The parades and ceremonies are smaller this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the spirit of honoring soldiers’ service is strong in La Plata and Montezuma counties.
The tradition of honoring veterans on Nov. 11, Veterans Day, started in 1919 on the one-year anniversary of Armistice Day, when fighting ceased in World War I. Now, it’s a national holiday that honors and supports the military community. But this year, ceremonies come with face coverings and smaller gatherings because of the pandemic.
“Everything that we normally do has been put off,” said Tony Schrier, commander of the Bill Whitney Post 143 in Bayfield. “We got fed up and said we’re going to do something for Veterans Day because it’s the last event of the year. COVID is what it is.”
Post 143 is holding a flag-raising ceremony at the Pine River Cemetery veterans memorial starting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Community members can gather, but masks and social distancing are recommended to comply with public health guidelines, Schrier said.
Not only will the event honor the holiday, it also celebrates the 100th anniversary of Post 143, he said.
Other communities are finding their own ways of commemorating Veterans Day, even with public health restrictions.
In Durango, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4031 is gathering about 15 veterans for a drive-by parade down Main Avenue starting at 11 a.m. from the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot.
Four U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets will also fly over Durango just before noon Wednesday.
The VFW post canceled its gathering after the Main Avenue convoy because of a recent COVID-19 exposure at the VFW building, said David Latham, canteen manager.
In Cortez, American Legion Post 75 will have a breakfast and veterans parade Wednesday, said Mike Colen, adjutant for the post.
At 1 p.m. Wednesday, the local color guard, Air Force Cadettes, veterans’ groups and members of the public will start the parade from the Montezuma County Annex in Cortez.
People are welcome to walk, bike or take personal vehicles, Colen said, but anyone who wants to drive in the parade should meet at the annex building at noon.
The breakfast for veterans and their guests will take place from 7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday at American Legion Hall. Veterans have free admission, and the cost is $5 per person for guests.
Both events recommend face coverings and social distancing for the guests, Colen said.
“That’s all we can do is ask them,” he said. “It’s really up to the person whether they want to do it or not.”
The events serve as an opportunity to offer a sense of community and support to local veterans.
Schrier, who spent five years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, works with the Bayfield post to give financial and labor assistance to local veterans.
Colen, a Marine Corps veteran, didn’t feel supported when he came home from the Vietnam War – or when he lived in California.
“I moved out here about six years ago, and I was completely floored by people coming up and thanking me for my service. There’s no hatred of veterans here,” he said. “It chokes us up a lot, the help that we get.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect start time of the parade in Durango. Incorrect information was given to the Herald.
