Vets honor their own

Bruce LeClaire spoke to the long-standing traditions and family practices surrounding the of honoring of veterans in Native American culture.

Raymond Baker gives a salute in recognition of each veteran, following the placement of a small American flag at the base of each headstone.

Evoking honor while adding a splash of color to the Ouray Memorial Cemetery, the gravesites of Southern Ute veterans are individually marked with crisp American flags each year by members of the Southern Ute Veterans Association.

Aidan LeClaire White Thunder helps his father, Damon, mark the gravestones of veterans in the Ouray Memorial Cemetery on Sunday, May 24.

A single headstone, adorned with American flags and flowers, honoring the legacy left behind by this tribal veteran.

Rudley Weaver hoists a set of brand-new flags above the grave stones of his relatives in Ouray Memorial cemetery, Eric N. Weaver and Clifford Johnson Weaver.

Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum

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Fri Jun 5th, 2020 , by Jeremy Wade Shockley | The Southern Ute Drum

Honoring Traditions

On Sunday, May 24, the Southern Ute Veterans Association honored a longstanding tradition — one that has been upheld for decades — of decorating the gravesites of Southern Ute veterans with American flags. The flags are left in place through the Memorial Day weekend, showing gratitude for those who served. Association members, Bruce LeClaire, Raymond Baker, Rudley Weaver and Damon White Thunder worked as a team to cover the area ahead of Memorial Day; removing older faded flags from previous years.