Every November 11, on Veterans Day, we recognize those who have served our country. This Veterans Day, we honor Corporal Lauren Alter, a US Army Veteran who served in the Korean War.
Service runs in the Alter family. His father, Wilbur Alter, enlisted in World War I, Lauren’s older brother Allan also served in Korea, and two of his grandsons served in the Air Force and the Army in Iraq.
Born in Denver and raised in Lakewood, Colorado, Lauren was 20 years old when he was drafted into the US Army in 1951. Lauren states, “I figured it would happen because every year they drafted a bunch, and I was one of the next groups, so it was time for me to go.” He recalls his mother was quite upset.
He trained at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and in California before shipping out. Lauren recalls, “I spent a little over a year in Japan or Korea. The troop transports landed us in Japan, and we were there just a very short time, and they shipped us across to Korea. Lauren was in the Infantry and did “whatever I was told.” He remembers trainings being about “here’s what you look for, and you can’t do this and you can’t do that.” His primary goal was to stay alive. Lauren states, “I was a lucky one that came home, a little banged up, but I came home.”
Lauren remembers, “I lost a buddy in Korea. It was difficult, I couldn’t take too much of that, but I did. I had to.”
While Lauren was in Korea, a young woman he sang with in the church choir at Lakewood (CO) Methodist, Eileen, wrote to him and sent packages of goodies. One his buddies said, ‘if she can cook like that you need to go back and marry her.’
Lauren was in Korea for six months and then went back to Japan briefly before heading back to California. The trip back took about a month and there wasn’t much to do on board aside from eat and play cards. “It seemed like ages and ages being out on that ship,” Lauren says.
When he returned from Korea in December 1952, he visited the parents of his buddy who died in Korea. He recalls, “He was an only child, and they were quite shaken up. But they were thankful I came and talked to them and brought them something of his.”
He also took his buddy’s advice and married Eileen in 1953. Together, they raised three kids— two sons and a daughter. In 1978, Lauren and Eileen moved to Morrison. Eileen smiles, “We always wanted to live in the mountains, and we finally got to do it.” All three of their kids still live in Colorado and they now have 11 great-grandchildren.
Lauren continued to serve his community. He routinely donated blood until he had to go on oxygen a year ago. He’s a life-time member of Blue Spruce Kiwanis in Evergreen, he was twice awarded a Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver for distinguished service to youth, and he and Eileen counted the Bell Ringing donations for 20 years for the Salvation Army.
Mount Evans is honored to be caring for Lauren.
Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice provides experienced and compassionate in-home health and hospice care to the foothills and mountain communities in Clear Creek, Gilpin, Jefferson, and Park counties. Their team has received veteran-centric education as part of We Honor Veterans, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A version of this article will appear in the November issue of Colorado Serenity Magazine.
