FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2017

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Anna Long
(651) 757-1536
(651) 263-2640 cell
anna.long@state.mn.us

WHAT:

The official State of Minnesota Veterans Day Program is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, November 11 at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights. The Minnesota Commanders' Task Force and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs invite Veterans, families, elected officials, and community members to celebrate and honor all Veterans who have served this country. This year the program will have a special spotlight on the service of Vietnam era Veterans. A free community breakfast will be served from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., and participants will have a chance to meet a live eagle from the National Eagle Center. The bald eagle has served as an enduring symbol of the nation’s freedom since June 20, 1782.

The program will feature a keynote address by Douglas Bradley and Craig Werner, authors of Rolling Stones’ 2015 best-selling music book, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place – The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War,” which delves into popular music at the heart of the American experience in Vietnam.

The program will also include remarks from members of U.S. Congress, MDVA Commissioner Larry Shellito, and Luke Heikkila, TPT producer of Minnesota Remembers Vietnam. The Minnesota Remembers Vietnam initiative is a collaboration among the Minnesota PBS stations featuring an online Story Wall, various documentaries, and a series of public screenings and commemorative events to remember, honor, and understand the experience of the Vietnam War. The Story Wall is part of the Minnesota Remembers Vietnam initiative and is aimed at inspiring Minnesotans to remember and share stories, recognize bravery, express their reasons for dissent, and foster understanding around the lasting impact of war. Veterans are invited to share their story online. 

Due to another scheduled event at the Community Center on Nov. 11, parking may be limited. Overflow parking will be available at the nearby Inverhills Church on Babcock Trail. Boy Scout Troop 507 from Inver Grove Heights will be lining the route with American Flags. Shuttles will be available, courtesy of the Disabled American Veterans, Minnesota Foundation.

Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has compiled a list of Veterans Day events happening in Minnesota.

WHO:

• Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Shellito
• Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Chief of Staff Mike McElhiney
• U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
• U.S. Senator Al Franken
• U.S. Representative Betty McCollum
  
• U.S. Representative Tim Walz
• U.S. Representative Tom Emmer
• U.S. Representative Jason Lewis
  
• Inver Grove Heights Mayor George Tourville
• National Anthem by Lt. Col USAF (Retired) Tim Swanson
• Authors Douglas Bradley and Craig Werner
• TPT Minnesota Remembers Vietnam Producer Luke Heikkila
• Chaplain Col. Tim Martenson
• 34th Infantry Division Red Bull Band

WHEN:

Saturday, November 11, 2017
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.  – Free Community Breakfast
10 – 11 a.m. - Program

WHERE:

Veterans Memorial Community Center
8055 Barbara Avenue
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077