Mount Mestas Memorial Monument Repair Fund

This money is being raised to repair the World War II monument called the Mount Mestas Memorial Monument, located at the Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center, between Walsenburg and La Veta, Colorado USA.

My name is Gary Smith. I'm 70 years old and living in Monterey, Ca. I am the nephew of this Monument's namesake Felix B. Mestas, Jr.

In 1950 Mt.Baldy near La Veta was renamed Mt.Mestas in recognition of my uncle PFC Felix B. Mestas, Jr. who died Sep. 29, 1944, in the Battle of Monte Battaglia (Battle Mountain) one of the most famous undocumented battles during the World War II invasion of Italy. He was investigated for a Medal of Honor and ultimately posthumously awarded the Silver Star Medal. Mt.Baldy was renamed Mt.Mestas in his honor and the Mt.Mestas Memorial Monument was erected paid for by the local VFW.

The Monument suffered from vandalism and in the 1980s the Monument was moved into Walsenburg, put into storage, repaired and later relocated per agreement with the now defunct Walsenburg VFW to the parking lot near the entrance to the Walsenburg Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center (SPRHC) , where it resides now. Several names on the stone were left misspelled as a result of this repair, including MESTAS spelled as MEASTAS in big 3" letters at the top of the Monument. See my websites www.MtMestas.com about PFC Mestas, www.MtMestasMemorialMonument.com about the Monument and bios of the 63 men named on it and the Monument's FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/582046520362441 . Any contributions towards this project not used to repair the Memorial will be donated to the SPRHC Veteran's Services.