One of the highest honors we at the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) are privileged to be part of is interring Veterans to their final resting place. It is the final opportunity to pay respects to Veterans who selflessly served our nation. And as our State Veterans Cemetery leaders have said: “We only get one opportunity to get it right; and we do.”

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the groundbreaking event for our fourth State Veterans Cemetery to be built in Redwood Falls. Despite a rainy and windy day, the Redwood Falls community turned out in force to demonstrate their support for this long-awaited project. After a decade of advocacy, everyone in attendance was so grateful to see this plan start to become reality.

MDVA currently operates three State Veterans Cemeteries located in Little Falls (opened in 1994), Preston (opened in 2015), and Duluth (opened in 2018). These three cemeteries combined have served more than 10,000 Minnesota Veterans and their families.

Adding a fourth State Veterans Cemetery in southwestern Minnesota was important to MDVA and the Veterans and families that we serve. We recognized that the closest Veterans Cemeteries are Fort Snelling in the Twin Cities and the new South Dakota State Veterans Cemetery in Sioux Falls; both are more than 100 miles away. We believe families want an option closer to home and Redwood Falls is the sweet spot between those two locations. This new cemetery has the potential to expand burial services to an additional 20,000 Veterans in Southwest Minnesota.

I am so proud of our State Veterans Cemeteries, not only for the honorable service the staff provides, but for the beautiful grounds. The State Veterans Cemetery in Preston has received the Operational Excellence Award from the National Cemetery Administration for providing the best possible experience for families of Veterans interred there. That pride is shared by all our Cemetery staff.

I have shared this story before, but it is worth repeating. Sometimes we are able to care for our own staff, staff like Dennis Knowles. Dennis was a proud Veteran of the United States Army. Dennis was also a Groundskeeper at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls. He meticulously maintained the cemetery grounds and took immense pride in his work, continuing to work at the cemetery until his passing.

Fittingly, Dennis was interred at the cemetery where he dedicated so much time to serving others. At the conclusion of his committal service, Dennis was rendered full military honors. Three rifle volleys and the playing of Taps echoed throughout the cemetery, a tradition that Dennis had viewed hundreds of times. He would halt his work, remove his hat, and place a hand over his heart as other Veterans were being given this honor. It was fitting that, on this day, Dennis received the same well-earned tribute.

If you are exploring your end-of-life plans, I invite you to learn more about our State Veterans Cemeteries. Visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/Cem.

As always, if you need information or support on any Veteran issue, please visit our website, contact your County Veterans Service Officer, or contact LinkVet at 1-888-LinkVet.

Thank YOU for your service!