ST. PAUL, MN – On Friday, May 17, Governor Tim Walz signed into law legislation authored by Rep. John Heinrich (R-Anoka) to honor Minnesota veterans who served both stateside and abroad during World War I. The new law recognizes and honors the sacrifices and bravery of all of Minnesota’s WWI veterans by authorizing a new plaque in the State Capitol Court of Honor.
“This memorial will remember and honor the enormous sacrifices all of Minnesota’s World War I veterans, including those serving stateside, made on behalf of our nation,” said Heinrich. “The new plaque also has no fiscal impact, meaning this comes at no new cost to taxpayers. As a Marine Corps veteran, I’m proud to have authored this legislation to honor these veterans and I look forward to seeing the new memorial.”
The Capitol Court of Honor contains plaques to honor veterans who served in wars the United States has been involved in. The current plaque honoring WWI veterans is dedicated to the 57,413 Minnesotans who served abroad in WWI. However, the plaque omits the 61,084 Minnesotans who served the war effort stateside. Many of these Veterans died of a flu outbreak while in service to their country.
Attached are photos of the current plaque in the Capitol Court of Honor.
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