Veterans’ Voices Month proposal passed by House

Men and women who have served or are serving their country already have days sprinkled throughout the year in their honor. They could be respected for an entire month.

Passed 131-0 by the House Thursday, HF2812 would designate October as Veterans’ Voices Month to heighten awareness of veterans in the state. Minnesota would be the first state to create such a designation.

“We have Memorial Day in May where we tend to honor veterans who have fallen, and then on Nov. 11, which used be Armistice Day when I was a kid, we now have veterans memorials,” said Rep. Jerry Newton (DFL-Coon Rapids), the bill sponsor. “However, we don’t have a time when the kids are all back in school and they’re not off on holidays like the 11th of November or Thanksgiving, where we can devote a month to veterans and highlight their accomplishments and what they do in our communities.”

The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) is the sponsor.

David O’Fallon, president of the Minnesota Humanities Center, told the House State Government Finance and Veterans Affairs Committee March 12 that schools, organizations and communities would be encouraged to hold events that honor veterans and educate students and citizens about the “skills, knowledge and contributions” of veterans to our democracy.

“To be blunt, a day here and a day there doesn’t meet this need,” he said.

Trista Matascastillo, a program officer for the center, told the committee that people don’t always know what Veterans Day is all about. “We monopolize holidays for an opportunity to have a sales event, and it minimizes what the day is really supposed to be about.”

She said the idea has been piloted at Northfield High School, where a group of students read books and do other activities in October. That month was chosen because it leads into Veterans Day.

O’Fallon hopes that over time the center can develop educational resources for school use.