On the front page of the Aug. 23 Herald, I read that two men committed the crime of sexual assault. Sadly, not unusual these days, even in Durango.

However, these two individuals committed the crime not in a private place or a back alley. They did it in the American Legion bar! For those of you who do not know, the American Legion was formed by veterans returning from World War I. It was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 and is the largest wartime veterans service organization in the country. On its website, the Legion states “it is committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs” among other activities.

I am a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and I find the fact that two obvious criminals who can have access to the American Legion facility to commit sexual assault is a complete loss of control by the members who are supposed to run the Legion locally.

This story was disgusting to read, and I am ashamed that a person can be the victim of a crime in a place that we, as veterans, are supposed to feel support from. Ironic that the day before, the Herald ran an article about the Legion. I hope that by running this story, the Herald gets the attention of the leaders of the local community.

It is a disgrace to the organization and all the men and women out there who have served that the Post 28 hall has become a place where criminals can perpetrate depraved acts on people.

James Pitts

Durango