Happy Veterans Day from The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army Northern Division is proud to celebrate Veterans Day as we honor the brave men and women who have served our country.
Our gratitude for veterans is on display year-round through the wide range of programs your donations allow us to offer in Minnesota and North Dakota – including veteran housing, basic needs assistance, rehabilitation, counseling, and more.
One of these programs, for example, includes two supportive housing complexes in Minneapolis (pictured) for struggling veterans. Veterans can stay up to two years while receiving help from Salvation Army caseworkers who help them stabilize, find employment, and secure permanent housing. Additional support is provided at the nearby VA Medical Center.
A similar program exists at The Salvation Army’s emergency shelter in St. Cloud, Minn., which includes several rooms reserved specifically for veterans. These services helped a U.S. Marine Corps veteran named John (pictured) to find housing and start his life over. He had been teaching world history at Florida State University for 12 years before a string of tragic events left him homeless in St. Cloud.
“If not for The Salvation Army, I don’t know what would have happened to me,” said John, choking back tears.
Long History of Service
The Salvation Army has a long history of supporting our men and women in uniform, starting in the 1910s during World War I, when female Salvation Army volunteers called “Donut Girls” served American soldiers battling on the frontlines. The Donut Girls made and served thousands of donuts a day for U.S. troops, while also praying with the soldiers, helping them write letters, mending their clothes, and more.
The Salvation Army continued serving during the Vietnam War. A Vietnam veteran named Steve (pictured) from Duluth, Minn., recently shared the following story about The Salvation Army helping him and his platoon while they were stationed in A Sau Valley in central Vietnam:
On Christmas Eve in 1970, Steven and the soldiers were supposed to attend a Christmas dinner and Bob Hope performance at their military base, located three hours away on foot.
After leaving their post for the Christmas party, the officer in charge of Steven’s platoon led the soldiers the wrong way – and right into enemy fire. With two soldiers wounded, the soldiers retreated and walked another three to four hours to the base, only to learn they had missed the dinner and Bob Hope show. They went to bed hungry.
Even worse: The platoon learned that their Christmas presents and mail were on board a ship that had sunk off the coast of Japan. News of their bad luck spread after it was broadcast on “Good Morning Vietnam” – a radio show later made famous by the 1987 movie of the same name.
When Christmas Day arrived, a uniformed soldier approached Steven’s platoon, but nobody recognized the uniform.
It was a Salvation Army officer who had heard what happened to the soldiers. He had come to offer treats, trinkets, and other gifts.
“If not for The Salvation Army, we would not have received anything for Christmas that year,” Steven said. “They were just small things, but it meant so much to the soldiers that year.”
The Salvation Army and our donors are proud to support veterans, and we honor them for the sacrifices they’ve made.
“Happy Veterans Day to the men and women who have served our country and protected our freedom – you are heroes,” said Lt. Col. Randall Polsley, leader of The Salvation Army Northern Division.
This Christmas season, you can Be the Light in somebody’s life by providing food, shelter and care for people in need. Join us today by giving a donation, signing up to volunteer, or ringing bells at a Red Kettle.