Daniel R Olsen Post 594

Military Spouse Appreciation Day
2022-05-06 | MN
National Military Spouse Appreciation Day is a presidentially-approved holiday and is celebrated on the Friday before Mother’s Day in May.
On Military Spouse Appreciation Day we honor the contributions and sacrifices made by military spouses. Their commitment and support help to keep our country safe. America’s military spouses are the backbone of the families who support our troops during mission, deployment, reintegration and reset. Military spouses are silent heroes who are essential to the strength of the nation, and they serve our country just like their loved ones.
In celebration of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, the armed forces have special events and programs to inform, honor, and recognize military spouses around the world. Events range from spouse appreciation luncheons to educational workshops, and spouse employment fairs that pay tribute to military spouses.

Silver Star Service Banner Day
2022-05-01 | MN
May 1st is Silver Star Service Banner Day, a time to recognize those who have been awarded The Silver Star Medal, and remember the sacrifices of our wounded and ill veterans. The Silver Star is described as the third-highest military decoration for valor in combat and is typically awarded for actions over a short-term and may be earned for specific acts in combat. Compare that to other types of medals for longer-term service, the Meritorious Service Medal, for example, which is awarded at the end of a military tour when conditions warrant.

Minnesota Legion College
2022-04-24, 2022-04-23, 2022-04-22, 2022-04-21 | Camp Ripley, 15000 Highway 115, Little Falls, MN, 56345, United States
The next session of Minnesota American Legion College is Thursday, April 21, to Sunday, April 24, 2022, at Camp Ripley. Below is the form to apply. The cost is $200 per student. The link to register is at https://mnlegion.org/legion-college/. For questions, email trainingcomm@mnlegion.org.

Core Team Leadership Meeting - Apr 2022
2022-04-19 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Fitz’s Bar and Grill, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN, 55122, United States
There will be a Post 594 Core Team Leadership Meeting on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 18:00. The meeting will be held at Fitz’s Bar and Grill, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN.

Air Force Reserve Birthday
2022-04-14 | MN
The United States Air Force Reserve celebrates its birthday every year on April 14th. The Air Force Reserve was created on April 14, 1948 soon after the establishment of the Air Force as a separate branch of service.

National Commander's Tour
2022-04-12 08:00 - 21:30 | Leo C. Peterson Post 54, 218 W 4th St,, Red Wing, MN, 55066, United States
The American Legion National Commander will be stopping at Red Wing Post 54 for breakfast. Join us for the event.

Former POW Recognition Day
2022-04-09 | MN
Former POW Recognition Day is a day that, while not as well-known as National POW/MIA Recognition Day, is just as important. The word “former” is the key to remembering the major difference between these two events honored every year on their respective days. The late Senator John McCain is a former POW. His memory and the memories of many others who came home from POW camps are on the minds of those who observe both holidays. And there are troops still unaccounted for to this day who should be remembered in the same manner as those who came home.

Gold Star Spouses Day
2022-04-05 | MN
The terms Gold Star family, Gold Star Spouses, and Gold Star Wives traditionally refer to the surviving loved ones of military members who lost their lives in the line of duty. Gold Star Spouses Day was created to honor these loved ones.
This recognition of the sacrifices made by military spouses is all at once a memorial for the fallen, a remembrance day for the survivors, and an appreciation for those who are sometimes in danger of being overlooked for their support and service to the country.

National Vietnam War Veterans Day
2022-03-29 | MN
National Vietnam War Veterans Day is observed every year on March 29 and is a way to thank and honor our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. There are 5 objectives with Vietnam Commemoration and the other four are:

Highlight the service of our Armed Forces and support organizations during the war
Pay tribute to wartime contributions at home by American citizens
Highlight technology, science and medical advances made during the war
Recognize contributions by our Allies

Minnesota Medal of Honor Day
2022-03-25 | MN
On March 25th of each year, Minnesota and the nation observes Medal of Honor Day. On a national level it wasn’t until March 25, 1991, when Congress declared as a day to “foster public appreciation and recognition of Medal of Honor recipients.” The date of March 25th is the anniversary of the first presentations of a Medal of Honor during the Civil War in 1863.
In 2009, the Minnesota House passed HF433 / SF236, which designated March 25 as Medal of Honor Day. Sponsored by Rep. Mike Obermueller (DFL-Eagan) and Sen. Jim Carlson (DFL-Eagan), the bill honors Minnesotans who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, which was first presented on that date in 1863. The bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate. It was signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty that year.
Each year, the Governor will issue a proclamation declaring March 25th as Minnesota Medal of Honor Day.
At this time there are no living Medal of Honor recipients from the State of Minnesota.

National Medal of Honor Day
2022-03-25 | MN
National Medal of Honor Day is observed every year on March 25 and is dedicated to Medal of Honor Recipients. Each branch of the U.S. military awards the Medal of Honor to those who have distinguished themselves “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity” above and beyond the call of duty, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs official site.

The Medal of Honor is awarded only to military members; it is awarded by Congress and is also known as the Congressional Medal of Honor. National Medal of Honor Day is a time to remember the sacrifices of men and women in uniform who have earned this highest of military honors.

Membership Meeting - Mar 2022
2022-03-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Cedarvale Lanes, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN, 55122, United States
Come join other Post 594 members as the Post Officers present information about and for the Post membership on March 15, 2022. It will be held at Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan starting at 19:00 (7:00 pm).
The meetings are held in the banquet room at Cedarvale Lanes in the banquet room downstairs. Once you enter the building, the easiest access to get downstairs is by the OnTrack pro shop.
Address: Cedarvale Lanes and Fitz’s Bar & Grill
3883 Cedar Grove Parkway
Eagan, MN 55122

American Legion Birthday
2022-03-15 | MN
The American Legion has served wartime veterans through promoting patriotism, military service, national security, and dedication to current service members and vets alike. The organization’s birthday is March 15, 1919. The is the day the organization, known as the American Expeditionary Force at the time, organized the first meeting in Paris, France.
The Purpose Of The American Legion
American Legion founding documents include a constitution and bylaws, the preamble of which is where the organizing motivations to run the Legion can be found. The Legion exists for the following purposes as described in the preamble:

To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America
To maintain law and order
To foster and perpetuate 100% Americanism
To preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in all wars
To inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation
To combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses
To make right the master of might
To promote peace and goodwill on earth
To safeguard and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy
To consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness

K9 Veterans Day
2022-03-13 | MN
A Military War Dog, or Military Working Dog (MWD), is a canine that has been trained to protect humans in dangerous situations, and March 13 has been unofficially designated as a day to honor these unique members of the military. The United States K9 Corps on March 13, 1942, dogs were officially adopted into US military ranks during WWII. The Army’s Dogs for Defense program trained 10,000 dogs who were again donated to the war effort by American families.

Seabee Birthday
2022-03-05 | MN
The first Seabee unit was known as “the Bobcats” and Seabees were among the very first to land during the WW II invasion of Normandy. Seabee is an abbreviation of the name United States Naval Construction Battalions. “Seabee” comes from abbreviating “Construction Battalions” to C.B. and a bit of Navy-speak provides the spelling as “Seabee.”

USN Reserve Birthday
2022-03-03 | MN
In 2015, The Navy Reserve celebrated its 100th birthday, with observations held service-wide. Since the Navy Reserve birthday is not a federal holiday, no closures or stand-downs are commonplace, but there are normally birthday events held at individual Navy Reserve units, Reserve HQ, and at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C.
This reserve branch got its formal start on March 3, 1915 when it was known as the Federal Naval Reserve. This would last until 1916 when the Reserve was reorganized and re-christened the United States Naval Reserve Force. At the start of World War One, approximately 8,000 reserve members served, but by war’s end those numbers swelled to 250,000, according to Navy.mil.

Minnesota Oratorical contest
2022-02-26 08:00 - 17:00 | Anoka Legion Post 102, 400 W Main St, Anoka, MN, 55303, United States
“A constitutional speech contest”
The American Legion Oratorical Contest exists to develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students. Since 1938, the program has presented participants with an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship. The program has featured numerous politicians and prominent contestants over the years, including former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, national television commentator and talk radio host Lou Dobbs, and former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

USCG Reserve Birthday
2022-02-19 | MN
February 19th is the official birthday of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Officially set-up in the late 1930s as a “civilian reserve” operation, it was non-military in nature. The Coast Guard Reserve Act of 1939 was the earliest incarnation. The Reserve soon evolved into something much greater than the original authors of the law had envisioned.
The “regular” Coast Guard was formed in 1790. It wasn’t until much later that Auxiliary and Reserve operations would be added to this branch of military service. But when the need arose, there were thousands of people ready to answer the call.

Core Team Leadership Meeting - Feb 2022
2022-02-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Fitz’s Bar and Grill, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN, 55122, United States
There will be a Post 594 Core Team Leadership Meeting on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 18:00. The meeting will be held at Fitz’s Bar and Grill, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN.

Third District Oratorical contest
2022-02-12 10:00 - 12:00 | New Prague Park Ballroom, 300 Lexington Ave S., New Prague, MN, 56071, United States

USO Birthday
2022-02-04 | MN
February 4th is the official birthday of the organization known as United Service Organizations or USO. The USO has been a fixture in military life for more than seven decades. Founded in 1941, the agency is a private, not-for-profit organization working in cooperation with the Department of Defense.
The USO has a congressional charter and receives funding through donations, philanthropy, and corporate support. More than 12,000 volunteers work with the USO at locations worldwide including military bases, airports, and major metro areas.
When the USO was formed, organizers wanted program events and services with an eye on boosting troop morale while promoting American involvement in World War Two. As these plans unfolded, the idea of a traveling USO show performing at forward deployed locations would not only prove successful, but would at times be the main activity some associated with the agency.
These traveling shows were held in China, Russia, Burma, and elsewhere during the war; the same kind of USO shows were offered to troops in later conflicts including Vietnam and Korea.
About seven thousand performers took part in the early USO traveling shows and featured some of America’s greatest star power at the time. The late comedian Bob Hope would eventually become synonymous with the USO thanks to his continued efforts with the agency. His legacy stretches all the way to the first Gulf War where Hope did his final USO tour.

Four Chaplains Day
2022-02-03 | MN
Each year on February 3rd, Four Chaplains Day of remembrance is celebrated across the country. It honors four military chaplains who sacrificed their own lives to save the lives of their fellow service members during WWII.
Sinking of the SS Dorchester
After the four new chaplains had completed Chaplain School at Harvard, they all boarded the USAT Dorchester to travel to Europe and report to their new assignments. The Dorchester left New York on Jan. 23, 1943, with a convoy of ships headed for the Army Command Base at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland. The vessel carried a total of 904 service members.
Because German U-Boats were known to monitor sea lanes, and because Coast Guard sonar detected submarine activity in the area the convoy would travel through, the ship’s captain Hans J. Danielsen ordered the ship’s crew to be on high alert. This included orders for the men to sleep in their clothing and keep their life jackets on most of the time. Due to the heat deep in the ship’s hold, many men disregarded these orders and slept without clothes. Many also opted not to wear their life jackets due to how bulky and uncomfortable these were.
On Feb. 3, 1943, at 12:55 a.m., German submarine U-223 torpedoed the Dorchester off the coast of Newfoundland. This blow knocked out the ship’s electrical system. As darkness set in, so did panic, as many men were trapped below decks. In the midst of this chaos, the chaplains worked together to try and instill calm and also help as many men as they could. This cooperation was deemed extraordinary at the time due to the four being from such different backgrounds and beliefs.
There are numerous eye-witness accounts of the four chaplains’ heroism. When the supply of life jackets ran out before each man had one, the chaplains removed their own life jackets and gave them to others. The chaplains also helped as many men as they could into lifeboats.
Petty Officer John J. Mahoney recalled that, when he attempted to reenter his cabin to retrieve his gloves for protection against the Arctic cold, Rabbi Goode stopped him, said, “Never mind. I have two pairs,” and gave Mahoney gloves. The petty officer later realized the sacrifice Rabbi Goode had made: the rabbi had not had two pairs of gloves, but given his only gloves to Mahoney with the intention to remain on the Dorchester.
As he floated in the frigid Arctic water, surrounded by debris, oil, and dead bodies, Pvt. William B. Bednar heard “men crying, pleading, praying. I could also hear the chaplains preaching courage. Their voices were the only thing that kept me going.”
Grady Clark, another survivor, said, “As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything. The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the four chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a chance without their life jackets.” The four then linked arms, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the ship.
Because the water temperature was 34 degrees and the air temperature was 36 degrees, hundreds of men died due to hypothermia before rescue ships came. Of the 904 men aboard the ship, only 230 were rescued.
Posthumous Medals
On Dec. 19, 1944, Congress posthumously awarded each of the chaplains the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross. Congress also attempted to posthumously confer the Medal of Honor on each chaplain. However, because the chaplains had acted after the torpedo attack was over, and this medal required heroism performed “under fire,” they did not technically qualify. In response, members of Congress authorized the Four Chaplains’ Medal, a special medal intended to have the same weight and importance as the Medal of Honor. It was approved by a unanimous act of Congress on July 14, 1960, and Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker presented the medals to the next of kin of each chaplain at Ft. Myer, Virginia on Jan. 18, 1961.
More details
You can read more about the Four Chaplains at www.army.mil/article/34090/chaplain_corps_history_the_four_chaplains

Third District Mid-Winter Conference
2022-01-22 08:00 - 14:00 | MN
An excellent opportunity to find out what’s happening on a larger scale than just our Post activities. The event is being held in Nicollet, MN. If interested in attending, contact our Post 594 Adjutant.

Post 594 Membership Meeting - Jan 2022
2022-01-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Cedarvale Lanes, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN, 55122, United States
Come join other Post 594 members as the Post Officers present information about and for the Post membership on January 18, 2022. It will be held at Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan starting at 19:00 (7:00 pm).
The meetings are held in the banquet room at Cedarvale Lanes in the banquet room downstairs. Once you enter the building, the easiest access to get downstairs is by the OnTrack pro shop.
Address: Cedarvale Lanes and Fitz’s Bar & Grill
3883 Cedar Grove Parkway
Eagan, MN 55122

Post 594 Open House
2022-01-18 18:15 - 19:00 | Cedarvale Lanes, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN, 55122, United States
If you have not attended a Post meeting for a while, we would like to extend an invitation to join us for an open house to kick off the new year. Come meet other Post members, see what a meeting is like, hear about important happenings within the Post, and renew your membership if you have not done so already. Our open house will begin at 18:15 followed by the meeting at 19:00.

Hastings Veterans Home Christmas Decorating
2021-12-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Hastings Veterans Home, 1200 18th Street East, Hastings, MN, 55033, United States
Limit 10 people. Contact Post Adjutant John Rayman if you are interested. Interest must be indicated by 11/30/21.

Post 594 Membership Meeting - Oct 2021
2021-11-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Cedarvale Lanes, 3883 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan, MN, 55122, United States
Come join other Post 594 members as the Post Officers present information about and for the Post membership on November 16, 2021. It will be held at Cedarvale Lanes in Eagan starting at 19:00 (7:00 pm).
The meetings are held in the banquet room at Cedarvale Lanes in the banquet room downstairs. Once you enter the building, the easiest access to get downstairs is by the OnTrack pro shop.
Address: Cedarvale Lanes and Fitz’s Bar & Grill
3883 Cedar Grove Parkway
Eagan, MN 55122
