It is hard to believe March is already upon us. The State Legislative
Session is in full swing, and this week the Commander’s Task Force held
their annual Veterans Day on the Hill event. This is a day when Veterans and families around the state unite on the issues that are most important in 2014.
I want to thank the Governor, the Legislature, and all our elected
officials for their ongoing support of Veterans in this state. I am
proud that Minnesota is one of the most Veteran-friendly states in the
nation, but we cannot rest or become complacent. In fact, I believe that
here at MDVA one of our greatest strengths is our ability to anticipate
and encourage change. This willingness to find new and better ways to
serve Minnesota Veterans and their families was evident over this last
year as we provided relief to Veterans through special needs grants to
help keep them in their homes, opened the nation’s second Veteran
focused Adult Day Center, explored new ways of outreach, launched an
award-winning website, and made education more accessible to the
Veterans who need it most. This might sound like an impressive list, but
I can assure you we still have more work to do!
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The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced
that Building 19 on the Minneapolis Veterans Home Campus is now
certified to receive Medicaid and Medicare funds. This is the first CMS
certification in the Minnesota Veterans Home system.
“I
am very proud of the dedication by staff - on every level - who worked
to achieve this goal. This certification not only reflects the high
quality care we provide our Veterans, but it also represents our
commitment to financial responsibility and future planning,” said
Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Shellito.
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Minnesota Veterans took to Minnesota’s Capitol Hill in St. Paul on Monday, March 17 in an effort to lobby for important issues presented on the 2014 Minnesota legislative agenda.
Veterans Day on the Hill is a yearly initiative sponsored by the Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force, the United Veterans Legislative Council and the Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers. This unified event is an effort to bring all Veterans together and meet with their legislative representatives to ask for support on initiatives that impact Minnesota Veterans and their families.
Photos from the event >>
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Beth Kocian
MDVA
The
first Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military award for valor in
action against an enemy force, was presented on March 25, 1863. The
United States Congress designated March 25 of each year as the National
Medal of Honor Day. Governor Mark Dayton also will proclaim March 25 as
Medal of Honor Day in the State of Minnesota.
Since
the Civil War, brave men and women from the state of Minnesota have
answered the call to defend and protect the freedoms we hold dear and
several have gone beyond this call to duty, risking injury and loss of
life. Medal of Honor recipients have distinguished themselves from
others at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty
by courage and intrepidity. According to the Congressional Medal of
Honor Society there have been 3,463 recipients of the Medal of Honor.
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