9:10 Walz has just finished introducing Speaker Pelosi, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Clark Dyrud, and Minnesota National Guard Major General Larry W. Shellito. Pelosi is reviewing the 110th Congress's veterans' legislation, and the need to revise the GI Bill to accommodate veterans' needs today. She thanks General Shellito for his leadership and the great service of the Minnesota National Guard. She brings up Walz's work for vets, and welcomes everyone.
9:39 Luke Weinandt talks about the delays ingetting his GI Bill education benefits to go to college. He was able to connect with Tom McLaughlin. Many of his fellow soldiers dropped out. Greg Peterson, Brown County's service officer, speaks about the vets' needs, and introduces Allen Huhn, a WWII vet who was a POW. Huhn speaks briefly, thanking the VA for the care. Lisa Jaeger of Wabasha talks about the needs of a noncombat vet and the need to connect all vets with the system, local care, and the needs of women vets.
9:15 Now Ken Delano from Albert Lea is talking about the great care he gets at the medical center but notes that the drive is long and expensive. Couldn't VA clinics be set up in rural areas?
9:20 Mike McLaughlin, a Marine who served in Iraq, talks about how when a service member comes home alone, rather than with a unit, he or she will feel isolated and not connect with the service clubs, county service officers, and benefits system. A uniformed man (Darrin Janisch?) talks about the Yellow Ribbon program. This segues to Commissioner Dyrud and General Shellito talking about the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program. Shellito asks Pelosi to ask DoD about how porgrams will be implemented in Minnesota, which has no military bases.
9:27 A former state commander of the VFW from Srping Valley talks about medical needs of rural vets. A county service officer talks about their needs. Hank Sadler of the DAV and a resident of Madison Lake, talks about his concerns about funding the Independent Budget. He's also concerned about the needs of caregivers for seriously disabled vets.
9:33 Rob Gross, Houston County's Service Officer, talks about the need to recognize the link between Parkinson's Disease and Agent Orange. He echoes the issues with local provision of VA system care. Gerard Marking of Lake City talks about the need to connect vets with the system.
9:44 Tom Mclaughlin, a disabled Vietnam Vet and father of Michael, who served in Iraq, speaks about the new technology of prosthetic devices. He talks about the need to upgrade grant programs for disabled vets. Grants for amputees to adapt homes shouldn't be a one time thing. After all, a 20-year-old vet probably isn't going to stay in the same house all his or her life.
9 Pelosi is wrapping up, before she'll be meeting with leadership of the service groups like the VFW, DAV, and Legion. She notes that much of what she heard about outreach. She notes how veterans have been bringing up the needs of rural vets; she mentions how Walz brings up their issues in Washington. She thanks the vets for making personal the issue of outreach. She thanks General Shellito for the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program. She adresses the efforts with Parkinson Disease.
9:55: Speaker Pelosi's closing remarks: "Everything that is wonderful about this country, we owe to your courage...".
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