Colorado Springs turned out by the thousands Saturday to salute the nation’s veterans — even as Washington has put many of them in limbo.

While spectators filled downtown sidewalks waving small American flags and thanking those who served, a government shutdown that has prevented new funding for several services and programs has left some veterans questioning whether support for the military is reaching Capitol Hill.

With tears in his eyes, 54-year-old Navy veteran Frank Lude said it was his first time attending the In Their Honor Veterans Day Parade, and seeing the community support has restored his lost faith in a country he served for years.

“Veteran’s Day is the one day out of the year that I never feel alone,” Lude said. “You can see the tears in my eyes. (This event) is really, really good.”

To some, the 33rd annual parade was overshadowed by looming consequences from the shutdown, which even impacted the event itself.

Three high-ranking members of the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps were supposed to be the grand marshals of the 2025 parade, but event organizer and spokesperson Andrew Koen said they didn’t participate because of the shutdown.

Another missing puzzle piece was active-duty service members, who didn’t participate in the parade this year. Koen said there were a few entries with service members that had to cancel because of the shutdown.

Some veterans feel like federal government support has been lacking, including 81-year-old Everette Cyr.

While not personally feeling the effects of the shutdown, Cyr said some of his veteran buddies who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are concerned they may go hungry after funding for the food aid program has frozen.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP helps 1.2 million veterans across the country.

The food aid program provides money to roughly 42 million people in the country, but the service ran out of funding and has been in legal limbo since the start of November.

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the shutdown, according to reporting from The Associated Press.

A Rhode Island federal judge had ordered the Trump administration to find enough money to restore full funding to SNAP benefits for the month of November, but the Republican administration asked an appeals court to allow planned partial SNAP payments for the month instead of requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund.

The appeals court declined to immediately step in, so Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ordered a pause on the requirement to fully distribute SNAP payments until the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause, according to the AP.

The order will remain in place until 48 hours after the appeals court issues a ruling, which will give the administration time to return to the Supreme Court if the appeals court refuses to intervene.

More than a half-dozen state officials told the AP that SNAP recipients were already issued full November payments on Friday, but the court’s decision could prevent other states from initiating the payments.

Colorado is one of these states.

On Friday, state officials submitted their SNAP payments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to a news release from the Colorado Department of Human Services.

The department said SNAP participants will “likely” see full payments as early as Saturday, but they noted that it remains an “evolving situation,” and new court opinions or guidance from the federal government could still impact access to benefits for the month of November.

According to a release, more than 600,000 Coloradans rely on SNAP.

“Congress needs to be put in a room and have the heat turned up to 90 degrees and told they can’t leave until they’ve funded the government,” Cyr said. “They’re supposed to compromise to keep the country running. That’s what they’re there for.”

The Air Force veteran, who has been attending the parade with his other veteran friend “on and off” since the ’90s, said local support is a stark contrast to the lack of it from those in power.

Shane Marshall, a 53-year-old Navy veteran, agreed, adding that it feels like the government has been ignoring the voices advocating for the military community.

Marshall cited cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs workforce by about 30,000 and funding by $12 billion as one example of how support has wavered.

Senior policy analyst for the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute Russell Lemle told The Gazette in July that the funding cut will create a “slow death spiral” for the VA because money will follow veterans shifting to receiving health care from community providers, meaning fewer dollars get reinvested in VA care, and even more patients must be sent to community care.

“I think the government needs to do a lot more for veterans. We’re out there fighting for our country, fighting for the rights of everyone, and I just feel that the government doesn’t see us,” Marshall said.

For the VA, medical facilities, outpatient clinics and veteran-benefit payments have remained operational amid the shutdown, according to the American Legion.

But benefits regional offices and some hotlines have closed, the American Legion said. The VA has also ceased providing transition program assistance and career counseling among other services.

Active-duty members are required to report for duty even without pay because their work is considered essential for national security. However, the troops have yet to miss a paycheck.

President Donald Trumped signed an order in October that directed Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth to “use for the purpose of pay and allowances any funds appropriated by the Congress that remain available for the expenditure in Fiscal Year 2026 to accomplish the scheduled disbursement of military pay and allowances for active duty military personnel,” according to reporting from Reuters.

Despite the lack of support from the government, Cyr and other veterans said the parade in Colorado Springs “keeps us strong.”

People clapped and cheered as cars, floats and people strolled down Tejon Street. Some entries showcased veterans, while others were there to honor the military in their own way.

Thousands set up along the sidewalks to show support, some nodding along to the rhythmic thumping of the drums or the tunes played through the trumpets and trombones.

Cyr and other veterans said it’s nice seeing the city come out to support the military community, adding that the love makes an impact on them.

“You can spot the veterans out in the crowds, and you’re only seeing happy faces,” Lude said. “To be able to have an event like this that shows off the military — it’s a thumbs-up from me.”