Memorial Day is fast approaching and I have been given the special honor of delivering the keynote address at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery Memorial Day event. The Fort Snelling remembrance has always been a key event within Minnesota. As I prepare my comments, I am filled with a flood of memories, both good and sad. From my experiences while deployed to Vietnam as a young Infantryman - to my responsibility as Adjutant General in deploying young men and women to Afghanistan and Iraq, I am reminded that Minnesota is truly blessed to have a generation of citizen-soldiers willing to answer our nation's call to service.


Memorial Day is a time to honor and remember our fallen brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Lest we never forget these sacrifices, I encourage you to make time for this important remembrance. Our website has a listing of events and services that may be near your home. For more information, or to share an event on our page, visit [submission period closed].

One of our goals as a Department is to spread the word to Veterans about available benefits. Our efforts have been recognized this past month, and I am proud to share that MDVA has received two Platinum Hermes awards for the Minnesota Military Radio Program with Host Tom Lyons, and for our /mdva/assets/MDVA-2014-Annual-Report-Reader_tcm1066-195568.pdf2014 Annual Report, which tells our story and the work that we do to take care of the over 360,000 Veterans in the Minnesota.

Last but not least, I invite you to join me on Saturday, June 13 for the dedication of the Minnesota Military Family Tribute on the Capitol grounds. The program will begin at 10 a.m. After the dedication there will be music, food, celebration and appreciation for the sacrifices not only of our service members, but also their family members. For more information, visit our [event expired].