Generations of Service Members connecting at the State Fair
By Melanie Nelson, Public Affairs Officer
“We were talking about how Vietnam Veterans weren’t welcomed back. And a young Veteran came up, out of the blue, shook his hand and said, ‘Welcome Home.’ He started crying, and then I started crying.”
The Minneapolis VA Outreach Team has participated in nearly 75 community events this fiscal year, none quite as big as this week’s Military Appreciation Day at the Minnesota State Fair.
The state fair reports attendance on Military Appreciation Day was 132,553. Part of the activities included a Veteran Resource Fair and music by the 34th Infantry Division Red Bull Band in Dan Patch Park.
The Minneapolis VA Outreach Team connected with countless Veterans and had meaningful engagements with more than 300 Veterans.
Kathleen Martin, a social worker with the Minneapolis VA Suicide Prevention team, worked at VA’s booth in Dan Patch Park for most of the day. She shared the story of one Vietnam Veteran that she connected with.
“We were talking about how Vietnam Veterans weren’t welcomed back. And a young Veteran came up, out of the blue, shook his hand and said, ‘Welcome Home.’ He started crying, and then I started crying,” Martin said.
One of the many Veterans who stopped by was Army Veteran Dennis Olson, of Ramsey. Olson was drafted in 1967. During in-processing, he was offered a job in supply or in the band, he selected the band. He was a trumpet player for the 38th Army Band out of Fort Ord, Calif. They’d play eight hours a day, seven days a week. They were on the radio an hour a day, and they’d play for college and high school graduations, rodeos, Mexican fiestas, and other events up and down the coast.
“It was a damn lot of work,” Olson said.
He and his wife, Mary Jo, make it a point to come to Military Appreciation Day each year. One of the main reasons is that Olson likes to watch the Red Bull Band.
“He’s very, very proud of his military service,” said Mary Jo. “It’s kind of a feel-good day for him.”
It’s a feel-good day for a lot of folks. It’s also a great place to connect with fellow Veterans and learn about state and federal resources that our service members and their families have earned.
Thanks to the Minnesota State Fair for hosting the annual event.