Long-time Preston resident Walter Hanson was the first resident to move into the Preston Veterans Home, on his 91st birthday, January 3, 2024. The newly opened Minnesota Veterans Home in Preston admitted its first residents on January 3 – four veterans who served in eras from Korea to Vietnam. The Preston Veterans Home is the first of three new veterans homes scheduled to … [Read more...]
COVID-19 financial assistance for veterans now available
Veterans and their spouses who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are now able to access a pair of state government programs that were created to provide them with financial assistance. “During troubled times in our country’s history, our veterans put their lives on hold to do what was best for our state and our country,” said State Representative Greg Davids … [Read more...]
New date announced for Wreaths for the Fallen – December 14
WreathsForTheFallen.org will be honoring our nation’s fallen veterans at the Little Falls, Preston and the new Duluth veterans cemeteries. The addition of Preston and Duluth will require several hundred additional honor wreaths needed to honor our countries fallen veterans and their families at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemeteries once again this year. Because of the … [Read more...]
Whalan mayor reminisces about time in Navy
“I wasn’t ready,” Marlys Tuftin of Whalan said. While Tuftin was studying at Winona State, her college roommate asked her to join the Navy with her on the buddy system. Tuftin wasn’t interested at the time and ended up turning her down for a job in civilian nursing, but five years later, she had second thoughts. “I decided to try it for three years,” she said. Those three … [Read more...]
FC grads make a career in Armed Forces
Two Fillmore-Central High School graduates have taken different paths in the military, but both are now stationed in Miami, Florida. Becky (Polzin) Wyness serves in the Coast Guard, while David Fink serves in the Army. They recently agreed to share their stories with the Journal. Becky Wyness explained that, “I grew up in Preston, but we moved around a lot. I lived in … [Read more...]
The 11th Hour: The Date Behind Veterans Day
By Claudine Zap While most know that Veterans Day honors those who have served in the military, the meaning behind its exact date (November 11) may not be so familiar. Here’s the back-story: Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was … [Read more...]
5 Facts to Know About Veterans Day
By Katie Lange Veterans Day is a well-known American holiday, but there are also a few misconceptions about it — like how it’s spelled or whom exactly it celebrates. To clear some of that up, here are the important facts you should know. Veterans Day does NOT have an apostrophe A lot of people think it’s “Veteran’s Day” or “Veterans’ Day,” but they’re wrong. The … [Read more...]
Easy ways to celebrate Veterans Day
Veterans Day is an annual holiday when veterans of the armed forces are honored and celebrated in the United States. Many people confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day. While both days honor members of the armed forces, there's a distinction between the two holidays. Memorial Day, which is celebrated in May, is a day designated for remembering servicemen and servicewomen who … [Read more...]
American flag etiquette
The American flag symbolizes many things to many people. While the American flag is proudly displayed in millions of buildings and homes across the United States year-round, it tends to draw special attention each summer, when Americans celebrate their independence on July 4. The Flag Code formalizes and unifies the standards of respect that must be given to the flag, even … [Read more...]
Remembering Pearl Harbor
December 7, 2019, marks the 78th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was a pivotal day in world history, ultimately leading the United States to enter the Second World War. Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan participated in a series of invasions into China, believing the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into China and … [Read more...]