Ever since moving to Park County in 2017, I have been impressed by the support veterans receive here. 

I’ve covered Veterans Day events around the county, and I love that my sons have been able to be part of events honoring veterans in both Cody and Powell. 

Having veterans and active duty soldiers in our family, our children have a pretty good idea of the importance of honoring those who serve, but it is always good to extend that recognition to all veterans in the community. I wholeheartedly believe that kids raised understanding the sacrifice and importance of service, whether they ever serve in the military or not, is one of the best lessons they can learn. 

So I appreciate the schools in Powell and Cody for what they do to honor vets, as well as the Powell American Legion, Cody VFW and other service organizations that also do their part to thank them. 

This area, which has an above average number of veterans to start with, is also a hotbed for organizations that live to support veterans. I had the privilege, soon after arriving in Cody, of talking to the founders of Downrange Warriors, an organization focused on helping area veterans through a variety of issues, and of halting the tragedy of veteran suicides by bringing them into a spiritual community surrounded by fellow veterans who can actually understand what they went through. 

And just this week I talked with Wes Mangus, of Lovell, about his organization K9 Elite, which trains service dogs to give free to veterans in need. Mangus was floored at the incredible amount of financial support he’s received the last two years at fundraising banquets in Powell. He’s hoping the extra funds will continue and allow him to train even more dogs for vets next year. 

Our veterans, whether they served in a war zone, monitored communications, fixed and fueled vehicles or performed other crucial tasks, were all willing to risk their lives in defense of our country and ideals. The least we can give them in return is everything they need to live good lives after their military service. In the Big Horn Basin, it’s good to see the ideal of supporting veterans is alive and well.