Talihina Veterans Home slated for Oct. 1 closure
TALIHINA — Well, the other shoe finally fell, just sooner than most expected.
Following a unanimous vote by the Oklahoma Veterans Commission at Thursday’s special meeting in Oklahoma City, the Talihina Veterans Home will be shuttered by October 1, which leaves Oklahoma veterans and their families looking for a place to live, at least for the next 16 months or so.
With the construction of the Sallisaw Veterans Center, it was just a matter of time before the Talihina facility became unnecessary....
TALIHINA — Well, the other shoe finally fell, just sooner than most expected.
Following a unanimous vote by the Oklahoma Veterans Commission at Thursday’s special meeting in Oklahoma City, the Talihina Veterans Home will be shuttered by October 1, which leaves Oklahoma veterans and their families looking for a place to live, at least for the next 16 months or so.
With the construction of the Sallisaw Veterans Center, it was just a matter of time before the Talihina facility became unnecessary. But many believed the pine tree-shrouded facility just across the LeFlore County line in Latimer County would continue to house Oklahoma veterans until the Sallisaw Veterans Center could be completed, which is projected for October 2024.
In voting to close the veterans home, operational challenges and financial strain were cited as determining factors.
See Wednesday’s Sequoyah County Times for an in-depth look at what went into the decision, reaction from Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs officials and what lies ahead for veterans who used to call Talihina home.
