This Veterans Day, our community 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 Montezuma County, an estimated 2,388 veterans – likely closer to 3,000, or about 8.9% of the county’s 26,841 residents as of 2024 – represent a profound legacy of military service and sacrifice that continues to define who we are (Journal, Aug. 18).
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, ranchers, first responders 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 Ute Mountain Ute and Southern 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.
Montezuma County lives out that commitment daily. At its center is Travis Parker, the county veterans service officer, described by fellow advocates as “the tip of the spear,” (Journal, Aug. 18). Parker connects veterans with the Department of Veterans Affairs, helping file claims, secure health care and access benefits. His office has filed nearly 250 claims this year, generating more than $3.8 million in disability and pension income for local veterans and their families. Working alongside VFW Post 5231, the American Legion Ute Mountain Post 75 and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 44, Parker has strengthened a network of care that powers events like September’s Montezuma Stand Down for Veterans – a one-day job, health-fair and resource event organized by the VFW. The Stand Down connected veterans from across Southwest Colorado to employment assistance, housing support, and free medical and dental screenings, demonstrating what community service for veterans truly looks like.
Another gathering place for veterans is the Cortez Veterans Center, located at 432 North Broadway, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The center welcomes all veterans for camaraderie, conversation and what its members like to call “free coffee and bad jokes.” It serves as both a social hub and an informal resource center for veterans.
Still, these vital services face uncertainty. Even if the federal 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 hiring freezes strain 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 to cut backlogs, and extended compensation to Vietnam-era sailors 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 hiring freeze. Critics, including veteran-advocacy groups, warn that these reductions – along with the end of a foreclosure-assistance program and proposed rollbacks in housing, reproductive, and mental health care – could delay vital services, strain outreach and deepen hardship in rural communities like ours.
Even so, Montezuma 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. From Towaoc to Dolores and Dove Creek, Mancos to Cortez, every veteran deserves the dignity, opportunity and respect they have earned.
