Colorado Veterans Posts

About Veterans Organizations in Colorado

A deep look at the history, oldest posts, membership process, and notable veterans connected to Colorado.

History of Veterans Organizations in Colorado

Colorado's veterans organizations developed alongside the state's growing military identity in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Colorado contributed regiments to both the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, and Grand Army of the Republic posts were active in mining towns from Leadville to Cripple Creek through the early 1900s. Spanish-American War veterans organized in Denver, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs in the early 20th century. When the American Legion was federally chartered in 1919, Colorado chartered posts almost immediately.

Department of Colorado was officially organized that summer, and within a year posts were active from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope. Many founding members had served with the 89th Division or with regiments mobilized through Camp Funston in nearby Kansas. World War II accelerated everything. Colorado hosted significant training installations including Camp Carson (now Fort Carson), Lowry Field in Denver, Buckley Field in Aurora, the Colorado Springs Army Air Base (now Peterson Space Force Base), and the Western Slope's Grand Junction Army Air Base.

After V-J Day many of those servicemembers stayed or returned, and the post network grew substantially. The Cold War transformed Colorado Springs into a national military hub with the founding of the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1954 (with classes initially held at Lowry until the Colorado Springs campus opened), the establishment of NORAD inside Cheyenne Mountain, and the steady growth of Fort Carson. The Korean and Vietnam waves added members, and a strong Air Force retiree community took root in Colorado Springs and along the Front Range.

Notable state-specific events include the dedication of the Colorado Veterans Memorial at Cheesman Park in Denver, the long history of Boys State at the University of Northern Colorado, and the establishment of state veterans cemeteries in Grand Junction, Homelake, Pueblo, and Aurora.

Oldest and Most Historic Posts in Colorado

Among Colorado's oldest American Legion posts, Denver Post 1 holds pride of place, chartered in 1919 and active continuously. Colorado Springs Post 5 was chartered in 1919 and has long served the community at the foot of Pikes Peak. Pueblo Post 2 served the steel-mill workforce and was chartered with strong Civil War and Spanish-American War heritage links. Boulder Post 10 was founded in 1919-1920 and has been a fixture in the university town.

Greeley Post 18 served the Eastern Plains agricultural community. Fort Collins Post 4 (now consolidated under different post numbers in some records) traces its roots to 1919-1920 and continues to serve Larimer County. Grand Junction Post 37 has long been the principal Western Slope post. Trinidad Post 9 served the southern coalfields and counted among its members veterans of the Mexican Border service as well as WWI.

Durango Post 28 served the southwestern Colorado community and remains active. Cripple Creek and Leadville posts, organized in the silver and gold mining towns, drew on a mix of WWI and earlier veterans. Many of these older posts maintain original charters and historical archives. The Department of Colorado has supported a number of these halls through preservation grants over the years.

VFW Posts in Colorado: A Closer Look

VFW history in Colorado tracks the state's military participation patterns. The first Colorado VFW posts were chartered in the early 1920s in Denver, Pueblo, and Colorado Springs. Department of Colorado VFW grew through the interwar years as Spanish-American War, WWI, and Mexican Border veterans organized. WWII triggered the largest expansion, followed by Korea and Vietnam.

Today the VFW Department of Colorado oversees roughly a hundred posts, with concentrations in the Denver metro area, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, the Northern Front Range (Greeley, Fort Collins, Loveland), and the Western Slope (Grand Junction, Montrose). Eligibility for VFW differs from the Legion in that VFW requires honorable service plus qualifying foreign service: a campaign or expeditionary medal, hostile-fire or imminent-danger pay, or 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea. State-specific concentration is unsurprisingly heavy in El Paso County (Colorado Springs) and along the Front Range, given the presence of Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station.

Colorado VFW members include large contingents of Air Force pilots and crews, Special Forces (10th Special Forces Group is at Fort Carson), and 4th Infantry Division soldiers.

AMVETS, DAV, and Other Veterans Organizations in Colorado

AMVETS Department of Colorado operates posts across the state, with strong presences in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Grand Junction. The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Colorado is a robust organization with chapters in nearly every county and a long-standing transportation program for veterans needing rides to the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora and clinics in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Grand Junction, and elsewhere. Other prominent Colorado veterans organizations include the Marine Corps League (with strong detachments in Colorado Springs and Denver), the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Korean War Veterans Association, the Special Forces Association (with notable membership tied to 10th SFG at Fort Carson), and the 4th Infantry Division Association. Colorado is also home to chapters of the Mountain Post Warrior Center community and various Air Force-related associations centered on Colorado Springs.

Colorado Veterans Posts by the Numbers

Colorado has approximately 130 to 160 active American Legion posts, organized under the Department of Colorado. The VFW Department of Colorado maintains an estimated 90 to 110 active posts. AMVETS operates roughly 20 to 30 posts statewide. The total veteran population in Colorado is estimated at 380,000 to 410,000, a high per-capita figure reflecting the state's many active and retired military residents.

District structure for the American Legion divides Colorado into a dozen or so geographic districts. The Department of Colorado conducts an annual convention, runs Boys State at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, and supports oratorical contests, Junior Shooting Sports, and a robust calendar of statewide veteran events.

How to Join a Veterans Post in Colorado

Joining a veterans organization in Colorado is straightforward. American Legion eligibility requires honorable U.S. Armed Forces service during a recognized war era; the LEGION Act of 2019 effectively covers December 7, 1941 to the present. Colorado Legion dues commonly run $40 to $65 annually, varying by post.

VFW membership requires honorable service plus qualifying foreign service such as a campaign medal, expeditionary medal, hostile-fire or imminent-danger pay, or 30 days in Korea. Colorado VFW dues typically run $40 to $60 per year. AMVETS is open to any honorably discharged veteran or active-duty member. Sponsor requirements at Colorado posts are typically informal: applicants need a DD-214 or equivalent service documentation.

The Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and county veterans service officers can help with documentation and verification. Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion, and Legion Riders programs are widely available. Online membership and renewal are offered through legion.org, vfw.org, and amvets.org. The high concentration of active-duty units in Colorado means many members join while still in uniform and remain active after retirement.

Notable Colorado Veterans in History

Colorado has been home to many notable veterans active in the state's veterans organizations. General John P. Jumper, a former Air Force Chief of Staff and Air Force Academy alumnus, retired in Colorado and remained connected to veterans groups. General Norton Schwartz, another former Air Force Chief of Staff, has Colorado ties through the Academy.

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a Korean War Air Force veteran, was a longtime Colorado Legion supporter. Colonel Robert L. Howard, one of the most decorated Special Forces soldiers in U.S. history with multiple Medal of Honor recommendations and one award, served at Fort Carson and was active in 10th SFG veterans groups.

Astronaut and Air Force pilot Jack Swigert, a Denver native and Apollo 13 crewmember, retained Colorado Legion connections. Senator Gary Hart, a Navy Reserve veteran, supported Colorado veterans causes. More recently, several Air Force and Army Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have transitioned into post leadership in El Paso County and Pueblo County. Colorado's ties to the Tuskegee Airmen are preserved through the Hubert L.

"Hooks" Jones chapter and other groups that participate in events at Buckley and Peterson.

Frequently Asked Questions: Colorado Veterans Posts

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.legion.org/departments/colorado
• https://www.vfw.org/
• https://www.amvets.org/
• https://vets.colorado.gov/
• https://www.dav.org/