‘We fought for you, fight for us’ — Veterans rally at Capitol
U.S. Army veteran Lisa Osvold holds a sign that reads, “We fought for you — Fight for us!” as she joins other protesters at the state Capitol on Friday. “Many people have died for democracy, to fight for democracy,” Osvold said. “It just saddens me, and it breaks my heart that it was all for nothing.” Photo by Ivy Secrest, Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
CHEYENNE — A small crowd of veterans and their allies huddled together outside of the Wyoming State Capitol on Friday, braving wind and snow to protest the current administration’s treatment of veterans.
Veterans, the children of veterans and their allies showed up to protest layoffs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, cuts to veterans benefits, actions of the current administration and the treatment of veterans in general.
After 21 years of active-duty service in the U.S. Air Force, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jason Laird came to the rally to protest what he called the mistreatment of veterans.
During the rally, he held an American flag with major corporate logos in place of stars that read, “My country is not for sale.”
“I have saluted too many flag-draped caskets of people making our nation a better place, not (for) corporate profit,” Laird said. “It sucks seeing veterans get their benefits cut, services reduced, just because it’s not cost-effective enough for Elon Musk.”
Laird was not alone in his frustration with what he classified as the current administration’s lack of regard for veteran services. Lisa Osvold, a U.S. Army veteran whose husband and son have both served in the Air Force, expressed her frustrations with the current administration’s willingness to break promises made to veterans.
“We willingly served our country, our country made a promise to us, and they’re breaking it,” Osvold said. “We’re also very concerned about the rise of fascism. The very things that veterans died for, now we’re seeing face-to-face in our country. We’re here for our benefits, but also, more importantly, for our democracy.”
Protesters held signs and echoed chants demanding respect for veterans and criticizing President Donald Trump, Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Joseph Ramirez led the crowd, chanting “Land of the free, home of the brave,” “Hey hey ho ho Elon Musk has got to go!” and “We fought for you, fight for us.”
Ramirez continually referred to protesters as “citizen warriors,” reminding them to continue to “fight with veterans.”
The crowd was particularly frustrated with cuts made to the VA and the federal workforce.
According to an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press on March 5, the VA is planning a reorganization that includes cutting more than 80,000 jobs.
Laird said the administration should leave veterans systems in place.
“The cuts they’re making aren’t beneficial,” Laird said.
“There’s no organization that you can just drastically start slashing manpower in and get better service from. Leave our existing programs in place. Veterans are pretty good about taking care of ourselves, but if you take our resources away, it just makes our job harder.”
In addition to veterans’ benefits, many of the protesters were concerned about the future of the country. Many veterans have dedicated their careers to fighting fascism abroad and protecting democracy, Osvold said.
“Many people have died for democracy, to fight for democracy,” Osvold said. “It just saddens me, and it breaks my heart that it was all for nothing.”
The newly elected chairman of the Laramie County Democrats, Matthew Snyder, attended the rally in solidarity with veterans.
“We’re turning our backs on people that have sacrificed and died for this country,” Snyder said. “And there are decisions that are being made that are costing lives and that are costing people their livelihoods. If I don’t speak up for that, I’m not speaking up for anything.”
This story was published on March 15, 2025.