On Monday, Delta County Commissioners honored Gordon O’Brien by giving the Veterans Service Office in the County Courthouse his name. O’Brien ran the office in the basement of the Delta County Courthouse for 24 years, before handing the job off to Brian Ayers a decade ago. At a reception for O’Brien, Ayers talked about how O’Brien had inspired him.
"A lot of times I’m in my office and I’m thinking, I wonder how the replacement for Cal Ripken Jr. feels," he said. Cause he’s like the Cal Ripken Jr of Veterans Service Officers. One thing that’s on the proclamation that Gordon got is he received the Louis Nordini Award, for the most outstanding veterans service office in the calendar year for entire state of Colorado. Pretty impressive award. Gordon’s just an outstanding man, a great person to emulate on how to live a life."
O’Brien himself was modest when asked why he had dedicated so much of his life to helping veterans. "It was an easy relationship. Because every one of them earned every bit of recognition they got."
O’Brien’s family and friends, along with other veterans, attended the reception. And long after the commissioners had presented the award and gone back to their business in the next room, the party continued.
