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Nov. 11, 2000 By Jim Mimiaga Ker-Blaaaaam!! "What the #*@!!*?"
Every Veterans Day morning Cortez residents are jolted awake by loud cannon-blasts moving about town as if some sort of pre-dawn raid were taking place. But those who are disturbed by the deafening booms echoing across the Montezuma Valley need not worry or curse. In fact, they should get out of bed and salute those who fought for their freedom, say members of the American Legion who started the annual tradition 60 years ago. "We do it to honor the veterans," said Ken Williams, a war veteran and member of the Legion. "This way it makes everyone aware of the sacrifices our veterans made for all of us. I think we need more of that." Plus the timely alarm gives the community a chance to attend a 7 a.m. ceremony put on by the American Legion at the Legion’s hall, 320 N. Harrison in Cortez. A free pancake breakfast follows the event. So those loud claps are not the harbingers of conflict. Instead, the two miniature cannons reminiscent of the Revolutionary War are ceremonial, dispensing less-threatening ammunition — namely birdseed, dog food or crumpled newspaper mixed with black powder. "I feed the animals after I scare the heck out of them," laughed Keenan Ertel, who participates in the early-morning custom. "But, seriously, it is a way to wake the community up to the fact that it is Veterans Day. We want to get them up early enough to take part in the ceremony honoring those who sacrificed in war." He became so enthralled with the tradition that he had a replica cannon made and joined ranks with the Legion on Veterans Day, trading shots back and forth from opposite ends of town. Ertel loves it so much he goes out on his own and blasts away on Independence Day and sometimes Memorial Day, too. He admits that community reactions are not always amicable. "One year we just felt horrible because a couple had finally gotten their newborn down to sleep and then the blast went off nearby," he said. "Most of the people are in favor of it and tell us it wouldn’t be Armistice Day without this." To reduce conflicts, he limits his assaults to parking lots and open fields that are some distance away from residential neighborhoods. Some call it a quirky tradition, but many consider it an appropriate, albeit startling, patriotic reminder of veterans who gave their life fighting for the freedoms we enjoy today. But for those unfamiliar with the tradition, it can come as an unforgettable shock. Imagine, for instance, Gigi Schwartz’s reaction two years ago when she arrived early to open her Silver Bean Coffee Shop for the first time, only to be barraged by apparent cannon-fire from across the street. "I called 911 and said, ‘There are some hoodlums on the corner shooting off a big cannon’ and the dispatcher just laughed," she said. "After she explained the tradition I was somewhat relieved, and understood they were not really hoodlums. "But I just had no idea when I saw them hunkered down over there on the corner. I had never experienced anything like that before." Welcome to Cortez. She was told not to worry by dispatchers. But others were not so easily placated. In 1995, responding to citizen complaints, former Cortez City Manager Bill Ray had a police officer cite Ertel for disturbing the peace. A lively trial ensued, with witnesses either defending the tradition as symbolic patriotism or belittling the action as obnoxious, nerve-wracking noise pollution. In the end the controversial wake-up call was exonerated by a jury, and so the tradition continues, with every year bringing different reactions. "Well, we have those who are indignant, those that think that they’ve been shot, and those that after they hear what it is, remember the tradition," said a Cortez Police dispatcher. The dispatch service regularly receives dozens of calls when the early-hour booming begins. "Newcomers hit the floor, I’m sure." Do they appreciate it after they are told what it is? "Weelll," she hesitated. "I’d say they at least have an understanding." So at the crack of dawn, when the shots "heard around Cortez" once again jerk you up from dreamland, remember those long-ago wars that made dreams of freedom a reality. And since you’re already up, head down to the American Legion for a Veterans Day ceremony and community pancake breakfast. |
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