Vietnam Veteran appeals to save mobile VA clinic

Torrington facility faces closure after VFW host site shutters, leaving rural veterans without nearby care

TORRINGTON —  A handwritten letter from a Vietnam veteran to local newspaper editors highlights a healthcare crisis facing veterans in the Torrington area, where a mobile VA clinic serving approximately 170 veterans for 14 years is at risk of closure. 

Richard Dooley, identified in the letter as a Vietnam veteran, is personally reaching out to elected officials and the media to prevent the loss of what he describes as a vital healthcare resource for area veterans. 

The mobile clinic, operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, is in jeopardy due to the recent closure of the Torrington VFW post that hosted the facility. 

“The Torrington VA mobile clinic is in danger of closing (because of the closing of the Torrington VFW),” Dooley wrote in his appeal. “This clinic now serves about 170 veterans. The clinic has been here for 14 years.” 

The veteran has contacted multiple elected representatives seeking intervention, including Wyoming’s federal delegation and state lawmakers:  U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis; U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman; Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Torrington; Rep. JD Williams, R-Lusk; and Rep. Scott Smith, R-Lingle.

In his letter, Dooley specifically asks the representatives to “contact the VA in Cheyenne to help keep this clinic in Torrington open” and requests assistance from Cheyenne VA officials “to find a new place to park the VA mobile clinic in Torrington.” 

The potential closure raises concerns about healthcare access for rural veterans, who often face significant travel distances to reach VA facilities. 

Mobile clinics are designed to bring essential medical services directly to underserved veteran populations, making healthcare more accessible in areas where permanent VA facilities may not be feasible. 

The Cheyenne VA Medical Center, which likely oversees the mobile clinic operations, has not yet responded to requests for comment about the facility’s future or efforts to secure an alternative location. 

For veterans currently served by the Torrington mobile clinic, the closure would mean potentially traveling much farther distances for routine medical care, creating barriers that could impact their health outcomes and quality of life. 

This story was published on August 6, 2025.