Fulton Sun

David Beaver, a Vietnam veteran and commander of the American Legion Post 210, has been selected as the first recipient of Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder’s Veterans Service Award, given to Missouri veterans who served or serve in any branch of the military and volunteer at least 25 hours per year.

He will receive the award at 3 this afternoon at the Churchill Memorial. Beaver has been an active volunteer in Callaway County, helping with a variety of youth sports programs in Callaway County, placing flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day and playing an integral role in making Fulton’s first 4th of July parade a reality.

Beaver was nominated by longtime friend and VFW District 9 quartermaster Tom Maupin.

“He did most of the work (on the parade),” said Maupin. “The American Legion has a baseball program that he ran here in Fulton for years and years at Hensley Field. He helps put out flags in all of the city cemeteries for all of the veterans, and that’s well over 1,000 graves, and he’s also been instrumental in helping rural cemeteries know flags are available. He’s just done an awful lot for the community and I thought he needed to be recognized.”