Grand Junction VA Medical Center celebrates its 75th anniversary and invites community to ceremony and VetFest

VetFest will occur from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Community Living Center parking lot at 2121 North Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501.

For Veterans and their families, VetFest is a great way to connect with resources and VA staff. VetFest will have resource booths and access to information on VA health care, enrollment, benefits and the expansion of the PACT Act. It also includes a history exhibit, food and live music.

The anniversary ceremony begins at 2:00 p.m. with remarks given by Grand Junction VAMC Director Richard Salgueiro and VISN 19 Network Director Sunaina Kumar-Giebel.

“For the past 75 years, we have had the honor of serving Veterans from different generations and campaigns,” said VA Western Colorado Health Care System Executive Director Richard Salgueiro. As we look to the future of Grand Junction VA Medical Center, we will continue providing outstanding health care because of our dedicated staff and community support.”

Grand Junction VA Medical Center was originally built to meet the needs of Veterans returning from World War II. In 1945, the city sold VA 40 acres of land near Lincoln Park for $1.

Construction began in 1947. U.S. Army Veteran Frank Cheney, who lost both legs in Pearl Harbor, was the honoree who officially broke ground for the new hospital. Grand Junction VA Medical Center, the largest building in the city at the time, was completed in Feb. 1949, and admitted its first patients on May 16.

Today, Grand Junction VA Medical Center is more than a hospital. It is the center of VA Western Colorado Health Care System, which includes VA clinics in Glenwood Springs, Craig, and Montrose, Colorado and Moab, Utah. The system spans 17 counties and serves 37,000 Veterans. 

Stephanie McAntee, Director of Communications and Community Development

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