Veterans Day is the day we pay special tribute to all Veterans who served this great nation. This became clear to me as my wife and I took our grandsons, ages 10 and 8, to Washington D.C. We visited most of the 'must see' sights but most importantly the Veteran Memorials and Arlington Cemetery. Walking the grounds of Arlington clearly magnified the sacrifices made and the importance of honoring our Veterans.

When you come to the State Capitol, you'll see a significant amount of work completed in preparation of the Minnesota Military Family Tribute memorial. The trees have been planted, the sod laid, the Goldstar Table in place and the 87 boulders representing Minnesota counties. The State Capitol lawn demonstrates Minnesota's appreciation of all who served our state and nation.

The role of women in our military has also gained attention thanks to a new video produced by Twin Cities Public Television in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. This video honors women who have served in our military to preserve our nation's freedoms.

I would like to use the rest of article to talk about Veteran reintegration. The Department of Defense has published a white paper entitled "After the Sea of Goodwill" which addresses the war fatigue our nation experiences. The paper focuses on creating a structure that creates community cooperation, collaboration, and an integrated network. The goal is the establishment of a "no wrong door" capacity in caring for and reintegrating our Veterans and their families. This would be a voluntary structure led by leaders within their community. A goal is the establishment of strong public-private partnerships.

The goal appears to be much like Minnesota's "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon" program. This structure would include private and public organizations/agencies which identify the resources needed to assist Veterans specifically, and their community generally, to ensure the citizens are cared for and can receive the help needed. I believe it takes the community to bring our Veterans 'all the way home.' There will be more information about this coming out but for now please think about how your community takes care of Veterans specifically and citizens-in-need, in general. The goal is simple - honor our Veterans and bring them all the way home!