STURGIS, S.D. – An event hosted by Congressman Dusty Johnson to honor Vietnam veterans in Sturgis this week unwittingly revealed the growing division among some veterans in South Dakota and beyond.
As Johnson told those assembled inside he wanted to make up for poor treatment of veterans in the 1960s and 1970s, a group of people outside the Sturgis Veteran's Club protested how veterans are being treated now by the Trump administration and Congress.
On the sidewalk outside the club, a dozen people carried signs and chanted slogans. The protesters, including some former military members, said widespread employee cuts in the Department of Veterans Affairs are weakening health care for veterans.
Inside the club, a few dozen people gathered for the ceremony led by Johnson, a third-term Republican. He started the event by lamenting how poorly many Vietnam veterans were treated upon returning home after their service.
"America is the best country in the world, but that doesn't mean that it's perfect," said Johnson. "If you needed to point to a piece of evidence of that imperfection, one place to start would be how we treated people in uniform in the 1960s and 1970s."
Johnson said that has changed over time and that American military personnel and veterans are now treated with far more respect and reverence and that "they're more likely to get a round of applause than they are to get spit on."
Johnson welcomed about 20 Vietnam veterans or their family members to Wednesday's event. The veterans came forward a few at a time, and each was given a commemorative coin, a certificate, a lapel pin and a handshake.
Veterans were also handed a microphone to share their stories of service in Vietnam. And while a couple remembrances were humorous, others were deeply moving and revealed the pride they feel about their service. At least one man began to weep.
One told how he was greeted in Vietnam by a commander but also by stacks of boxes containing dead soldiers waiting to be flown back to the states. The sister of one late veteran told how her brother became a journalist on the front lines in Vietnam and read aloud an eloquent letter he wrote home. She said her brother "died twice" from afflictions due to exposure to Agent Orange.
"This is an opportunity for our country to do the right thing," Johnson said later. "I look every one of these veterans in the eyes, I shake their hand, and I tell them that a grateful nation honors and thanks them for their service."
Protesters angry over VA cuts
But outside the veteran's club, protesters decried efforts by President Donald Trump and his adviser, Elon Musk, to cut VA staffing and programs.
They carried signs saying, "VA cuts hurt veterans," "Support vets and heroes" and "Veterans deserve better!"
The group of mostly gray-haired men and women shouted "Save our veterans," "Hee hee, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go," "Trump is not our king," and "Show me what democracy looks like." One woman then added, "This is what democracy looks like, so take a good look because it won't be here for long."
Roseanna Renaud, 71, said she found it "despicable" that Johnson was honoring veterans at a time veteran services are being cut and many veterans are losing their jobs, and the Republican-controlled Congress is doing nothing to stop it.
"Veterans are starting to wake up and notice that they can't get that appointment that they need, that they can't get that treatment," said Renaud, who said she is a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and a retired police lieutenant.
"I find it just absolutely disgusting. I mean, there's a sign over there about the Veterans Crisis Line and at the same time they have slashed mental health services for veterans. You think that's right? Hell, no."
At one point, a man entered into an argument with a protester and shoved the 74-year-old man to the ground. Later, John Henry, 76, of Sturgis, was arrested for simple assault, said Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDerwater. The protester was not seriously injured.
VA might cut thousands of jobs
Actions by the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency already have led to the firing of a few thousand VA employees and the suspension of hundreds of contracts for services, according to The Associated Press.
The AP reported on March 5 that an internal VA memo announced a major reorganization this summer that will cut 80,000 more jobs from the agency that provides health care and other services to millions of veterans.
More than a quarter of the VA’s workforce is comprised of veterans, and veterans made up nearly a third of the overall federal workforce, which has seen dramatic job cuts under the Trump administration. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has said the job cuts are not in mission-critical positions and that veteran care would not be affected.
But during the ceremony, one Vietnam veteran who was being honored by Johnson shared his concerns that staff and funding cuts to the VA could harm the ability of sick or injured service members to receive the care and services they need.
Robert Orr, who said he served in the Air Force Strategic Air Command from 1970-77, spoke up about VA cuts when Johnson handed him the microphone.
"I'm very pleased with the care I've gotten at the VA," Orr said. "Congressman Johnson, if you can, do what you can to restore the funding and personnel to the VA."
Orr added that, "I've never heard there was a surplus of staff at the VA," a comment that drew applause from ceremony attendees.
Orr later told News Watch that he has seen VA services slipping for some veterans he knows and is worried that any position, program or funding cuts could make it even harder for them to receive care.
Orr said he felt it was a "conflict" for Johnson to lead a ceremony honoring veterans while the president and Republican leadership in Congress have or will cut the VA budget and staff.
"I'd say it's a lack of critical thinking," Orr said.
In an interview after the ceremony, Johnson said he supports the ability of the protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights to criticize the government.
He said he had not spoken with the protesters but is monitoring the cuts and proposed cuts to the VA to ensure medical care and other services are not impacted.
Johnson: VA seeking efficiencies
Johnson said he is friends with VA secretary Collins, they have discussed how the VA is being managed and together have called out the Trump administration when the cuts "are not the right fit."
Johnson said the White House has been receptive to their concerns and suggestions.
"Congress hasn't and will not cut VA funding. There will certainly be some efficiencies that are found as we work together, but those efficiencies are going to be reinvested in the system," he said. "We have got to reduce these debts, and we know that no front care or provisioning staff have been cut. There have been some positions eliminated that we've got some concerns about. We're asking some tough questions to the (Trump) administration (because) we need to get this right."
SD News Watch
Johnson told News Watch he wasn't sure how many VA positions have been cut in South Dakota so far, but his understanding is that it is not a large number.
The South Dakota VA health system includes hospitals in Sturgis, Hot Springs and Sioux Falls and outpatient clinics in nine cities across the state.
Johnson said he and other members of Congress have spoken to agency heads, Cabinet secretaries and the White House to stay abreast of DOGE actions and cuts, including any related to the VA.
"Every week that goes by, we're building, I think, more successes as we go," Johnson said. "Clearly, there's a lot of change coming at us very quickly. We know that nobody's going to bat 1,000 and it's part of our job representing South Dakota to make sure that when the administration has a misstep, that we do what we can to get them back on the right track."
The Associated Press contributed to this story that was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact Bart Pfankuch at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.
