Spree of Ceremonies Pay Tribute to Military Heroes
Rick Langenberg
You are always welcome here in Teller County; and remember to listen to a fellow veteran.
And let’s not forget to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. In addition, let’s look out for one another, and even give a hug or two, as we are losing too many of our military comrades.
These were some of the themes that echoed across the Ute Pass Cultural Center on Nov. 11, as Teller County played its part in celebrating Veterans Day.
This is a special day in Teller County, a rare place with a booming population of veterans and active military personnel, a far cry from other parts of the country, where the number of veterans is dwindling rapidly. In fact, it is estimated that the country now has less than one percent of its adult population who are actively serving in the military, a staggering drop from 1980. This isn’t the case in Teller County, an area blessed with 20 percent of its population consisting of those who have served (or are now serving) in an American military branch, whether it’s with the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps or other related agencies.
As a result, several hundred people filled the Cultural Center to partake in the annual Veterans Day Dinner, organized by the local American Legion Post 1980, a function attended by many area veterans, current military personnel and hordes of community leaders. “They (local veterans) are welcome here in Teller County,” said Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams, a retired U.S. Army Colonel, Apache pilot and highly experienced combat veteran, who made the keynote speech of the ceremony. “Teller County is an open place (for veterans.)”
Contrary to many locales, Williams noted that one of four adults in Teller County are part of the veteran community. It is this sense of comradery he cites as a critical component in helping ex-military personnel in dealing with the many struggles they face in coping with civilian life, past experiences and post-traumatic stress disorders.
But unlike the Vietnam era, he lauded the fact that instead of being spit on during their return from the battlefield, they are being welcomed with open arms. This point is quite personal for Williams, who contends that his father, a Vietnam veteran, always struggled with the way Vietnam War soldiers were treated when they came home. Williams admitted his father underwent many psychological wounds as a result of this unfair treatment.
The Cultural Center main room was filled with many Vietnam veterans at last week’s ceremony. But the ceremony also featured a 95-year-old military survivor of the Korean War.
The ceremony represented the final pinnacle of a slew of all-day veteran tributes, held in the Cripple Creek/Victor High School and in the Woodland Park High School and in other parts of the community. Williams said many younger students were in tears when he informed them, they are the future veterans, and some of them will be involved in future military conflicts. “The world is more dangerous than ever before,” said Williams, who frequently speaks with aghast at mankind’s continual desire to have wars, despite the pleas for peace among those veterans who stood at the front of the battlefield and incurred the bulk of the casualties.
He outlined the historic origins of Veterans Day from “Armistice Day,” following the end of World War I, described as “The Great War.” This was a conflict between the Allied Nations and Germany, resulting in the death of more than 16 million. This conflict, according to Williams, introduced soldiers to the horrific realities of modern warfare, and especially machine guns.
Willaims cited the vast number of veterans who died in World War 11, and that are continuing to die at an alarming rate. “The greatest generation who saw 12 percent of our population serving and who changed the world, is nearly gone,” said Williams.
The same trend has developed for Vietnam veterans with only 619,000 still alive from 6.3 million who served in the war. “Every day, we are losing them,” said Williams, when discussing veteran deaths. He even paid tribute to another local military veteran, Patrick Weier, who died recently from a mining accident at the Mollie Kathleen Mine.
But in a more celebratory tone, Williams noted that Teller is a pro-veteran area, with many former servicemen and ladies holding positions in government and owning and operating businesses. “There is a good chance that you know one and hold that relationship dear. Take the time to thank them for the time in their life they put country ahead of self. Thank them for their personal service and the sacrifice of their families and themselves Take time to listen to them and if so moved, give them a hug; these days we could all use one.”
Williams, a frequent speaker at veteran-oriented functions, admitted that most former military personnel don’t like to talk openly about their past experiences on the battlefield. ‘We don’t talk about war too much,” said the Teller commissioner. That’s why he stressed the importance of the area’s strong network of veteran connections in the community.
The Veterans Day dinner, sponsored by a variety of local restaurants and businesses, has gained growing popularity. In fact, by 5 p.m., the official start time of the Nov. 11 function, there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. This year too, special tributes were made to a growing element of the veteran population that didn’t receive much notoriety in the past: women who have served in the military. Women have become a big element of the veteran family, according to American Legion representatives.
