of Akron, Colorado and in 1950 moved to Elizabeth, Colorado. He served over 20 years on the Elizabeth School Board, was on the planning and zoning board in Elbert County, served as a board member for Intermountain Rural Electric Association, and received Outstanding Conservationist of the Year for Elbert County in 1978.

In 1985 Alvin and Louise moved back to Eads, where Alvin served on the planning and zoning board for Kiowa County. He also served as trustee, deacon and Sunday school teacher in the churches he attended in Elizabeth, Castle Rock and Eads, and was elected to the Eads town board at the age of 90. After Louise’s death in 1992, Alvin remains in his home in Eads where he enjoys visiting friends and family, including 16 grandchildren, sharing stories of his many life experiences.