by Mike Hudgins
Seven Bitterroot Valley veterans were honored Wednesday, August 12, at the Veterans Memorial in Hamilton’s Hieronymus Park with the 2025 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation, recognizing decades of service both in uniform and in their communities.
Gov. Greg Gianforte and First Lady Susan Gianforte joined local veterans, families and community members for the ceremony honoring Patrick Clover, Jeanne Doyle, Gregory Marose Sr., Paul Rosenberg, Sean Smothers, Allen Sperry and Deb Strickland. The seven were among 61 veterans selected statewide for the commendation and honored at ceremonies across Montana this year.
“We don’t pick these individuals. You do,” Gianforte told the crowd. “These individuals were nominated by the veterans community on two criteria: one, they served well in uniform and then came home and continued to serve in their community.” Each recipient received a certificate and a Montana flag flown over the State Capitol in their honor.
The seven veterans served across several generations, from World War II through the Iraq War, but their military careers were only part of what brought them together Wednesday. After leaving the military, they brought that same work ethic, determination and leadership to their communities.
For 102-year-old Jeanne Doyle, that service began more than eight decades ago. A graduate of nursing school in Great Falls, Doyle joined the U.S. Army Nurse Corps on June 11, 1945, during the final months of World War II. Stationed on the West Coast, she worked as a triage nurse as hospital ships returned from the Pacific carrying wounded soldiers, sailors and Marines.
Long after leaving the Army, Doyle remained active with American Legion Ravalli Post 47, participated in the opening of Hamilton’s VA clinic and spent years with a quilting group making quilts for children in crisis. At 102, her presence Wednesday represented an increasingly rare connection to the generation that served during World War II.
Patrick Clover served in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 1970 and deployed to Vietnam aboard the USS Jennings County. After leaving the Navy, he worked with nonprofit organizations serving orphanages and underprivileged communities in Mexico. Since moving to Montana in 2018, Clover has remained active with American Legion Corvallis Post 91 and volunteered as a driver helping veterans get to medical appointments.
Gregory Marose Sr. spent more than 26 years in the U.S. Army and Montana Army National Guard. After his military career, he continued in his service to the community as an EMT, firefighter, search-and-rescue leader, youth mentor and Scout leader, along with his involvement in the American Legion.
Paul Rosenberg rose to the rank of master chief petty officer during a 24-year career in the U.S. Navy. After retiring in 2000, he spent more than two decades active in the American Legion, helping provide military funeral honors and supporting local youth programs. He also helped establish the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Memorial Garden and monument at Hieronymus Park.
For Sean Smothers, the example of continued service started at home. Smothers, who served more than two decades in the U.S. Marine Corps, credited his father, a Vietnam veteran, with inspiring him to continue serving after leaving the military.
“My father in particular inspired me to serve after I got out of service,” Smothers said. “My father was a Vietnam veteran and also served his community for years afterwards.”
After moving to Montana in 2018, Smothers helped establish the Bitterroot Valley Military Program, which provides young people with opportunities for leadership, discipline and mentorship.
Allen Sperry’s contribution could be seen at the site of Wednesday’s ceremony. A 21-year Army veteran who served two tours in Vietnam, Sperry later spent 20 years on the Ravalli County Fair Board and more than two decades with Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 938. He also played a major role in developing and maintaining the veteran’s monument at Hieronymus Park, helping with the master plan, site preparation, concrete work, lighting, engraved walls and memorial pavers.
Deb Strickland continued serving in a number of ways after leaving the Army. After serving from 1974 to 1977, she worked as an EMT, search-and-rescue volunteer, reserve deputy, Forest Service law enforcement officer and wildfire investigator. For more than four decades, she also taught CPR, AED and first aid. Strickland became only the second woman to command Ravalli Post 47; she currently serves as the first woman to lead American Legion District 5.
Military careers eventually come to a close, but commitment to community doesn’t have an expiration date. The Bitterroot Valley has always been a place shaped by people who look out for one another, and for these seven veterans, service continued long after their time in uniform ended.
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