St. Paul, Minn. – The official State of Minnesota Veterans Day Program will be held virtually again this year in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A 30-minute recorded program will be available starting at 8 a.m. on Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11 on the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs website at MinnesotaVeteran.org/VeteransDay2021. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) invites all Minnesotans to celebrate and honor the Veterans who have served our state and country.

Country music artist Rockie Lynne will open this year’s program, which will include music and remarks from:

• Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
• Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Herke
• Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke
• Members of the Minnesota Congressional Delegation
• Ron Haugen, Chair of the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force
• MDVA employees
• 34th Infantry Division Red Bull Band

The program will be hosted by former WCCO-TV Reporter Bill Hudson. During his time at WCCO, Hudson covered a variety of Veteran-related assignments including Minnesota National Guard missions to Bosnia, Panama and Honduras, and traveling to Saudi Arabia to accompany soldiers returning home from the first Gulf War.

How can Minnesotans support the Veterans in their communities? Because fewer than 7% of Americans serve or have served in uniform, most civilians are unfamiliar with military culture. As a result, members of the military and Veteran community often feel misunderstood and reluctant to seek support.

Through its membership in the Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans and Families (SMVF), MDVA is offering free training through PsychArmor, a nonprofit that offers critical resources to Americans so they can effectively engage with and support military service members, Veterans, and their families. (PsychArmor’s) mission is to bridge that civilian-military gap by educating a nation.”

Follow this link to Governor’s Challenge Training Portal (GC Portal).

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About MDVA
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is a cabinet-level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the five State Veterans Homes, MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach and Veterans employment. Veterans and their families are encouraged to visit www.MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet for more information about benefits.