News

Click here to view our Legislative Tracker (last updated 1/24/2020). 

The Legislature is adjourned until Monday, January 27th, at 9:00 a.m. 

For information on the 2020 session, including calendar, committees, senator list, and more, please visit https://veterans.nebraska.gov/legislative-issues.
 

LB 153 Update

Today, LB 153 passed Select File. The next step is Final Reading, where the bill is read in full and voted on last time on. If it passes that round, it heads to the Governor’s desk for signing. If you haven’t reached out to your senator yet, please do to let them know to continue their support for this important step forward. Click here to find your senator.

 

Veterans Legislative Day

The annual Veterans Legislative Day is coming up next Friday, January 31st. Learn about veteran-related legislation and how to get involved and hear from speakers such as Governor Ricketts, NDVA Director Hilgert, and Nebraska senators. 

As you may know states along Highway 20 from Newport, OR to Boston, MA have been working to rename HWY 20 the Medal of Honor Memorial Highway across America.  To accomplish this Am. Legion Past Department Commander Gene Twiford of Laurel, NE began the legwork.  When he reached a point of needing assistance, Ken Hanel of West Point and I stepped in to help him.

A philosophy was adopted that the Nebraska Medal of Honor Memorial Highway (NMoHMH) belonged to all Nebraska Veterans, Active Military, Guard and Nebraska Patriots as a means of paying tribute to our Heroes of Heroes.  

On Friday, December 13^th, 2019 at 08:30 in Nebraska Department of Road’s Main Building on 1500 So. Highway 2, Lincoln, the Commissioners will decide between 3 applications.  They can only choose one.  The political groundwork had been laid and the Commissioners have been informed that with the support of the Nebraska Veteran’s Council it is the will of more than 30,000 Nebraska Veterans NMoHMH be declared the choice. 

This being said it is with great hope that as many Nebraska Veterans as possible can show up for this meeting wearing their hat.  Make it an outing.  Invite your comrades to ride with you or organize a suburban full and head for Lincoln.  We need to show with obvious intention that NMoHMH is the choice to be made.  And then go have a celebratory breakfast knowing you did a good thing for our Heroes. 

Once the decision is made it becomes the applicants’ responsibility to pay for signage now and in perpetuity.  For that reason the Nebraska Medal of Honor Foundation has been formed.  It is in this manner  that all Nebraska Veterans, Active Military, Guard, and Nebraska Patriots will be able to support the Foundation’s work.

Ken Hanel and myself are somewhat old school about doing things properly and in an honorable manner.  Therefore, the first fund raising event is called, Walk the Walk.  He and I will be walking across Highway 20 from Wyoming to South Sioux’s Siouxland Freedom Park where we will pass the effort on to Iowa.  All other states west of Nebraska have completed their efforts.  The walk takes place beginning May 11^th 2020 and will take 12 days.  This is “our” way of directing Nebraska’s attention to the how we (all of us)honor our Medal of Honor Recipients. 

This event allows all that wish, to join us in the walk.  We will keep you in the loop as the event draws closer. 

Please visit www.nebraskamedalofhonorfoundation.org

Daryl G. Harrison

Box 266, 355 So. Main

Thurston, NE  68062

[email protected]

(402)922-1329

An average of 22 American veterans and service member take their lives every day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This epidemic will not be easily solved but two veterans and an ex-police officer that all now own breweries want to help.

I headed to Ohiowa, Nebraska and Lazy Horse Brewing Company for the story.

“The three of us came up with this idea after a beer event. Mark is a Marine. Rodney is former law enforcement. We have all kind of dealt with this,” said Jim Stutzman from Lazy Horse Brewing Company in Ohiowa.

Full story CLICK HERE

 

The Nebraska Medal of Honor Foundation which grew from the Highway 20 project wishes to thank the Service Organizations related to the Nebraska Veterans’ Council for their letter of support. 

 

The Nebraska Department of Roads Commissioners will be making their decision between two competitors and our request for HWY 20.  Only one can be chosen. Your letter made it possible to proclaim the naming of the Nebraska Medal of Honor Memorial Highway had the backing of over 30,000 Nebraska Veterans and now the naming will likely take place.  The project is highly supported by Nebraska State Legislators. 

 

It is highly desirable to see as many veterans at the meeting as possible on Dec. 13^th at 1500 HWY 2 in the NDoR Main Building at 8:30am.  Encourage your members to help by attending and wearing their hats.  It would be very appropriate to see the command tiers please, from each organization.

 

The Nebraska Medal of Honor Memorial Highway belongs to all Nebraska Veterans, Active Military, Guard, and Patriotic Nebraska Citizens.  I have included an attachment that provides a break down of the Nebraska Medal of Honor, “Walk the Walk” CLICK HERE.  This walk will be in an effort to create the funding needed to cover the costs of signage now and in the future.  The Foundation exists as a steward for the NMoHMH and is currently being processed for non-profit status.  There will be many opportunities for Nebraska Veteran Organizations across the state to participate in honoring Nebraska’s Heroes of Heroes along this walk.

Please check out:  Nebraskamedalofhonorfoundation.org

For document CLICK HERE

 

HyVee 156th and Maple Veterans Breakfast 11-11-19, Recruiting new members for the post 266.

The AARP Meeting to feature the USS Abner Read is November 18, 2019,

The next meeting of the AARP chapter will be November 18, 2019 at Mountview Presbyterian Church, 5308 Hartmen Ave. The event will begin with a neen lunch followed by a presentation by Michael Davis, a United States Navy Veteran and AARP volunteer. He will share the story of the USS Abner Read (DD526), the only U.S. Navy ship known to have been sunk 1 1/2 times during WW2.

Davis will discuss how 71 crew members perished on August 18, 1943 in the cold waters off the coast of Alaska. Then less than 15 months later, an additional 24 shipmates gavet the ultimate sacrifice in the Leyte Gulf off the coast of the Philippines on November 1, 1944.

 For reservations call Gerry Goldsborough at 402-571-0971. Rides to the meeting are available calling Ruth Kruse at 402-453-4825.

MID- YEAR CONFERENCE Will be held January I 0—12, 2020 at the Ramada Inn located at 301 2″‘ Avenue in Keaney. The Department Executive Committee all meet on January 10, 2020 as will many of the Department committees. Rooms are available at the Ramada Inn for anyone wishing to attend the conference. Please note that the maximum number of nights to be reimbursed by Department to call-ins will be two nights (Friday and Saturday) @ $75.00 per evening. Please call 308-237-3141 for room reservations. Room rates are

$79.00 with breakfast plus tax. Tell them you are Cth The American Legion when making your reservations. Information can be found at http.//www.nebraskalegion.net/Meetings/Department MidYear.html

The meeting is on December 13, 2019 in Lincoln, NE at 8:30 AM in the Department of Roads (NDoR) building on 1500 HWY 2, across from the State Penitentiary. 

Attend the meeting on December 13^th.  Wear your Veterans hat.  Load your car with fellow vets and make it a day you’ll always remember. Support the Heroes of Heroes, our Nebraska Medal of Honor Recipients. 

We need to overwhelm the Commissioners with Nebraska Veterans support.   There are two other entities attempting to have other highways renamed and the Commissioners are only allowed to accept one per year. 

The details of the walk are still being formulated.  It is scheduled to begin on Mothers Day, May 10.  It will end on May 22^nd at Siouxland Freedom Park in South Sioux City, NE. 

The Nebraska Medal of Honor Highway belongs to all Nebraskans. This will be the longest named highway in the state and should be source of pride to all Nebraska Veterans and Patriots. 

In early 2018 veterans from Oregon began a push to name Highway 20 from Newport Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts, The Medal of Honor Highway.  PDC Gene Twiford picked up on the effort and began the process of renaming HWY 20 in Nebraska the Nebraska Medal of Honor Highway to honor the 73 Medal of Honor Recipients from Nebraska. 

In Nebraska this is no small project.  He had to obtain letters of support from every community and county along HWY 20.  As we neared completion of this first phase, Ken Hanel and Daryl Harrison joined PDC Twiford and began the second phase of gaining the political support that would be needed to present this project to the Nebraska Department of Roads Commissioners (NDoR).

Letters requesting support were garnered from Senator Bob Kerrey (Medal of Honor Recipient) and the Nebraska Veterans Council (Representing all registered Veteran Service Organizations) along with the American Legion passing a resolution of support for the name change. 

In those letters we reported that this action has the support of over 30,000 Nebraska Veterans.  We have received a copy of a letter sent to the Nebraska Department of Roads Commissioners (NDoR) by those five Senators supporting the Nebraska Medal of Honor Highway.  This was great day for the project. 

Currently we are looking at six signs.  One as you enter the state from either the west end and the east end and two placed at the crossroads of the American Legion Memorial Highway (O’Neil) and two at the crossroads of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Highway (Valentine).  The NDoR has suggested that if we are successful a spare sign for immediate replacement of a damaged or missing sign should be stored with the responsible Road Superintendent for that region.  Making for a total initial need of 12 signs and the placement of 6.

In Nebraska those that have a highway renamed become responsible for putting up the signage.  Thus, we are at the cusp of beginning phase 3.  Phase 3 is the formation of a non-profit foundation to be named the Nebraska Medal of Honor Foundation. 

 

Contact: Daryl G. Harrison (402)922-1329

Road signs will be provided for the Bennington Veterans memorial. The city of Bennington will provide and pay for the signs.

November 11, 2019, Veterans Day, Ridgewood retirement home will have an color guard at 10 AM. Post 266 will provide the members as color guard.