LBP Founder Don Marostica Targeted By Veteran Groups for 'Fake Military History'
Loveland, April 11, 2018
Former Loveland Mayor Pro Tem, State House Representative and now LBP (Loveland Business Partnership) board member Don Marostica is the target of veteran groups that expose people who make false claims about their military service; sometimes called Stolen Valor.
Loveland's veteran memorial park, Harold Dwayne Webster, is named for the first Lovelander to die in WWII during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Steps away from that monument bearing the names of those Lovelanders who gave their lives in the service of this country is a brick stating, Donald W. Marostica, US Army 71-79, Vietnam.
Marostica has long claimed to have been a Captain in the US Army often participating in the "Ride to the Wall" travelling on his motorcycle with authentic Vietnam veterans to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. He even posed in one news article in front of a local Vietnam Veteran's Memorial on his motorcycle sporting a vest full of military patches. However, government records obtained by one veteran's group indicate Marostica spent the early 1970's attending CSU and not in the jungles of Vietnam.
While serving in the Colorado legislature in 2009, during an interview with the Denver Post published April 18, 2009, Marostica implied he was an expert in jungle warfare and attributed his desire to remain standing in the Colorado State Legislature as coming from his military service,
Q: You rarely sit. You don't even have a chair on the House floor. What's that all about?
A. It started in the military. I was teaching jungle training to guys going to Vietnam, and for eight months you were on your feet all day.
According to the blog, "thisAintHell" which obtained Marostica's military service records through a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request, Marostica only served on active duty for three months in Fort Knox, Kentucky in the early 70's. Following his 90 days of active duty, Marostica remained either in the Army Reserve or National Guard eventually achieving the rank of 1st Lt but not Captain as he claims according to the records published online. According to the same records reviewed by LovelandPolitics, they show he was never in Vietnam during his three months of active duty but instead served his country for 90 days in Kentucky.
Loveland Mayor Demands Brick Be Removed
Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh, a critic of Marostica's influential LBP group in city affairs, is demanding the brick commemorating Don Marostica's service in "Vietnam" be removed from the city owned park before Memorial Day celebrations. However, Lovelandpolitics has learned the parks department and several members of the city council are claiming the brick is not a violation of any city policy so fighting the mayor's request. Sponsors who contribute donations are allowed to place a brick in the city's veteran's memorial park with an inscription of their choice.
Marostica along with his fellow LBP board members were instrumental in getting Kelly Jones the position in Loveland as the Director of Economic Development. Marostica's group solicits funds from individuals and companies looking to gain influence over the economic development process. Fellow board members have been awarded millions of dollars in contracts for the Foundry and other construction opportunities funded throughout the City of Loveland. LBP's finances are not open to public scrutiny so it is unkown how much Marostica may be receiving in compensation for lobbying city council and staff on behalf of LBP participants.
Mayor Marsh has a history of questioning the city's involvement with the group and calling for a distance between Marostica's LBP and city officials.
Don Marostica is also a founder of Loveland Commercial Real Estate which recently changed its name to LC Real Estate. He made his early money developing properties in Loveland while serving on the city council.