Remember the forgotten veterans

By Vicki Gerdes

December 17, 2014 at 1:30 PM

When making out Christmas cards to send to friends and family this season, at least one local veteran is asking everyone to consider adding at least one or two cards to that list.

By addressing a card “To A Veteran,” and sending it to the Fargo VA Medical Center or Minnesota Veterans Home in Fergus Falls, or addressing a card “To A Recovering American Soldier” and sending it to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., you can help make the holidays just a little brighter for someone who might otherwise be forgotten.

“Remember the veterans sitting in nursing homes, or in a rehab center, who have no family or friends nearby,” says Neil Olson, commander of Lakeland Chapter 31 of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). “So many of them are more or less forgotten.

“You’d be surprised how much a simple card brightens their day - makes their day,” he added. “Just knowing that someone thinks of them.”

And those who are so inclined might also consider including a small donation to the veterans’ home or medical center in the envelope as well, Olson added.

By including a note to make the donation part of the organization’s recreation fund, you can ensure that the veterans enjoy some outside activities.

“The money from our annual veterans’ golf tournament - which is hosted by all area veterans organizations - goes toward this,” Olson said, noting that the Fargo VA and Fergus Falls veterans’ home each receive about $5,500 from the Veterans Memorial Golf Invitational, which is held every June in Detroit Lakes.

“That’s the only way some of these veterans get outside the home,” Olson added. “Those outings are funded by donations.”

Christmas cards “To A Veteran” can be directed care of the following addresses:

Fergus Falls Veterans Home, 1821 N Park St, Fergus Falls, MN 56537-1247.
Fargo VA Health Care System, 2101 Elm St N, Fargo, ND 58102.

Christmas cards “To A Recovering American Soldier” may be sent care of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave. NW, Washington DC 20307-5001.
Follow Detroit Lakes Newspapers reporter Vicki Gerdes on Twitter at @VickiLGerdes .

By Vicki Gerdes

A reporter at Detroit Lakes Newspapers since relocating to the community in October 2000, Vicki was promoted to Community News Lead for the Detroit Lakes Tribune and Perham Focus on Jan. 1, 2022. She has covered pretty much every "beat" that a reporter can be assigned, from county board and city council to entertainment, crime and even sports. Born and raised in Madelia, Minnesota, she is a graduate of Hamline University, from which she earned a bachelor's degree in English literature (writing concentration). You can reach her at vgerdes@dlnewspapers.com.