Tag Archive for: Veterans Benefits

Previewing the Official State of Minnesota Veterans Day Celebration in Duluth

Previewing the Official State of Minnesota Veterans Day Celebration in Duluth

On this week’s episode of Minnesota Military Radio, we preview the official State of Minnesota Veterans Day Celebration taking place Wednesday, November 11 in Duluth, hosted by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA). The conversation covers event details, community partnerships, tribal Veteran services, County Veterans Service Office support in northern Minnesota, and the message from this year’s keynote speaker.

Guests:

MDVA is rotating the state’s official Veterans Day observance outside the Twin Cities for the second year to meet Veterans where they live. After last year’s program in Mankato, this year’s free, open-to-all event (no RSVP required) is at the Duluth National Guard Training and Community Center on Airpark Boulevard. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. for a free community breakfast; the official program begins at 10 a.m. A live stream will be available at MinnesotaVeteran.org/events, with video on demand afterward. Overflow parking and shuttle service are available from Arrowpointe Medical Center.

Partners include the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (bringing the drum and joining the Duluth Honor Guard for presentation of colors), the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldog Marching Band, St. Louis County and neighboring county Veterans Service offices, the Duluth Veterans Memorial Hall, and the Lake Superior County Veterans Club. Elected officials, including the mayor of Duluth, are also scheduled to take part.

The Fond du Lac Band shares how its Tribal Veterans Service Officer connects band members and surrounding-community Veterans with earned benefits and notes a concurrent free evening gathering at Black Bear Casino open to the broader community. The St. Louis County Veterans Service Office describes its free, confidential role helping Veterans, service members, and families with VA claims, appeals, survivor benefits, and community resources across offices in Hibbing, Virginia, Ely, and Duluth. Callers are reminded it is never too late to file claims; the office can be reached at (218) 725-5285.

This year’s keynote speaker, a Major in the Minnesota Air National Guard and Chair of Nursing at The College of St. Scholastica, discusses how military medical service and civilian nursing careers inform one another, the College’s support for Veterans transitioning into healthcare careers, and the message that military service is an important part of a Veteran’s identity but does not define what they can continue to contribute through leadership and community engagement.

Listeners can find full event details and the live stream portal at MinnesotaVeteran.org/events.

/by

Supporting Minnesota Veterans: VFW Updates and the New Health Navigator Program

Supporting Minnesota Veterans VFW Updates and the New Health Navigator Program

This week on Minnesota Military Radio, host Retired Command Sergeant Major Doug Wortham welcomes two knowledgeable guests who are deeply committed to supporting Minnesota’s veterans and their families. Through advocacy, community action, and innovative new programs, they share practical ways the state is honoring and assisting those who have served.

Barry Hendrickson, Adjutant Quartermaster and Legislative Chairman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Department of Minnesota, shares updates on VFW advocacy, community donations (including a $100,000 gift to veterans homes and VA facilities), legislative priorities like property tax relief and the Major Richard Starr Act, membership efforts, and the VFW’s first female National Commander-in-Chief.

For more info: www.vfwmn.org (Minnesota) and www.VFW.org (national)

Raeann Murray, Veteran Health Navigator Supervisor and licensed social worker with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), introduces the new Veteran Health Navigator Program launching in 2026. The program partners with healthcare systems statewide to close gaps in care and benefits through the “Ask the Question” initiative, care coordination, and connections to resources.

For more info: www.minnesotaveteran.org and www.linkvet.org

 

/by

2025 Veterans Day in Mankato & USMC 250th Anniversary

2025 Veterans Day in Mankato & USMC 250th Anniversary

This week on Minnesota Military Radio, we sit down with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to preview the Official 2025 State Veterans Day Celebration in Mankato. Then, hear from the MCL-Dept of Minnesota as they mark 250 years of the USMC and invite you to their November 15 cake-cutting celebration. Guests include:

/by

2025 Legislative Session

This week, we’re joined by the Director of Government Affairs from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and a Minnesota State Senator to discuss the 2025 legislative session and receive updates from the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. Guests include:

/by