December 2012
Disabled American Veterans,
Department of Minnesota
“FULFILLING OUR PROMISES TO THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED”
Seasons Greetings from Commander Erickson
First, I would like to extend Holiday Greetings
to each and every one of you. At the same time
I want to remind you that there are disabled
veterans and / or their families who may not
be as fortunate as we, in your community, in the
VAMCs, the Veterans Homes, or area nursing
homes , and I ask that you take the time to
reach out to these folks… do something special,
keeping in mind our purpose, fulfilling our promises to the
men and women who have served.
the DAV sponsored. The smiles and the excitement I witnessed at these events are etched in my memory. I sincerely
thank the donors and volunteers who play a very key role in
the success of these events.
 I have had the opportunity to be at the VAMCs as the
DAV and County vans pull up to the entrance of the VAMC
and bring these men and women to their medical care. Some
of these vans and volunteer drivers are on the road long before the sun rises and long after it sets. I have come to appreciate even more, the impact this DAV transportation program plays in bringing a better quality of life to our veterWe are just beyond the halfway point in my year as your
ans…. ie: last year here in MN;
Commander and I must say I am so very proud of the MN
26,000 veterans transported
DAV organizations impact on the lives of those we serve. I
85,000 hours contributed by volunteer drivers
have seen firsthand DAV and DAVA members, Chapters, lead- 1.7 million miles driven to get these veterans to their medical
ers, and volunteers clearly performing our mission with pas- appointment.
sion and commitment. I sincerely thank you for that and
 I have seen dedicated members actively recruiting new
challenge you to extend that commitment into our new year. members…ensuring that our organization grows and is posiYou are truly building better lives, fulfilling our organizations tioned for the future to carry on our efforts to address the
promises and bringing a better quality of life to those we
promises we have made. We have been one of the fastest
serve. … in a very big way . Serving as your Commander
growing Departments in the USA for over 8 years running. I
gives me a very special opportunity to see the big picture of
ask that you keep focused on this very important effort.
just what MN DAV is all about… and the results of your/our
 I have visited Chapters and witnessed their veteran comefforts. Some examples:
munity involvement, their programs, and their success. In
 I have seen 100’s of disabled veterans participating in
these travels, I have come to realize the importance of
(Continued on page 3)
very unique and safe hunting and fishing opportunities that
Happy Holidays from DAVA Commander Siltanen
Seasons greetings !
eling around the state to visit at Veteran Christmas present in the form of a great
Homes and participating in
-granddaughter on November
The holidays are my favorite time of
programs honoring our Veter25th.
year. My family dinners at Thanksgiv- ans. Everywhere I go, the goal
That makes a running total of 33
ing and Christmas are what I look forof all present is to work for the
grandchildren and 4 greatward to all year. This time of year is all betterment of the Veterans. I
grandchildren. I can only imagabout sharing with family. Decorating
have had the pleasure of hearine what Christmas would be if
the house and tree, going on shopping
ing stories about how our Vetthey all were in Minnesota.
trips, and baking for the many get toerans have serviced our coungethers with family and friends, all intry. I only hope we can give
My husband Mel and I wish evecrease the joy of the season.
back even a fraction of what
ryone a Merry Christmas.
has been given to us.
The last couple of months have
Karen Siltanen,
been very exciting and rewarding, trav- On a lighter note I received an early
Department of MN DAVA Commander
From the Adjutant/Executive Director’s Desk
As we enter the
Holiday season I
wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS! As
the Commander
stated, this is
clearly a time for
friends and families to share time,
love and gifts as well as wishes for the
new year, but lets make a special effort
to include fellow veterans in sharing of
time, appreciation and wishes this season.
commitment to organizations growth
 The DAV Donor Connection program
and strength truly inspires me. There is
connecting donors with handicapped
no doubt in my mind, even though my
equipment to disabled veterans who
tenure with DAV is short, that I
enjoy a better quality of life as a ream committed to serve you, and the
sult of the donor generosity.... to a
organization over the long term and
tune of approximately $400,000 in
assist you in making the DAV of MN the
value a year.
very best it can be and focused on our
 Our National Service Officers at Fort
purpose of FULFILLING THE PROMISES
Snelling are aggressively
WE MADE TO THE MEN AND WOMEN
and effectively championing your
WHO HAVE SERVED.
claims for benefits and services.
As we end calendar year 2012, I must
 Our DAV / VA Transportation Netsay that our organization is strong, it is
work at the Mpls and St. Cloud
growing with new membership, its
VAMCs are the best in the nation
Since coming onboard as your State
fundraising enterprises (both at Dept.
 Our hunting and fishing programs for
Adjutant and Foundation Executive Di- and Chapter) are thriving and memdisabled veterans are providing a
rector in July, my life has taken on new bers , leaders, volunteers are moving
very unique opportunity for veterans
meaning and purpose. I have come to
our organization in a direction where it
to hunt and fish in a very safe
greatly admire the Disabled American is clear we are putting our resources
and accommodating environment.
Veteran organization and the members and efforts where they need to be.
 Our new young staff in MN DAV HQ
who make the organization what it is.
We have DAV programs serving our
(DSO Carson and Operations Director
Your passion to serve veterans through veterans where the impact of our efVrtacnik), along with Gina are excitvolunteerism, donations, as well as
forts are profound:
(Continued on page 7)
Greetings from the Auxiliary Adjutant
I hope that everyone had a really great
Thanksgiving Day! We all have so much
to be thankful for. We live in a great
place and have so many privileges that
many others do not have. We need to
protect those rights. It is our right and
civic duty to do so. Please write or call
your Senators and make it known to
them that we oppose the TRICARE Medication Co-Payment Increases. Tell them
to change the language on S.3254 that
would restrict DOD’s authority to increase TRICARE pharmacy copayments.
Christmas is right around the corner
and as members of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary we need to think
about ways to help our veterans and
their families this season. Check with
your County Veterans Service Office to
see if they need assistance or financial
help for the Christmas season. Talk to
your local nursing homes
and find out if there they
need volunteers or if there
are any veterans you can
visit. The reward is great
and the need to help is always there.
Each unit has received their yearend
reports and application for the Katherine Pearson DAV Auxiliary member of
the year award. If you have missed
placed either of these, please contact me
immediately and will send you another
copy. Yearend reports are vital to this
organization as it tells us what each of
you are doing and also gives other units
ideas as to what they can be doing. If
you are have trouble with the reports
you can all me at 320-275-3453.
is our opportunity to
talk to our congressmen and let them
how we want them
to vote on Veterans
Issues. Our DAV National Commander,
Larry Polzin, will be
addressing the Joint
Veterans Affairs
Committee on Tuesday February 26, 2013.
Have all the units filed your 990N E-Post
card? If not please do so immediately!
Failure to do so can result in your unit
losing your tax exempt status and it is
very costly to get that reinstated. Here
are a couple of tips: 1. You may need to
add 01 to the end of your EIN number.
2. Make sure that you are using your
Auxiliary EIN number and not the Chapters. Call National if you are not sure
what your number is. PLEASE call
me at 320-275-3453 if you need
help.
Here in Minnesota, we have a very
knowledgeable slate of Department officers in the Auxiliary. Please feel free to
contact them if you have questions or
need help. We would be very happy to
attend any of your meetings and give
guidance or advice. WE are all here to
serve you the members of the Disabled
American Veterans Auxiliary. I sent each
unit a list of all the officers and committees chairmen. If you need another one,
please contact me to obtain another
copy.
February 24 –27, 2013 we will be
LeeAnn Karg
going to Washington, DC for the Na- DAVA Dept. of MN Adjutant
tional Mid-Winter Conference. This
2
DAVMN Enterprises has New
Leadership
(Continued from page 1) Commander Erickson’s Greetings
strong leadership at the chapter level. I have also seen
chapters struggling to make a difference and an impact in
their communities. I will continue to ensure my officers
and I are focused on these chapters.
 I have seen firsthand the success and impact of our
DAV of MN Foundation. I sincerely appreciate your generosity in providing donations to it. Our Foundation is the
“giving arm” of MN DAV and provides support for Chapter,
unit, and partner organization projects throughout the
State of MN. I thank the Board of Directors for their efforts, their focus on strategy, vision and purpose.
 I have seen many great DAV and DAVA volunteers
generously giving their time, their talents and making a
difference at our VAMC s, the Veterans Homes, at the
Transportation offices, at our hunts and fishing events and
many other places around our State. THANK YOU!!
 I am so very grateful for our success in sourcing, hiring, and building a young and energetic executive team in
our Department HQ. I thank Dean Ascheman, Bob Connor
and our Executive Committee and Foundation Board of
Directors for their efforts in this accomplishment. I am
very confident we will be well served by these young men
for years to come.
It has been a great year for DAV MN’s enterprise operations. Our thrift and vehicle
donation programs are continuing to
thrive. Historically, the quantity of donations that we receive drops off significantly around October/November, but as
of December 1st we are still going strong.
A special thanks to all of the Chapters that are participating in the thrift program. Your continued efforts are
enabling the DAV MN to increase its visibility and public
awareness, and the increased revenue in the Chapter
treasuries will enable us to enhance the quality and frequency of DAV events for all of our local Veterans. Kudos
to everyone involved, and keep up the great work.
To those Chapters not yet involved in the program, feel
free to contact me anytime if you have questions or want
to participate (josh@davmn.org or call 651-291-1212). I
wish you all, and your families, the very best this holiday
season.
I could go on for quite some time providing you a glimpse
of what I see on a day to day basis with MN DAV but I will
end it by simply saying “ KEEP IT UP… CONTINUE DOING
WHAT YOU ARE DOING… BLOW YOUR HORN…. CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS… AND LAST, BE
PROUD … I CERTAINLY AM!”
Joshua Vrtacnik, Director of Operations
DAV Hits the Road with New
Service Vehicle
In November of 2012 a fellow
veteran Phillip Potter generously donated a 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada to the DAV Department of Minnesota to be
used as a new service vehicle
to help service officers get out on the roads and help veterans.
HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON…MAKE IT SPECIAL
FOR DISABLED VETS IN YOUR COMMUNITY!!
And be proud to be a DAV’er. It is not the price we pay to
be a member, it is the price we paid to be eligible.
Serving you and MN DAV;
Bob Erickson, State Commander
Welcome to the New
Department Service Officer
Phillip has had a long military career spanning over 34
years and filled with great accomplishments. His generosity will enable service officers to get out more frequently
and assist veterans who were previously restricted due
to immobility. The bravado is a beautiful vehicle that is
black in color and will show off the DAV’s new logo perfectly for all to see.
As of October 15th, Minnesota has a new Department Service Officer, John Carson. He is already deep into his training in his new job. John is still actively involved with the
Minnesota Army National Guard with which he joined in
1998 and has deployed overseas with the MN National
Guard twice.
Now that we have this new service vehicle we will no
longer be restricted to the Mobile Service Office which
can be difficult to get around in during the winter and is
not as fuel efficient as our new service Bravada. The new
service vehicle is set up and ready and will be out on the
road in no time heading out to locations all over the state.
In 2010 John started working full time with the MN National guard and Martin County Beyond the Yellow Ribbon
helping Veterans and Military families around southern
MN. John is highly motivated and enjoys helping veterans
at every turn. John will be located at the Department HQ &
Report to the Adjutant. He will be very involved with outreach & statewide chapters. John can be contacted at
john@davmn.org or call 651-291-1212.
Sign up for our E-News!! Visit our
website davmn.org to subscribe
3
VA Loan Eligibility Expands for Surviving Spouses
New law extends VA loan eligibility to more surviving spouses. Now a Veteran’s death
does not have to be duty-related for the widow to become eligible for VA home loan benefits.
An addition to the VA eligibility guidelines is good news for surviving military spouses. A
new law, known as The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act (H.R. 1627), makes VA loans available to additional surviving spouses. Military
widows can now be eligible if the Veteran was rated totally disabled and eligible for compensation prior to death by any cause. The law designates that the Veteran must have
been eligible for compensation at the time of passing and be rated one of the following:
1. Continuously totally disabled for at least 10 years immediately prior to death
2. Continuously totally disabled for at least 5 years from the date of discharge
3. Continuously totally disabled for at least 1 year prior to death of a POW who died after
Sept. 30, 1999.
DAV Day with the
Minnesota Twins!
Mark your calendar for this
year’s DAV outing to Target Field
to watch the Minnesota Twins
take on the Kansas
City Royals on
Sunday June 30,
2013, time TBD.
Tickets this year
will be $35 each
(Each ticket will receive a $10
Concession Voucher!).
The change is significant because prior to the signing of the Act on August 6, 2012, only
Put the date on your calendar so
those whose spouses died of military-related causes were considered for home loan benethat you can make plans to watch
fits. Generally, VA home loan eligibility for surviving military spouses has been updated to
the State Commander attempt to
include widows who have not remarried and:
Survived a spouse who died in service or from a service-related disability
Survived a spouse who was missing in action (MIA) or a prisoner of war (POW) for at
least 90 days (limited to one-time use of benefit)
Survived a spouse who was rated continuously totally disabled for the specified period of
time, and was eligible for disability compensation at the time of death by any cause
throw out the first pitch!
More info will be posted on our
website when finalized.
LVAP/VAVS
Reporting
Valery Behr, Military Community Liaison for iFreedom Direct® says, “The improvements
to VA loans as a result of this Camp Lejeune law are a great start to what’s needed to take
better care of our vets.” Even if you may not have been eligible in the past, you may qualiChapter & Unit Leaders! Make
fy now based on recent improvements to veterans’ benefits eligibility requirements.
sure you are reporting LVAP
Check with your VA specialty lender to see if you qualify. www.directvaloans.com/.
(Local Volunteer Assistance Program) hours monthly! Whether
its helping your chapter at a local
fair, visiting a local nursing
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has updated the list of U.S. Navy and
home, color guard, it can all be
Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam, adding more vessels and expanding inforcounted towards LVAP!
mation for others. There are now 244 ships on the list. The list can help Vietnam-era Veterans find out if they qualify for presumption of Agent Orange exposure when seeking VA Questions on getting started or
disability compensation for related diseases.
how to report please contact:
Visit www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures to learn about military exposures and VA beneKen Kelley State LVAP Chair
fits.
Phone: 320-252-1670 Ext. 6676
Fax: 320-202-2326
Email: ken.kelley@va.gov
More Ships Added to VA’s Vietnam Ship List
Department of Veterans Affairs Pension
Benefits Information
The Veterans Affairs pension program provides monthly benefit payments to certain wartime Veterans with financial need, and their survivors. As Veterans and
survivors consider applying for these benefits, VA would like to share important
information about the pension program and organizations offering assistance with
pension Department of Veterans Affairs Pension Benefits Information applications.
The Pension, Fiduciary and Survivors (PFS) Service has developed a fact sheet for
VA’s Pension program that can be found at
www.vba.va.gov/VBA/docs/PensionProgramInfo_final.pdf.
Benefit Information provided by Department Service Officer, John Carson. John can
be reached by calling 651-291-1212 or email John@davmn.org
4
DAV Transportation Network for the Twin Cities Metro Area
The DAV Transportation Network provides free transportation for veterans
requiring medical care to and from VA
Hospitals. The DAV Hospital Service
Coordinators (HSC’s) administer the
DAV Transportation Network (TN)
through the DAV State HQ .
The program is a partnership between
the VA and the DAV organization. The
DAV donates vans as well as assists in
the funding of the vans serving the
Statewide Counties and oversees the
volunteer drivers, who log over millions of miles each year. The Mpls/St.
Paul Metro area TN leads the country
in the hours the volunteers contribute,
the miles driven and most importantly
the number of veterans served.
have met people and served veterans that have participated in
significant events of history.
They have interesting stories to
tell”, added another driver.
Some of our passengers are just
nice people that have a need for
help. Giving back is a fulfilling
and enjoyable thing.
Commander Erickson Presents Mpls. VAMC with a new Van!
And that is why our drivers
drive, and drive they do. Last
week alone, in the Twin City area the
local drivers provided transportation
to over fifty veterans. From January
through November 2012 the “Metro
“drivers provided transportation to
2,600 veterans driving vehicles that
were donated by the DAV to the hospital.
of certainly, however there are still
more opportunities. There are more
geographical gaps where there are veterans that do not have transportation
available to medical care that they are
entitled to at the VAMC. That is one of
our objectives of the DAV, to continue
identify these gaps and to try to close
Veterans are brought in to the Minnethem and to continue to provide transapolis VAMC from many counties all
Altogether, including Minnesota county portation to our veterans who have
over Minnesota and quite a few coundrivers and Western Wisconsin county served us.
ties in western Wisconsin. The volun- drivers there were over 20,000 veterteers and the county drivers that dedi- ans that were brought in to the Minne- If anyone in the Mpls/St. Paul metro
cate their time to veterans are our un- apolis VAMC. There was over 1,320,000 area would like to volunteer to be a
sung heroes. They drive in all kinds of miles driven. That is a lot of veterans
volunteer driver (typically volunteers
weather, to include blizzards and down served and a lot of miles covered. It is a drive one day/week), please call Babetpours, often having to leave extremely culmination of efforts from many
te Blumenauer at 612-487-2768. Also,
early in the morning to get veterans in sources, the DAV, the counties and Vol- if any members are at the Mpls VAMC
on time for their appointments. “It’s a unteer Services at the hospital, to name and would like to know more about the
way to give back to the VA and a way to a few.
program, stop in to say hi to Babette.
help brother veterans.“ Says Buzz, one
The office is next to the cashiers office
of the drivers for the metro area. “We It is something that we can all be proud on 1st floor 1-S.
2nd Annual MN Twins/DAVMN Winter Warm Up Coat Drive
Minnesota Twins & DAV of Minnesota
teamed up again for the Winter WarmUp Coat Drive which took place During
the month of November at Twins Pro
Shop locations and the Twins Majestic
Clubhouse Store. The coat drive provided an opportunity for fans to join the
holiday giving efforts
of the Minnesota
Twins by donating
new or gently used
coats for local disabled veterans and
their families in need
as well as for homeless veterans.
The MAC-V organization will accept the
clothes from the DAV
in early December and distribute them
through their MAC-V locations in Mpls/
St. Paul, Mankato and Duluth. They will
also distribute through the CVSOs where
need exists.
Fans who donated received 20 percent
off eligible purchases at the Twins Pro
Shops in the Metro area.
State Commander Erickson looks on as MN
Twin Justin Morneau thanks donors
Twins 1st Baseman Justin Morneau was
on hand to sign autographs! Eager fans
were assembled in a LONG line waiting
to greet their TWINS hero Justin and
donate to the DAV.
This is the 2nd annual TWINS / DAV
coat drive and we sincerely thank Justin
Morneau for leading the effort for the
TWINS this year. We also thank the participating Metro Area TWINS pro shops.
Coats were also dropped
off at the DAV Donation
Center in Maplewood
located at 1285 Cope Ave As the drive wrapped up, Director of
(Hwy 36 & English)
Operations Vrtacnik stated that the
Maplewood.
drive was even more successful than in
2011 and that many veterans and their
On the morning of Nofamilies in need of coats, as will be ready
vember 20, at the Brook- for the winter with a nice warm coat
lyn Park Armory, coats
thanks to the generosity of the many
were collected and MN
donors who participated in the drive.
5
martFIVE, LLC Makes Major Donation of Hurrycanes to MN DAV
martFIVE, LLC a Minneapolis based retail company,
is a company that offers
internet marketing of proprietary products, including canes
and children toys. Two products many of your most likely
are aware of are the HurryCane and Stuffies products.
Recently they approached the DAV of MN Foundation with
an interest in making a donation of the HurryCane products.
Many of our members who were at the DAV of MN Fall Conference seen the product and many of you have no doubt
seen martFIVES frequent TV ads about the HurryCane. (see
at https://thehurrycane.com)
Rather than further explain the donation, let us share the
thank you letter from State Commander Erickson to martFIVE.
On behalf of the Disabled American Veterans organization of
MN and our 18,000 members I want to sincerely thank
martFIVE for their generosity and two donations of 1000
Hurrycanes each over the last two months. We further are
excited about your interest in donating Hurrycanes on a regular basis. We have had several membership gatherings
where we have made the Hurrycanes available to those in
need and I must say we have clearly improved the quality of
life for many disabled and aged veterans who have picked
up these canes. We have also reached out to the residents in
our five MN Veterans Homes spread throughout the State as
well as our County Veteran Service Officers in the 80+ Counties, and they too are so very grateful for what they have
been able to do to serve disabled and aged veterans as a result of your generosity.
Today, I assisted in the pickup of your second donation of
1000 Hurrycanes and we have reached out to the DAV organization in South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin,
and over the holidays will be delivering a large share of todays donation to them.
Again, a sincere THANKS to martFIVE.... you are playing a
HUGE role in assisting us in performing our purpose of
"fulfilling
our promises to the
men and
women
who have
served".
We look
forward to
the future
donations
and your
efforts to
serve disabled veter(L-R)MN DAV Director of Operation Josh Vrtacnik, DAV
ans as a
enterprise employee Roosevelt Sanders, martFIVE warehouse
partner of
employee Aaron, and Commander Bob Erickson.
the DAV.
DAV MN Partners with Midwest Outdoors Unlimited to Host
Two October Pheasant Hunts
Over two sunny and beautiful Saturdays in October The DAV of MN Foundation once again partnered with the Midwest Outdoors unlimited organization to host two European style pheasant hunts at Sand Pines Pheasant Preserve in the St. Joseph
area. These hunts have become very popular with disabled veterans as the European style hunt is
very accommodating to the handicapped / disabled veterans.
Over forty hunters enjoyed the hunts and close to 350 pheasants were taken. These
pheasants were processed, frozen and presented to the hunters to take home (about
8 per hunter).
The DAV and Midwest Outdoors Unlimited sincerely thank the chapters and individuals who assisted in the funding of these events. We also thank the volunteers who
brought their dogs used to retrieve pheasants for the hunters.
DAV Foundation Executive Director Stephen Whitehead and MOU Executive Director Ron Welle commented after the hunts that they are committed to continue these
hunts in 2013 and actively recruit new disabled veteran hunters for these events.
We also thank the Chapter Commanders and Statewide CVSOs for ensuring
statewide veterans were aware of the event and opportunity to hunt.
6
Vets Day on the Hill
Membership Update!
The Department of Minnesota started the membership
year with two goals, (1) meet the 100% membership goal;
and (2) Earn the National Judge Marx Award for the highest percent of membership above goal.
The Minnesota Commanders’ Task Force (CTF) has set
March 13, 2013 as Minnesota Veterans Day on the Hill.
The CTF was created in 1988 and is comprised of elected
commanders and appointed adjutants of nine congressionally-chartered Veterans service organizations in Minnesota. The CTF will present their 2013 Legislative Agenda during a Rotunda ceremony and all able Veterans are
encouraged to attend.
In early November we met our first goal of 100%. At the
Fall Conference we set a new standard in Minnesota membership by issuing a flash-drive with over 20,000 eligible
member names stored on Excel spread sheets. We also
approved a $100 Department level subsidy for any new
member signed up until Dec 31, 2012. As of this writing 7
of our 31 Chapters remain under their goals and we are
confident that they will attain their goals very soon.
The House & Senate sessions begin at noon on January
8th. Many of the new legislators have not served in the
Armed Forces nor have any of their relatives or acquaintances. We will have to “educate” them about the sacrifices
that Minnesota’s Veterans and their families endured and
that we will accept nothing less than their full support for
MN Veterans Programs
Minnesota remains neck-and-neck with our rival to the
west--South Dakota who is the only other state in the Nation to attain 100%. We have to recruit 4 new members
to their 1. Commander Erickson deserves every ounce of
your effort to push for every possible new member to our
great organization. Thank you all for your hard workkeep it up! “Remember, A New Member Today is a Member
for Life!”
Attention Metro Area Members
Volunteers Needed
On the 4th Sunday of every month at 1PM (and 9AM on
this Christmas Day) a small group of dedicated members/
volunteers meet at the Mpls VAMC atrium to gather and
then break up and go room to room visiting veteran patients throughout the hospital. Those that they visit are
also given a small "giveaway" which is always appreciated.
Greg Peterson, Dept. Sr. Vice & Membership Chairman
(Continued from page 2) Adjutant/Executive Director
ed and committed to serve MN DAV for years to come
and continue our outstanding progress.
We would like to expand this group to include more members/volunteers. If you are interested, please contact State
Commander Bob Erickson through State HQ. (651-2911212)
Recently I, along with Dept. Service Officer (DSO) Carson
and Mpls VAMC transportation coordinator Babette Blumenauer attended a one week intensive service officer
training seminar put on by the National Assn. of County
Veterans Service Officers so that we can participate actively in needed outreach efforts of the DAV as we serve veterans who have questions and concerns about VA benefits
and claims.
DAV Mid-Winter Conference
The DAV Mid-Winter Conference will be
held February 24th-27th in Arlington, VA. A
variety of informative workshops covering
Dept. & Chapter duties, Communications,
I.G., Legislative, Membership, and Voluntary
Services will be presented. Top VA officials
will speak on VA Claims & Health Care Benefits. On Tuesday, Feb 26th National Commander Larry Polzin will address the House & Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill.
Our Chapters and Units throughout MN have great and
effective programs serving our veteran. We have new
leadership emerging , which is great as we take our organization forward serving ALL of our veterans of ALL eras.
As I end 2012, I look forward to an exciting and challenging year, but as I do I am convinced we have the staff, the
management and the talents / skills to take us to new levels of service and success. That, along with our Chapters,
Units and each and everyone of our DAV’ers commitment
to continue doing what we have been doing we WILL be
the best we can be.
Once again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
On Wednesday (27th) Our Department will host a breakfast from 8-10 a.m. for our 10 legislators and their staff to
discuss the DAV’s top legislative priorities. We have a special reservation to hold this breakfast at the Library of
Congress. Travelers should plan on departing MN on Saturday and return flights should be no earlier than 2 pm on
the 27th. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Crystal Gateway Marriott for $198 per night. Call 703-9203230 to make your room reservation. All Minnesota members who are planning to attend are requested to contact
Dept Adjutant Whitehead no later than Feb 8th.
Stephen Whitehead, Adjutant & Executive Director
Greg Peterson, Dept Sr. Vice & Legislative Chairman
We have achieved MUCH this past year, and we have
MUCH to be proud of. I THANK YOU and I thank you for
giving me this opportunity to serve my fellow disabled
veterans.
7
Snapshot of Our Service to MN Veterans 2011-2012
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In 2011, the MN DAV Transportation Network transported 26,558 veterans over
1,700,000 miles which contributed to over 80,000 hours of volunteer time!
DAV representation before the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs resulted in over $60 Million in benefits to MN veterans. This achievement has a significant impact on the veteran and the state of MN economy.
Over 1,800 MN Vets received new benefits. Over 3,600 veterans had their claims
maintained ($37 Million) and/or increased through our MN DAV Service Officers
representation ($14 Million).
MN DAV continued to provide the funds to replace TVs across the Minnesota Veterans homes. These original TVs were provided also by the Foundation twice in past.
Total cost was over $400,000
We have established a fund to assist MN Counties in the purchase of vans used to
transport veterans to the St. Cloud, Minneapolis and Fargo VAMCs.
DAV provided over $60,000 assisting in the funding of statewide DAV chapter programs serving disabled veterans and their families.
The DAV of MN provided donated medical equipment (wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, electric beds, etc) to disabled veterans and/or families with total value of over
$400,000 this past year.
The DAV of MN Foundation granted monies to Annual DAV Pheasant Hunt for disabled veterans in last 3 years. This hunt is held in St. Joseph MN area and two more
are planned for coming years. We also are major funders for the Trolling for Troops
Fishing and deer and turkey hunts at Camp Ripley.
The DAV of MN Foundation has two additional fundraising programs to assist us in
our DAV Transportation Network. Our Annual DAV Golf Tournament and the Old
Glory Run has been instrumental in positioning the MN
DAV in the purchase
of a new vans for increasing needs for
veteran transportation.
We have worked the
Hurrycane Company
to obtain a donation of
over 2,000 canes for
disabled veterans in
MN.
MN DAV Members Receive National Appointments
National Commander Larry Polzin has made the following appointments:
National Chief of Staff: Sheldon Sandmann & Babette Blumenauer, both of Saint Paul
Chapter 2.
Aide to the National Commander: Bob Bowen, Saint Paul Chapter 2
& Richard Weiss, Crow Wing County Chapter 22
Congratulations to all the appointees! The MN DAV is Proud to have
such strong leaders!
Purple Heart Membership
Our Comrades in the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Department of Minnesota,
have asked us to inform anyone eligible for membership to contact their Department Service Officer, Mark Browne @ 612-467-3247 or e-mail:
blackhorse1951@msn.com .
They are offering a free lifetime membership in the Minnesota Department of MOPH to
anyone who is eligible.
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U PCOMING DAV
E VENTS
DAV Mid-Winter Conference
February 24-27, 2013
Crystal Gateway Marriott
$198 per night single/double
Ph: 504-561-0500
www.dav.org/events
MN Vets Day on the Hill:
March 13, 2013
State Commander Testimonial
April 6, 2013
Fort Snelling Officers Club
DAV State Convention
May 2-4, 2013
Holiday Inn, Duluth
$89 per night
Ph: 218-727-7492
www.hiduluth.com
DAV Foundation Golf Tourney
May 22, 2013
The Wilds, Shakopee
Old Glory Run
TBD www.theoldgloryrun.com
DAV National Convention
August 10-13, 2013
Hilton Orlando $124 Per Night
Ph: 407-313-4300
DAV State Fall Conference
October 4-5, 2013
Holiday Inn, Owatonna
$87 per night
Ph: 507-446-8900
www.hiowatonna.com
W AYS
TO C ONNECT
TO THE MN DAV
Look us up on
Twitter! @DAVofMN
We can be found under Minnesota Disabled Veterans, Stop by
and “like” us!
We still have our spot on the
web also, stop by and visit
www.davmn.org
DAV of Minnesota Foundation, Planned Giving & Charitable Bequests
"Planned Giving " is a catch-all term describing a variety of vehicles that enable
you to contribute to charity throughout
your life and even after your death. It is
usually done in conjunction with estate
planning and includes things like donations of stocks and bonds and setting up
annuities or trust funds.
From a donor's perspective, and depending how planned giving is structured , the advantage is the donor can
receive an income stream from his or
her assets while also receiving a higher
yield or tax-advantages treatment of
investment income, which eventually
benefits your charity. Planned giving
can be complicated and should be done
with the aid of a professional investment/tax counselor or attorney.
Whatever method you choose, be sure
you understand the legal requirement
and tax consequences of any investments. A good online place to begin your
investigation is the Minnesota Council
on Foundations "Toolkit for Giving" at
website http:www.wcf.org/donors/
ways.
For many of you DAV’ers charitable giving is a planned and integral part of
your life, and innovative ways of giving
can magnify the effects of charitable dollars with benefits beyond personal satisfaction.
Longtime Minneapolis DAV member
Rob Hartley of Hartley Law Office, who
is an attorney who specializes in estate
planning is available and willing to as-
sist DAV / DAVA members if they have
questions or need help in their planned
giving. His office: 763-789-4394 or 3988
Central Avenue NE Columbia Heights,
MN 55421
DAV of MN Foundation offers a variety
of planned giving options to our friends
and supporters. A planned gift is an arrangement between the donor and DAV
that promises support to our mission
through the donor’s estate. These gifts
help the DAV of MN Foundation and
the veterans we serve while providing
income and tax benefits to the donor.
other appreciated property to a trust.
The income is paid based on a fixed
amount (charitable remainder annuity
trust) or an amount based on the trust’s
assets (charitable remainder unitrust).
These trusts provide a tax deduction
and capital gains tax advantages while
allowing the donor to enjoy a continued
but limited interest in the asset.
Charitable Lead Trust: A donor creates a charitable lead trust by transferring the ownership of an asset to a trust.
The trust gives the income, or a percentage of the income to MN DAV Foundation each year for a period of years
(usually a minimum of five). At the end
of this period, the trust assets are given
back to the donor or named beneficiaries. The lead trust typically is used with
assets with a potential for continued
high appreciation. By utilizing the lead
trust, a donor may leave a significantly
larger inheritance to his or her heirs
than he or she could have left via a will
or other trusts.
Securities, Bonds and Other Appreciated Property: Gifts of appreciated
stocks, bonds or other appreciated
property have the same positive benefit
to the DAV of MN Foundation as a gift of
cash, but these gifts usually are more
beneficial to the donor than a cash gift.
Insurance Policies: The DAV of MN
Foundation can be named as the beneficiary of the donor’s life insurance policy.
It is also possible to assign the policy’s
dividends to MN DAV Foundation as
current, tax-deductible gifts.
Charitable Bequests:
If you are unable to make an outright
gift but would like to contribute to DAV
of MN Foundation, you may want to
consider a bequest. This option allows
you to designate the MN DAV as a beneficiary in your will. This gift will not affect your current income and may help
reduce the estate taxes owed after your
death.
Charitable Gift Annuities: A charitable
gift annuity is a legal contract where the
donor transfers assets to the DAV of MN
Foundation. In exchange for the donor’s
irrevocable gift, MN DAV will provide
fixed, annual payments to the donor or
their designated recipient. The size of
the payments depends on the age of the
recipient at the time of the gift. In addition to guaranteeing annual income to
the donor, these gifts help the donor to
reduce their tax liability.
Charitable Remainder Trusts: These
gifts provide lifetime income to a donor Dean Ascheman, Board Chair
through a contribution of cash, stocks or DAV of MN Foundation
Rich Daly Receives MN State Commander Outstanding Service Award
DAV State Commander Bob Erickson attended the Rochester Mayo-Hiawatha Chapter 28 meeting on Nov. 9th to update the Chapter on membership recruitment results as well as present to
Chapter 28 Commander Rich Daly , the State Commanders Outstanding Service Award for his
outstanding service to veterans in SE Minnesota.
Mr. Daly also recently received the Lourdes High School Foundations, Alumni of the Year Award
in recognition of his service to the community. Daly is a 1966 graduate of Lourdes High School
and a disabled veteran of the VietNam war. In attendance at the meeting was Chapter 28 member and DAV Past National Commander Jim Sursely ( currently living in Apopka Fl.).Sursely, also
a graduate of Lourdes class of 1966 was alumni of the year in 2002.
Mayo-Hiawatha Chapter of the DAV is a 700 member organization that covers SE MN. The Chapter is recognized as one of the most community active Chapters in the State thanks to the Daly
leadership as well as the many members passion to serve veterans in the SE MN community
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(L-R) Jim Sursely, State
Commander Bob Erickson, Ch
Commander Rich Daly & Ch.
member Joe Oppold
Appeal from the DAV of MN Foundation
We recently celebrated Veterans Day and we certainly felt is was every DAV members’ duty to keep the memory of our wartime sacrifice alive in the hearts of the American people.
Our DAV of MN Foundation also plays a big role in keeping that sacrifice in the hearts
and minds of those who are vital to our success in our mission to fulfill the promises we
made to those men and women who have served.
Important
Numbers &
Websites:
MN Department Office:
651-291-1212 or
We have residents in our MN Veterans Homes, who on this past Veterans Day, most of
them aged, to stand tall, salute the flag with trembling hands and tears as they sing the Na- Toll Free 888-317-2291
tional Anthem. At the end of the day, at each of the statewide homes, they return to their
www.davmn.org
rooms and most likely turn on their TVs (provided by the DAV of MN Foundation) and
continue to see Americans across the nation honor veterans.
National HQ: 877-426-2838
www.dav.org
We have had disabled veterans who have had the unique opportunity again this year to
hunt and fish in a very safe and accommodating environment at Camp Ripley, St. Joseph,
New Ulm, Rochester, Ely and other Statewide communities thanks to the generosity of our MN NSO Office: 612-970-5665
Chapters and the Foundation.
The two programs mentioned above are only two of the many MN DAV programs across
the State that serves our veterans. These are all possible because of generous DAV members who support our DAV of MN Foundation.
Our Foundation has made a profound impact on our MN veteran community this past year
by granting over $52,000 in funds to Department, Chapter and Auxiliary projects and programs serving veterans. In addition our DAV of MN Foundations DONOR CONNECTION
PROGRAM has provided over $400,000 in handicapped equipment to MN veterans and
their families (wheelchairs, stair lifts, scooters, power chairs, etc.). This program received
National DAV attention at the Mid-Winter Conference as well as the National DAV magazine.
DAV of MN Foundation…… What is it? What does it do?
The DAV of MN Foundation is involved in fundraising for MN Disabled American Veterans
programs and also provides grants to the Department of MN DAV and their Chapters and
Units for state and local veteran’s service programs. The DAV of MN Foundation uses its
funds three different ways:
1. Endowment – Funds that are endowed and only interest and dividends from this fund
are used for programs. These funds ensure the life of the Foundation. Recently the
Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee transferred another $10,000 into the
endowment fund.
2. Restricted Funds – Funds that when given, the donor designated the funds be used
for a specific purpose so they are restricted in use and must be used as the donor designated. Some donors prefer these funds because of their wish to give to certain programs. *see below funds
3. Unrestricted Funds – Funds that when donated are not designated for any specific
program or purpose other than veterans programs. It is important we have undesignated funds that allow the Board of Directors to route financial grants to Chapters/
Units/Organizations requesting grants for specific projects and causes serving veterans outside of our specific funds scope. Donors can also specify and designate
new funds.
We have many designated restricted funds established by donors to our Foundation.
Restricted Funds
MN DAV National Service Officers Fund - designated for outreach, education, office
equipment and administrative help.
North Dakota DAV National Service Officers Fund - designated to assist the office in
Fargo, that supports Northern MN Veterans.
Homeless/Needy Veteran Fund - designated to assist needy and homeless veterans with
(Continued on page 11)
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Mpls VA Transportation Office:
612-467-2768
St. Cloud VA Transportation
Office: 320-255-6480 x6676
Fargo NSO Office: 701-451-4636
Metro Area Thrift Pick-up Service: 651-487-2002
Vehicle Donation: 866-920-7149
www.vehiclesforveterans.org
DAVA National HQ:
www.dav.org/dava
MN Dept. of Vets Affairs:
651-296-2562 or
www.mdva.state.mn.us
DAV of MN Apparel: http://
ces.landsend.com/DAVofMN
(Continued from page 10)
clothing or other emergency assistance required.
DAV Transportation Fund - designated to help support the
DAV transportation programs at the St. Cloud and Minneapolis VAMCs. This program involves the vans and volunteer
drivers who transport veterans to and from their medical
appointments at the VA Medical Center from across MN
Counties and metro areas.
DAV Department Office Fund - designated to assist the
DAV Department office with education, office equipment and
outreach.
DAV Auxiliary Fund - designated to assist the Auxiliary Department with travel expenses, education and equipment.
MN Veterans on the Lake Fund - designated to assist the
Veterans on the Lake Resort in Ely, MN. This resort provides
unique fishing resort opportunities for veterans.
Minneapolis, St. Cloud or Fargo VAVS Fund - designated
to help the Volunteer Services at the hospital with expenses
incurred with the volunteer programs and provide finances
for DAV and DA VA programs targeting veterans at the VA
Medical Centers and Cemetery.
Minneapolis, Hastings, Fergus Falls, Silver Bay or
Luverne Veterans Home Fund - designated to help each of
the 5 MN veterans’ homes with their outreach programs i.e.
the TV programming, closed circuit TV system, employee
and volunteer recognition and entertainment for residents.
MN Veterans Home TV Replacement Fund - designated to
provide the funds necessary to replace the TVs in the residents rooms and dayrooms in the Statewide MN Veterans
Homes. This is a major project costing more than $200,000.
Armed Forces Service Center (AFSC) Fund - designated to
assist the AFSC with monthly expenses they incur with
providing support to veterans and their families at the Mpls/
St. Paul International Airport
Friends of the Minneapolis Veterans Homes Fund – This
fund was established by the 934th Air Lift Wing at the Minneapolis Airport (Air Force Reserve) to recognize staff and volunteers at the Minneapolis Veterans home. They felt strongly that recognition of staff and volunteers, especially those
that go beyond the call of duty, was very important and ask
Enclosed is my gift of
$ _______________
Make checks payable to
DAV of Minnesota
Foundation
that others join them in their effort.
Disabled Veterans Rest Camp on Big Marine – This fund
was established by St. Paul Ch. 2 to provide funds to the
camp for veterans.
MN Counties Van Replacement Fund – This fund is used to
provide MN Counties $2000 grants when they request funds
to purchase a new County van for transporting veterans.
These funds are provided when they complete their campaign with only $2000 remaining.
MN DAV Hunting/Fishing Programs for disabled veterans – This fund is used to provide funds for the various
hunting and fishing programs we have for disabled veterans
at Camp Ripley, Ely, Fergus Falls/Orwell Dam, Pheasant
hunts near St. Cloud, etc.
The Board of Directors ask that you consider the DAV of MN
Foundation in your 2012 giving plans as the Foundation is
truly committed to "Fulfilling our promises to the men and
women who have served". We have established a goal of
$25,000 for this annual 2012 appeal to the over 20,000
members in our great State. As we end the year 2012, we
would like all DAV Chapters, their Auxiliary Units and all the
members of Minnesota DAV and DAVA to consider a donation to the DAV of MN Foundation. Your generosity is important to our programs. We would appreciate whatever
donation you feel is appropriate. If each of you (our
statewide membership) would donate $25 it would add
$500,000 to the Foundation…. $25 will go a long way in our
efforts to build better lives for today’s disabled veterans.
Remember: “WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET... BUT
WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE”.
Serving You and MN DAV;
Stephen Whitehead
Stephen Whitehead, Executive Dir.
Dean Ascheman
Bob Erickson
Dean Ascheman, Bd. Chair Bob Erickson, State Commander
Name:________________________________________________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________________________________________
City:__________________________________________State:________________Zip:________________
Daytime Phone:__________________E-mail:_________________________________________________
If this is a memorial or
honorary gift, please
Complete the following:
My gift is □ in honor of
□ in memory of
Name: ___________________________
Please notify the following person of my gift:
Name:_____________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________
City:____________________________ State:_______ Zip:________
□ I have included the Foundation in my will.
□ Please send information about including the Foundation in
my will.
Mail to: DAV of Minnesota Foundation | State Veterans Service Building | Floor 3 | St Paul, MN 55155
Phone: 651-291-1212 | Fax: 651-291-0115 | E-mail: stephen@davmn.org | www.davmn.org/foundation
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State Veterans Service Bldg.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
POSTMASTER-Please do not return
Department Officers 2012-2013
Auxiliary Officers 2012-2013
Commander. . . . . . . . ….. …………..…Bob Erickson
Sr. Vice Commander .. . . . . . .... …. ..Greg Peterson
1st Jr. Vice Commander……….….. Durbin Keeney
2nd Jr. Vice Commander . . . ... …. .. Chuck Haberle
3rd Jr. Vice Commander…………....Gary Valtinson
4th Jr. Vice Commander……………...…..Ken Kelley
Treasurer . . . . . . . .. . .. . ... . . . . . . ……...Rob Hartley
Judge Advocate . . . . . ... . . . ……….. .…….. Van Karg
Chaplain.. . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . ... ….. Richard Jenkins
Past Dept. Commander…....………David Valtinson
Adjutant/Executive Dir……..Stephen Whitehead
HQ Staff
Director of Operations………………...Josh Vrtacnik
Business Manager . . . . … . . . . .… . Shauna Hutter
Department Service Officer…….…….John Carson
Administrative Assistant……………….Gina Lindell
Minneapolis VAMC HSC…....Babette Blumenauer
St. Cloud VAMC HSC………………………..Ken Kelley
Commander . . . . . .. . .. . . …... . .….....Karen Siltanen
Sr. Vice Commander. . . .. . ... ... . . . Robyn Kenney
1st Jr. Vice Commander . . … ...Carmen Mickelson
2nd Jr. Vice Commander . . …………......Tammy Hill
Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . .... .. . . …. . . ..Nancy Berndt
Judge Advocate . . . . . . . ..... ... .. . … .Lois McCarron
Chaplain .. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . .…….Samantha Forcier
PDC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ... . . . ...…...Marilyn Hardt
Adjutant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ……... . …. . LeeAnn Karg
Assistant Adjutant……….…………….Marilyn Hardt
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