November has proven to be an exceptional month this year. Most significant was the Veterans Day celebration held in Inver Grove Heights. This event is the official State Veterans Day site and the event was the best attended I have seen for many years. The morning breakfast was great, the speakers were insightful, and the inclusion of elementary school youth singing the service songs and reading essays about Veterans made the day truly special. They all added a unique dimension to the importance and contributions our Veterans have made in the defense of our country. In short, I was very proud of what I experienced that day.

The month of December begins with our Pearl Harbor Day event to be held at the Cedar St., Armory on the Capitol Complex. Governor Dayton is scheduled to attend as well as the KMS High School Band. This is the same award-winning band that is scheduled to play at the 75th Anniversary Commemoration of 9/11 in Washington DC in 2016. They have been asked to play for the Governor this year.

Also some good news! The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has been focused on ending Veteran Homelessness in Minnesota. As part of this goal, a computer application was established to help identify Minnesota's homeless Veterans. Called the Veteran Registry, this computer application has greatly aided us, in partnership with other state agencies, to focus on ending Veteran homelessness in Minnesota. The application has been so successful that it is been selected as a winner of the prestigious 2015 Tekne award, which has been referred to as the Oscar for the Information Technology field. If you would like more information about the award visit http://www.tekneawards.org/.

As we enter the holiday season, let us all reaffirm our care for one another. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs exists to serve our Veterans all across the state. We are a continuous improvement agency. In partnership with our County Veterans Service Officers, our Veterans Service Organizations, and our Veterans themselves, we will continue to ensure all our Veterans of all generations are "all the way home."