This Veterans Day, Durango once again came together to honor the more than 17.6 million veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces living across the United States – men and women who have served through generations of conflict and peacekeeping alike. About 340,000 veterans call Colorado home, and here in La Plata County, about 3,600 veterans – roughly 6.7% of the county’s 57,000 residents – represent a remarkable legacy of military service and sacrifice that continues to shape our community.
Tuesday’s Veterans Day Parade down Main Avenue and the open house that followed at VFW Post 4030 reflected that enduring spirit of service (Herald, Nov. 12). Veterans here have fought in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam; served in peacekeeping missions in the Balkans; and endured multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many returned home to serve again as teachers, first responders, business owners, and public servants. Families, too, carried their share of the burden – standing strong through deployments, uncertainty, and the long journey of reintegration.
Military service also runs deep in the region’s Indigenous nations. The Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes have long honored warrior traditions rooted in courage and community defense. Tribal members have served in every major U.S. conflict since World War II – more than 60 Southern Ute veterans alone – reflecting a powerful blend of cultural and national loyalty.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were the most recent extended U.S. conflicts fought entirely with an all-volunteer force, following the end of the military draft in 1973. Each enlistment represented a deliberate choice to serve, knowing the personal risks – from combat injuries to lasting health challenges such as PTSD and toxic exposure. That reality deepens the responsibility we share as citizens: to ensure those who defended us are never left to struggle alone.
La Plata County continues to live out that commitment. The county’s Veterans Service Office, based in Durango, offers free direct assistance to veterans and their families in filing claims, securing health care, and accessing educational and housing benefits. The office works closely with the Durango VA Outpatient Clinic, the Southwest Center for Independence, and community partners such as VFW Post 4030 – which hosted Tuesday’s open house – to build a strong network of advocacy and care. Through outreach events, resource fairs, and individual casework, they help ensure that veterans – from Bayfield to Ignacio to Durango – receive the full measure of support they deserve.
Still, these services face uncertainty. Even if the shutdown ends as expected, the proposed funding bill would keep the Department of Veterans Affairs operating only through Jan. 30, offering no assurance beyond that date. While essential services continue, delayed reimbursements and a federal hiring freeze have placed additional strain on both staff and veterans.
Since his first term, President Donald Trump’s policies have produced a mixed record for veterans. On the positive side, his administration expanded access to private-sector health care, streamlined benefit appeals, and extended compensation to Vietnam-era service members exposed to Agent Orange. Yet those gains are tempered by cost-cutting measures. As of November 2025, the VA is midway through eliminating about 30,000 jobs through attrition and a freeze on new hires. Critics, including veteran-advocacy groups, warn that these reductions – along with the end of a foreclosure-assistance program and proposed rollbacks in housing support and reproductive and mental health care – could delay vital services, strain outreach and deepen hardship in rural communities.
Even so, La Plata County’s veterans and advocates embody the enduring spirit of service. Their collaboration reminds us that patriotism isn’t confined to ceremonies or speeches; it lives in the daily work of honoring, supporting, and standing beside those who once stood for us – ensuring that every veteran, from Bayfield to Ignacio to Durango, continues to receive the dignity, opportunity, and care they have earned.
