VETERANS

Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota marks 100 years with time capsule

Alex Derosier / St. Paul Pioneer Press — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 20:29:46 GMT

ST. PAUL — A major Minnesota veterans support organization is marking a century of service by sealing a snapshot of the present day to be opened in the year 2125.

Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota commemorated its 100th year with a time capsule ceremony Tuesday, July 2, at the Minnesota Veterans Service Building in St. Paul.

Members and leadership from Minnesota’s local disabled veterans groups placed photos, pins, patriotic mementos, a commemorative bottle of rye whiskey and other materials, like a copy of the state’s first veteran-focused omnibus bill from 2022, into a cedar-lined chest to be kept sealed for 100 years.

“We hope that when this capsule is opened, our future leaders will see in it what we see today: unwavering commitment, sacrifice, and a legacy of service,” said Mike McElhiney, a Green Beret who lost his right arm while serving in Afghanistan in 2001.

McElhiney has been recognized by the national Disabled American Veterans organization for his advocacy work.

Disabled American Veterans Minnesota started in the wake of the first World War and has around 19,000 members across 32 chapters. The national organization started in 1920.

Minnesota’s disabled veterans group, chartered on July 1, 1925, advocates for military veterans and their families and provides services like transportation to medical appointments and help with housing.

Among those in attendance Tuesday was a member who was born before the founding of Minnesota’s branch of the nonprofit.

Paul Wojahn, a 104-year-old World War II Veteran, is thought to be the organization’s oldest member and serves as commander of the New Ulm Chapter.

Wojahn, who served in the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater of World War II, placed a copy of the state chapter’s original charter into the chest.

The ceremony took place in the offices of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and was attended by the agency’s commissioner, Brad Lindsay.

Gov. Tim Walz issued an official proclamation commemorating the 100-year anniversary of Disabled American Veterans Minnesota, which was also placed in the capsule.

Besides documents and patriotic mementos, the chest also contains the Tuesday, July 1, 2025, editions of the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune newspapers.

St. Paul Chapter Commander Jeff Lubarski placed a photo of his chapter’s members in the capsule.

The capsule will be kept on display at the Veterans Service Building, and possibly brought to various chapters of Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota.

“As we seal this time capsule, we are preserving the values that define us — beauty, integrity, relentless service,” said John Walker, commander of the state’s chapter. “We’re sending the message forward: the DAV of Minnesota was here, and we laid the foundation for the next 100 years.”

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Ride for the Troops donates to Honor Flight

Pioneer Staff Report — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:00:00 GMT

Ride for the Troops recently donated funds to the East Grand Forks chapter of Honor Flight.

According to its website, Honor Flight is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that takes veterans to Washington, D.C., free of charge to visit the memorials built in their honor.

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Ride for the Troops donates to area youth

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:52:17 GMT

Ride for the Troops recently donated funds to the Bemidji High �� Trap Team, Boy Scouts Troop No. 82 and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.

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Secrets of a fortress: Inside Litchfield’s GAR Hall

Susan Lunneborg — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:00:00 GMT

LITCHFIELD, Minn. — Visitors to the Grand Army of the Republic Hall in this central Minnesota city are able to step back 140 years thanks to the decision of the Civil War veterans who built it.

The deed for the property, turned over to what was then the village of Litchfield, spelled out that the building was to be preserved and used in a manner that maintained its original purpose — to honor Civil War veterans and preserve their history.

“The building itself is the first GAR hall built in the state,” Meeker County Museum Executive Director Danelle Erickson said in an interview for a story published by the West Central Tribune in 2022. Other Grand Army of the Republic posts formed in the state of Minnesota had gathered in homes or other available spaces.

The Grand Army of the Republic was first organized by Union veterans of the Civil War in 1866 in Illinois. The history published on the website of the Meeker County Museum and GAR Hall states that the organization’s purpose was to "maintain fellowship for the men who fought to preserve the Union and to help widows, orphans, and handicapped veterans."

The Grand Army of the Republic conducted regular meetings and had thousands of posts throughout the United States, along with thousands and thousands of members, according to Erickson. There were close to 300 members of the Litchfield post throughout the years.

The first Grand Army of the Republic post in Litchfield was formed in 1874 but died out with the death of the founder two years later. Another was formed in 1883, and many of the first meetings were in the county courthouse, according to another online history by the museum.

Members of Frank Daggett Post No. 35 decided in March 1885 that they needed their own building, and construction began in May of that year, using cream-colored brick from the local brickyard. The cornerstone was laid by Memorial Day, according to the online history.

The building is described in a 2010 inventory for the State Historic Preservation Office as "reminiscent of a small, medieval fortress” with features that include a central tower, turrets that project above the parapet wall and an inscribed stone with the raised letters “GAR” and the 1885 date.

“It’s very memorable from the outside, that fortress look. It just kind of shows a lot about the men that were here at the time,” Erickson said in the 2022 interview.

The bulk of the work was completed by October of 1885. One of the final things added was a “spectacular, 16-globe chandelier,” according to another online history by the museum.

Today, the Meeker County Historical Society is the caretaker of the GAR Hall. The Meeker County Museum, built in 1961, is attached to the back of the building.

Officially called “Meeker County Museum at the GAR Hall,” it includes a pioneer cabin and exhibits that include artifacts relating to the history of the Dakota people, schools in Meeker County, Minnesotans serving in war, medicine and more.

The two-story museum also houses a research library for genealogy enthusiasts.

In the anteroom of the GAR Hall are Civil War artifacts, including cannons, literature and photos of important players in the war.

The old wooden chairs upon which veterans sat during meetings are set up in the main hall as if ready for a meeting. The altar stands at the front of the room for use by a veteran leading the meeting. Photos of members line the walls, and the decor is original to the time.

The Grand Army of the Republic Hall was added to the National Register of Historical Places on May 21, 1975. The areas of significance for the designation are architecture and social/humanitarian.

When Erickson became museum director, she learned that some local citizens were concerned the history of the GAR Hall was not being maintained in accordance with the deed. Historic documents, including the 1885 deed, were then reviewed to better understand the intentions of the original members who had deeded the building to the city.

Erickson said the goal of all parties involved was the same — preserving the history but just with some “different views on how that was done.” The result of their work was the creation of a handbook detailing the proper care and upkeep of the facility.

The GAR Hall and museum, located at 308 N. Marshall Ave. in Litchfield, are open year-round for walk-in tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

GAR Hall programming includes Civil War roundtables the second Thursday of every month, featuring various speakers throughout the year.

“The Civil War, especially for American history, is pretty much one of the most written about book-wise,” Erickson said in 2022. “Each year there are thousands of books, hundreds at least, on the Civil War. It’s very much a topic that people are interested in, and continue to be interested in.”

For more from our Lakes Country Treasures series, click on the gems in the map below.

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Eagle Scout’s flag retirement boxes are about honoring veterans

Robin Fish — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:32:00 GMT

A recent Park Rapids Area High �� graduate was the first member of an all-girl Scouting America troop to become an Eagle Scout.

Cate Worner received the Eagle Scout Award on Aug. 8, 2024. In addition, she was named the Scout of the Year at both Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1260 in Bemidji and District 9, and has been submitted as a candidate for the same award at the state level.

For her project, Worner built four wooden boxes and placed them around the Bemidji area to collect American flags that need to be retired. She then held flag retirement ceremonies last summer, collected the brass grommets from the ashes and handed them out to Armed Forces veterans in honor of their service.

Growing up around scouting

“I’ve been around Scouting my whole life,” said Worner. “My mom was Cubmaster for my brother, since he was young, and as my brother grew older, my mom was then scoutmaster.”

Those experiences surrounded Pack 174 and Troop 174 in Wayne, Nebraska.

In 2017, the family moved to Park Rapids, and in 2021, Cate took advantage of the opportunity to join Troop 4080 in Bemidji, and her mom, Tami Worner, became the scoutmaster there as well.

Scouting runs strong in Worner’s family. Her maternal grandfather, John Barton, worked for Scouting for 30 years and served as activities director at Camp Wilderness during the 1960s. Tami’s sisters lived in cabins at the camp as toddlers during that time.

Her other grandpa, Jim Worner, was a scout in Fergus Falls, and when he was 12 years old in 1953, he helped plant the Baker Grove of pine trees near the main buildings at Camp Wilderness. Later, Jim was the committee chair for Fergus Falls Troop 302 at the time Cat’s dad, Greg Worner, was a scout.

Eagle Scouts in her family include her uncle, Steve Worner; her cousins, Charlie Worner and Christian Worner; and her brother, John Worner.

“I pushed to get it because my mom grew up around scouting with her five sisters, and they never got the chance to be in scouting,” said Cate. “I wanted to reach Eagle so that they would feel like they also accomplished it, because they have helped me along my journey.”

Helping and being helped

Greg, a wood shop teacher, said the boxes were dadoed and glued together with no nails.

“I helped with running the power tools,” he said.

Other scouts pitched in with assembly and painting. Pat Ahmann with Innovative Sign & Graffix, another Eagle Scout, donated the graphics for the boxes. Sherwin Williams gave them a “really good deal on the paint,” Greg said.

Worner said her project has helped a lot of people.

“People around the community use it almost daily,” she said. “I receive calls from the stores that they’re placed in, saying that the boxes are full. It’s a good feeling to know that the people in the community want to honor the veterans and retire their flags properly.”

Worner monitored the number of flags the boxes collected during the first month after she placed them.

“In the first month, we collected 193 flags that were in desperate need of retirement,” said Greg. The Bemidji American Legion held a large-scale flag retirement ceremony last year on Flag Day, using flags collected in Cate’s boxes. Since then, the VFW has taken over collecting flags from the boxes.

“They have actually asked me to build them an additional four boxes,” said Greg. “I’m using Cate’s plans from the ones we did.”

Cate also led scouts in flag retirement ceremonies last summer at Camp Wilderness, she said.

All about those grommets

It all started when Cate gave a coworker a grommet from a flag retirement ceremony, knowing he had served in the military.

“Every time I see him, he talks about how he got the grommet and that he is so proud to have someone who appreciates him and recognizes the things he does,” she said.

Cate said her project grew out of the realization that many military veterans don’t get the recognition they deserve for their service to the country.

Every week last summer at camp, a veteran in the audience helped hold the large flag used to start the flag retirement ceremony, then led in a salute while the flag disappeared in flame.

Cate also edited the script for the ceremony to make it work well for the scouts, Greg said.

“I think it was good,” he said, “because just about every week, there were people who had military family members who were quietly crying."

“We told the scouts about the tradition of giving the grommets from flags that had been retired with honor you our military veterans, and Cate said, ‘If you want grommets, come find me.’”

After the fire burned out, he said, they sifted the ashes for the grommets, and every scout knew someone who needed a grommet.

“We did about 225 flags,” he said, “so we’re talking about 450 grommets. We gave out a lot of grommets so the scouts could take them home and give them to family members or members of their community.

“Veterans appreciate being noticed, appreciate being appreciated and being acknowledged for what they did. And that, I think, is a huge part of this. We’re getting fewer and fewer veterans, and it’s important to remember their sacrifice.”

Leadership and perseverance

In addition to being an Eagle Scout, Worner is a Scouts-trained lifeguard who serves in that role at Camp Wilderness, and she volunteers at the Park Rapids Area Library.

Both father and daughter are thrilled about Cate’s Eagle award.

“I’m very proud that she got it done as quickly as she did,” Greg said. “She started late, because girls weren’t allowed to join what was then called Boy Scouts, which is now called Scouting America.”

Considering how important scouting was to both of her grandparents, Greg added, “I’m proud that she wanted to join scouting and be as successful as she has been. I’m very proud of the effort Cate put in.”

He added that Cate formed close relationships through scouting, and being an Eagle Scout opens doors – as his son, John, found out while applying for jobs after college.

“People know you are a leader, you can persevere and get everything done and accomplish something important,” he said.

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Ride for the Troops continues tradition of supporting veterans at 19th annual event

Madelyn Haasken — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 19:36:51 GMT

BEMIDJI — As the American flag swayed in the breeze over the Bemidji Eagles Club parking lot, hundreds of motorcyclists gathered for the 19th annual Ride for the Troops on Sunday.

This year's event marked the return of the Longest Ride route, which offered a few stops for participants before returning to the Eagles Club. Motorcyclists traveled just south of Bagley before heading to Zerkel for lunch at the Knutson Zerkel Store.

From there, the ride continued to Mahnomen and Naytahwaush, making its way to the Rock Creek Store near Lake Itasca before heading back toward Bemidji.

Proceeds from the event go toward area servicemen, women and families, as well as programs that provide services to veterans, a release said.

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Minnesota veterans with PTSD turn to the outdoors to improve mental health

Erica Zurek / MPR News — Tue, 27 May 2025 17:32:50 GMT

Nothing could stop Sandi Braunstein from carving her way down a ski run at Snowmass Resort in Colorado. She glided over the snow alongside her two coaches, Jeff and Erik, who were there to instruct and support her as she made turns down the mountain.

Braunstein uses a bi-sit ski, which consists of a molded seat mounted on a frame with two skis underneath. This adaptive equipment is designed for people who ski in a seated position and might have difficulty balancing on traditional skis.

“When you go down the hill, it is both thrilling and terrifying,” she said. “I’m like, don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall.”

Braunstein is a full-time mom, student and hobby farmer in Grand Rapids. She is also a military veteran who served for nearly a decade in the Minnesota Army National Guard.

During a training exercise in the Guard, she broke her leg and three vertebrae in her back. After seven unsuccessful surgeries over the span of nine years, Braunstein elected to have her left leg amputated below the knee. Now she is an avid member of the group Disabled American Veterans. That is why she was downhill skiing in Colorado.

“I love sports, and this is the winter sports clinic that they do every year. I skipped last year, so I am happy to be back on the slopes,” Braunstein said.

Returning to civilian life after military service can be a welcome change, but the abrupt transition can also be stressful and overwhelming. The reintegration process can feel isolating, and especially difficult for veterans who come back from long or dangerous deployments, or who found a deep sense of community in the military. Reentry can provoke anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress.

Braunstein has been exposed to multiple traumas over the course of her life and lives with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

She said nature has a positive influence on her mental health.

“Even if you go to a park, just touch the grass,” Braunstein said. “I know it sounds mundane, but it helps. It has helped.”

Spending time engaging in outdoor recreation is known to improve general health and well-being. And research shows that veterans, in particular, benefit from outdoor activities as part of a complementary approach to treating mental health.

Studies indicate that outdoor recreation and multi-day wilderness trips can reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. Outdoor excursions also build on veterans’ strengths and can echo positive aspects of military service, like being physically challenged, having a defined purpose and building camaraderie.

“To me, it’s more healing and fulfilling than anything else I’ve experienced,” Braunstein said. “I’ve met so many incredible people, and I’ve done so many incredible things that I don’t think I would have had the spirit to do otherwise.”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says about 13% of female veterans and 6% of male veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD. The percentage is higher for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans.

Symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance and detachment manifest differently from person to person. They can persist for an extended period of time and impact a person’s relationships, ability to work and daily activities.

The Veterans Administration’s health care system sets clinical practice guidelines to identify first-line treatments for PTSD. Psychiatric medication may be included in the treatment plan, but psychotherapy is generally the first line of treatment.

Engaging in beneficial activities, such as wilderness adventures, can complement both medication and therapy.

Getting outside is something Matthew Kaler, a psychologist with the Veterans Administration in Minneapolis, encourages wholeheartedly. He said it is a way for people to introduce rewards into their day-to-day life that may have been taken from them by their symptoms.

“Getting to a place where you feel like you have meaning in your life again is critically important, and so we want to encourage people to find those things that fit for them,” Kaler said.

Some veterans have found that fit and are sharing it with others.

Sean Gobin lives in southern Virginia and served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Marines. Gobin was a tank platoon commander in 2003 during the initial invasion of Iraq and fought in Fallujah in 2005. He then spent 2011 in Afghanistan training the Afghan national security forces. Gobin says this was his breaking point.

“I did not realize it at the time, but I was obviously struggling with pretty severe post-traumatic stress symptoms. I was having a really hard time connecting with people and talking to people and being around people. It was a lot,” he said. “I was like, I have to get out. I have to make a change or else everything is just going to implode.”

On Gobin’s last day in uniform, he left his base in North Carolina and headed to Springer Mountain, Georgia, to begin a 2,200-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. He trekked across rugged mountainous terrain all the way to Maine to “walk off the war.”

“What started as a bucket list item of something I always wanted to do since I was a kid — and I just looked at as a personal physical challenge — ultimately ended up saving my life,” Gobin said.

It took him four and a half months to hike through 14 states on the Appalachian Trail.

“Towards the end of the trail, I was like, wow, this has been so beneficial to me,” Gobin said. “I wonder if it would be beneficial to others.”

The experience inspired him to form a nonprofit called Warrior Expeditions, an outdoor therapy program that aims to help veterans transition from their wartime experiences and recover from PTSD.

Vets process their traumas, reconnect socially and improve their physical health through long-distance hiking, paddling and biking expeditions. The trips last three to six months.

“There’s enough duration within the experience to actually rewire the brain,” Gobin said.

Numerous studies show that spending time outside has a direct impact on the brain and body. Outdoor experiences can lower blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol and improve cognitive function.

Gobin said being on extended outdoor trips allows for decompression and the ability to process emotions.

Warrior Expeditions collaborates with two psychologists who are also veterans. They measure post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression among participants before and after each journey. They say the results show a clear reduction in symptoms and an improvement in psychological well-being. Gobin said when you see somebody at the end of a trip, it’s like a light switch was turned on.

“Eyes are bright. They are super exuberant and enthusiastic while talking and telling you about everything, and they are laughing,” he said. “It is a night-and-day difference in interacting with the person I met six months ago.”

Veteran advocacy groups around the U.S. successfully backed federal legislation in 2020 that launched programs and policies to help veterans with reintegration, mental health and treatment. The legislation also requires a Veterans Administration task force to research the benefits of outdoor recreation therapy.

Trent Dilks is the Minnesota legislative director for the group Disabled American Veterans. He advocates for veterans at the state and federal levels and said the VA task force study is overdue. Dilks also served 10 years with the Minnesota National Guard and did two combat tours in Iraq.

“Being in Iraq and seeing all of that, and then the culture shock of coming back to all of the excess and all of the things and all of the noise here, it was difficult,” he said. “I was restless. I was not comfortable where I was. I was dealing with a lot of anxiety. Later, I would realize it was post-traumatic stress.”

Dilks coped with his PTSD in destructive ways by partying and trying to numb his feelings. He tried therapy and medication but did not like how the drugs made him feel. Dilks recognized that he needed to find his own path to healing. A significant part of that journey involved spending time outdoors.

With a burst of excitement, Dilks grabbed his phone and tapped open a video from a trip to Colorado. In the clip, he and his former roommate from Iraq are summiting a peak. Snow is blowing in every direction.

“It was him and I hiking up there, and the wind gusts were just absolutely crazy,” he said.

Watching the video, Dilks burst into laughter, and a smile spread across his face as he noticed the icicle hanging from his beard. He said that whenever life feels difficult, he returns to the outdoors, because nothing beats fresh air and the space to breathe.

This story is part of Call to Mind, American Public Media and MPR's initiative to foster new conversations about mental health.

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This story was originally published on MPRNews.org.

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Bemidji's 19th annual Ride for the Troops set for June 1

Pioneer Staff Report — Mon, 26 May 2025 22:14:51 GMT

BEMIDJI — The 19th annual Ride for the Troops event is set for Sunday, June 1, in Bemidji with events starting at 9 a.m. and continuing throughout the day.

This year's event also marks the return to the Longest Ride route, which will begin and end at the Bemidji Eagles Club.

Festivities kick off Saturday, May 31, with a car and bike show from noon to 5 p.m., followed by dinner and awards until 7 p.m. and wrapping up with a concert featuring Rick Adams at the Eagles Club.

Riders will then gather at 9 a.m. Sunday morning, June 1, for a pancake breakfast and pre-ride activities, with kickstands up at noon.

Riders will make their way from the Eagles Club to just south of Bagley before heading to Zerkel for lunch at the Knutson Zerkel Store.

From there, the ride will continue on to Mahnomen and Naytahwaush, making its way to the Rock Creek Store near Lake Itasca for a short stop around 2:45 p.m.

Riders will then head back to Bemidji, concluding at the Eagles Club around 4 p.m. with a meal and ride raffle to follow.

"Each year the ride provides the majority of funding for our area servicemen, women and families and funding support to the programs that our area veterans depend on and receive services from," a release said.

The cost is $25 per bike and $10 per additional passenger. For more information and to register visit rideforthetroops.com. In-person registration will also be available on the day of the event.

"We want to thank all the sponsors that have supported Ride for the Troops each year, as many have continued their support over the last 19 years," the release said. "We couldn't accomplish this outstanding achievement without the support of sponsors, volunteers and the great people of northern Minnesota who support the Ride of the Troops each year."

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Minn. political leaders emphasize democracy, bipartisan support for veterans

Regina Medina / MPR News — Mon, 26 May 2025 21:37:11 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota leaders and the public honored veterans Monday, May 26, at the Memorial Day Program at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar paid tribute to Minnesota veterans, including Master Sgt. Max Beilke, reportedly the last combat soldier to board the last plane out of Vietnam. He was later killed inside the Pentagon on Sept. 11.

“We remember the courage of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the heroic strength of their loved ones,” Klobuchar said. “So let’s carry their stories in how we live our lives, how we care for our veterans and how we uphold the values they gave their lives to defend.”

Beilke, a Minnesota native and graduate of Alexandria High ��, served in Korea and Vietnam.

As the 34th Infantry Division “Red Bull” Band played Monday, members of the public dressed in red, white and blue visited graves. They also attended speeches by state leaders.

Gov. Tim Walz said Minnesota prioritizes funding for veteran issues across party lines.

“That expectation is the reason you gather today,” he said. “The sense of gratitude, the sense that you don’t have to be asked to agree with someone, but the one thing we can agree upon is those who are willing to lay down their lives so that we can have a democracy, is why we gather here.”

Walz in recent years signed bills into law for funding for veteran homes, cemeteries and the National Guard.

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‘We must not forget them’: Annual Memorial Day program held at Bemidji’s Greenwood Cemetery

Annalise Braught — Mon, 26 May 2025 21:28:22 GMT

BEMIDJI — In a pleasant turn of events from the rainshower that falls on Memorial Day nearly every year, the sun and warm early-summer temps greeted attendees as they gathered at Greenwood Cemetery on Monday morning.

Hosted by Ralph Gracie American Legion Post No. 14, the annual memorial ceremony pays tribute to those who have given their lives in service to their country.

Starting with the presentation of the colors by members of the Ralph Gracie Honor Guard and Junior ROTC, Post No. 14 Commander Steve Jewett then led attendees in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I would like to thank you all for attending this Memorial Day service as we honor all veterans who gave their lives to serve and protect our country from those who may wish to destroy our way of life,” Jewett said in opening. “It’s their sacrifices that have preserved the freedoms we now have today.”

The crowd, with hands over their hearts, then joined musical guest Don Papreck in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a POW flag was posted to honor the lives of prisoners of war and those unaccounted for in all wars and conflicts involving the United States.

“We are gathered here together to memorialize, to remember, to honor those who have given their lives in service to our country,” Chaplain Ken Glidden said during his opening invocation. “May it never depart from our heart, deep within us, the sacrifice they've made, and help us to never take it for granted. Lord, freedom is never free. Help us to remember that.”

A life of sacrifice

Jewett then welcomed guest speaker Richard Cross, a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major who served in Vietnam during 1970-71 and many other U.S. conflicts.

“He has also been a member of the American Legion for over 42 years and has served the Legion as national, state and District 6 Commanders and in many other Legion posts,” Jewett added.

Cross used his time at the microphone to recount the many kinds of heroes celebrated in American history.

“Society likes to use the word hero,” Cross said. “There are sports heroes, action heroes, political heroes, but is there any group more deserving of the title than more than one million men and women who have sacrificed their lives in defense of this nation?”

Cross then shared the story of Jack Lummus, who was a professional football player for the New York Giants before he fought and died in the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II.

“It was as a Marine that Jack would go from sports hero to genuine American hero,” Cross said. “He has since been inducted into the New York Giants Ring of Honor, but that is just a small part of his story.

“On Feb. 19, 1945, Jack Lummus was among the first to land at Iwo Jima. A leader of a rifle platoon, First Lt. Lummus, slowly but relentlessly advanced with his men against entrenched enemy forces. He disregarded wounds inflicted upon him by grenade shrapnel and other small arms fire.

“He neutralized enemy soldiers positioned in three pillboxes before eventually stepping on a landmine. Jack attempted to stand even though his legs and lower torso were badly mangled. Rushed to surgeons who attempted to save his life, Lt. Lummus said, ‘Well, Doc, the New York Giants lost a mighty good end today.’

“He died on March 8, 1945, and America lost a mighty good hero. For his actions at Iwo Jima 80 years ago, Jack was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Lt. Jack Lummus was one of the most famous heroes of one of history's most famous battles. But there are so many others that we can also remember. People who have died while fulfilling their military mission.”

Cross then went on to tell the stories of U.S. Navy aviators Lt. Commander Lyndsay Evans and Lt. Serena Wileman, who both earned multiple combat medals for their actions in the Middle East against terrorists in 2023 and ‘24.

“On Oct. 15, 2024, the two trailblazing pilots lost their lives when an EA-18G Growler jet crashed during a training exercise in Washington near Mount Rainier,” Cross said. “Even within the safety of the United States, the military is an inherently dangerous profession comprised of professionals willing to sacrifice for us.”

Another hero’s story recounted by Cross was Army medic Calvin Bouknight, who was killed in 1965 while shielding and protecting four of his fellow soldiers in Vietnam. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star.

“A native of Washington, D.C., Specialist Bouknight lived only 24 years, but his legacy is still remembered 60 years after his passing,” Cross said.

He added that while the heroes mentioned had earned prestigious awards and military decorations, countless veterans have not been recognized for their bravery due to a lack of surviving witnesses who could document their final acts — but they are no less heroic.

“The heroes we honor today are not exclusive to any gender, race or religion. They come from all economic classes and backgrounds. They hail from all 50 states. Some have migrated from other countries,” Cross said in closing. “They are a diverse group wedded to the belief that America is a nation worth dying for.

“We are gathered so that we can remember their sacrifices and celebrate the fact that throughout our history, this great country has remained through such men and women of honor; we must not forget them.”

‘Proud to be an American’

Following Cross’ address, Glidden read off a list of Ralph Gracie members who have died in the last year. Auxiliary member Kathy Ramos then read a list of those from Beltrami County who died in action during World War I.

The initial part of the program closed with Papreck leading attendees in singing "America the Beautiful," followed by the firing squad conducting a rifle salute and Bemidji High �� trumpet players Brayden Dougherty and Mehgan Johnson playing "Taps."

Attendees then migrated to the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial to honor those who died during the Civil War with another rifle salute, Jewett reciting the Gettysburg Address and the trumpet players performing an additional round of "Taps" to officially wrap up the ceremony.

“I would like to thank all the speakers and volunteers who helped make this Memorial Day program a success,” Jewett said in conclusion. “Thank you all very much for your attendance. It's really good to see it turn out like this. It makes me proud to be an American.”

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