The Colorado Springs Disabled American Veterans service center will close its doors at the end of the month, meaning that the thousands of veterans who depend on the nonprofit for assistance with filing claims will have to travel to Lakewood.

Volunteers and employees said the July 29 closure will present hardships for the 9,000 clients the center sees each year.

Michael Terry, DAV Department of Colorado adjutant, said the board voted to close the service center due to low profits at the Colorado Springs DAV thrift store, which will remain open. The nonprofit relies on the thrift store as its main source of income and does not receive government funding.

The DAV is a national organization that provides support to disabled veterans and their families.

Van transportation to appointments at the Denver Veteran Affairs Medical Center will continue, but veterans will not be shuttled to the Lakewood service center.

Terry said the service center in Denver also will close, but transportation to the medical center will continue.

The Lakewood service center as well as one in Grand Junction will remain open, he said.

The local service center building, near North Academy Boulevard and La Salle Street, will be sold.

“It’s very hard for the board and myself to do this, but sometimes some tough decisions have to be made and we will work to try to provide service once again down there if we can work it out,” Terry said. “The main thing people can do to help out is shop at the thrift store.”

Pete Tetley, who has been a volunteer driver for 18 years, said the service center aids veterans who would otherwise be overwhelmed with paperwork.

“There are so many complications to getting compensation and pension,” he said. “They’re taking away professional, valuable assistance that (veterans) need to make their lives tolerable.”

The service center assisted former Navy hospital corpsman Dave Drury, a Vietnam veteran, when he was diagnosed with cancer, and employees helped him complete disability claims for exposure to Agent Orange. For two years, he went to monthly follow-up appointments. Now, he will pay extra money for gas to drive to the center in Lakewood.

“I’ve gotten nothing less than the best of service from here. I hate to see them go. They’re experts in the claims process,” Drury said.

Volunteer driver Randy Faust fears the Lakewood center will be bombarded with clients, and said the veterans he drives to the medical center are in shock and sorrow at the news.

Employees and volunteers were confused by the decision to close the service center, some saying they weren’t given a reason why.

But Terry said veterans have been expecting the closure since October, when the board initially voted to shut down the service center and “found some new life until now.”

Faust said he is ashamed of the board’s choice to cut local service to veterans.

“Every time you look at a flag that’s at the top it’s there because of these guys,” he said. “Is that the treatment we want to show them in return?”

Members of the Great Britain boccia team played a game last year in London, where the 2012 Paralympics will be held, with more than 200 Americans expected to compete. The U.S. won 99 medals and 36 golds at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, finishing third in the total-medal count and the gold-medal count behind China and Great Britain. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sang Tan