A day like no other in Teller County, Veterans Day is emotional and ceremonial. In a place where one in four residents are veterans, Nov. 11 is a day of reverence.

Ceremonies in both school districts culminated in the dinner where more than 150 veterans, friends and family gathered that evening at the Ute Pass Cultural Center.

“You are beloved; you matter,” said Dan Williams, Commander of American Legion Post # 1980 and Teller County commission chair.  “All of us carry battle scars and lessons. We get a little misty-eyed around Veterans Day. Please get to know us.”

And that’s what happened as veterans joined in conversations, either at the tables or in line for a buffet, with barbecued brisket, prepared, in part, by the American Legion Auxiliary and other members of the community.

“I served in the Navy during the Cold War in 1957-58,” said Gene Sperry, a longtime Woodland Park resident who had never come to the annual Veterans Day dinner until that evening. He took an active part in discussions about hunting, wild animals and news about various residents and old times in Woodland Park.

Bob Accinni attended the ceremony at Woodland Park High School and was also at the dinner.  

“It’s good to talk to people,” he said.

A widower whose wife of 58 years died Dec. 6, 2021, Accinni acknowledged feeling lonely.  But he was animated when talking about his military service with the U.S. Army where he served in Korea. 

In preface to the Legion’s tribute that evening to soldiers imprisoned or missing in action, Williams recalled his memory of watching on television the return of John McCain who was captured and imprisoned for five and a half years, from Oct. 1967 to March 1973.

“The imprisoned suffered pain and deprivation, but their spirits were not broken,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the ceremony at the high school highlighted the significance of veterans in Teller County who fought, or continue to fight, in America’s wars.

“I am the daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter of a veteran but the whole family serves,” said Ginger Slocum, interim superintendent of the Woodland Park School District, who was briefly emotional in welcoming students to the ceremony.

On the same note, dozens of students stood up in response to a question by Tory Richey, the high school principal, about how many were related to people serving in the military. 

Staff, too, responded to the question with raised hands; Richey said he had served in Korea.

There were tender moments when a student, Tori Stein, paid tribute to U.S. Marine Corps veteran Tim Seeker for his kindness and dedication to the students. Seeker is a regular at sports events and other activities.

In Cripple Creek, Mayor Annie Durham halted the ceremony at the high school for a moment of silence when the clock struck 11 a.m. to recall the origin of Veterans Day on 11/11/11. 

“We want to honor the sacrifices of our veterans,” she said.

Rich Ingold, a veteran who served with the U.S. Air Force, talked about standards, moral as well as physical, required of being in the military.

“That eliminates 80% of the population,” he said.  Ingold’s message was to encourage young people to join the military. 

Dale Kozelka had an even stronger message about joining up.  

“A career in the military is challenging, exciting and rewarding,” said Kozelka, who served with the Special Forces in the 101^st and 82^nd Airborne Divisions.

Kozelka went for the enticement mode about auxiliary benefits of deployments around the world.  

“I rode a camel in the Sahara Desert, skied on a mountain near the Russian border and did a free fall in France,” he said. Today, Kozelka teaches at the district’s construction trades school.

Music and song heightened the emotional tone of the day’s event, from the National Anthem in Cripple Creek to tributes in patriotic songs and music ensembles in Woodland Park.

“Trust, duty and honor, these are the ideals that hold our nation together,” said James Urban, a student at Woodland Park High School, in a tribute to his father who served with the 101^st Airborne Division in Afghanistan.