The ‘golden age’ comes to Salt Lake City to celebrate veteran athletes

Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Tom Vogan is adding “veteran athlete” to his resume — an already eventful life history which includes being a draftee, teacher, Stage 4 cancer survivor and professional Santa Claus.

Vogan, who lives in American Fork, Utah, is one of nearly 1,000 United States veterans that will gather in Salt Lake City this weekend and coming week to take part in the 38th annual National Veterans Golden Age Games.

The games were founded in 1985 and feature “sports competitions and health education sessions to demonstrate the value that sports, wellness, and fitness provide to assist veterans with living an active and healthy lifestyle” for veterans 55 years old or older, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs .

Roughly 925 veterans from more than 40 states, including about 60 Utahns representing the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, will compete in the games’ wide range of competitions, including cornhole, badminton, shooting and cycling. The competitions are divided among three divisions, ambulatory, vision impaired and wheelchair, and will include competitors who range in age from 55 to 90 or older — this year’s oldest competitor is 94 years old. The games’ events will take place at various locations throughout Salt Lake and Summit counties through next Thursday’s closing ceremony.

Prior to this year, Vogan had actually never heard of the games. That was until his running buddy and friend of more than three decades, Buckley “Buck” Platt, gave him a call back in January to discuss taking part in the games. Both Vogan and Platt are participating in events throughout the four-day games. This is Vogan’s first year competing in the games, and he’ll be participating in the 75-80 age group in golf, shot put and the 1,500-meter power walk.

A seemingly consistent theme in his life, Vogan is greeting the challenge and new experience of the games with humor and gusto.

A life of service

Vogan, an Arizona native who is the second out of three generations of military service, didn’t always plan on being in the Army, but he’s happy it worked out the way it did. “It ended up being one of the best things to ever happen to me,” he said in an interview with the Deseret News.

After initially being drafted in 1971, Vogan spent just over 27 years in the U.S. Army, which included roughly 20 years of active duty and seven years in the National Guard. His service took him overseas, and he earned a teaching degree from Southern Utah State College, now known as Southern Utah University.

Before he officially retired in 1998, he was an instructor at Camp Williams, where he was a “jack of all trades,” teaching subjects ranging from artillery survey to warrior leadership. It was also at Camp Williams where Vogan met his wife of over 30 years, Pat, who worked at the post exchange store at the time and later opened a cafe on the base called The Spoon Inn. The couple went on to marry on-site at Camp Williams. Later on, even after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and began receiving treatments, Vogan kept on teaching.

In their “golden age,” Tom and Pat dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus every holiday season, providing presents and meals for families who need assistance. For years, they’ve also attended events as the jovial couple for schools, Texas Roadhouse restaurants, food pantries, the Make a Wish Foundation and more. “It gives you such a good feeling,” Pat told the Deseret News.

A celebration of veterans

Vogan, who has been asked to be a representative in next year’s National Veterans Golden Age Games in Memphis, Tennessee, has nothing but praise for the event’s mission of helping veterans. While flipping through his itinerary for the games, Vogan shared that he’ll be playing golf with a veteran who lost both his legs while in active duty. According to Vogan, the games have equipped this particular veteran with a special adaptive chair, enabling him to participate in golfing.

Vogan expressed appreciation for the amount of care that has gone into planning the event, and how it will naturally be beneficial to its participants.

“It gives us a chance to get out and do things,” he said. “It gets us out doing physical activities.” Apart from the physical health benefits the competitions offer, Vogan said the event provides a community and social setting for veterans who may feel isolated or reluctant.

Saturday night, the games have an opening parade at the Salt Palace and Convention Center in Salt Lake City, showing off and celebrating the hundreds of veterans. Tom, along with other Utah veterans, will be clad in hot pink shirts that are adorned with a snake mascot on the back, along with the team name “VA Salt Lake City Vipers.” Pat and the couple’s family will be on the sidelines to cheer for Vogan and all other veterans, equipped with Pat’s handmade pink pompoms.