Stearns County seeks military family stories for State Military Tribute

Stearns County?Äôs Veterans Service Office is looking for letters or correspondence shared between service men and women and their families. Excerpts from the correspondence will be used in a Minnesota Military Family Tribute (MFT) that will be the first of its kind in the nation.

The tribute will honor the families of active and veteran members of the military. Poised on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol Mall, the Tribute will thank those who have made, and continue to make, sacrifices here at home.

Framing the south end of the Minnesota State Capitol Mall, the Tribute will consist of three main components: the Gold Star Table, the Thank You Military and Veteran Family Walkway and Story Stones.

The MFT is partnering with the County Veterans Service Offices throughout the state to collect correspondence from military families to assist in the creation of Story Stones. Eighty-seven (87) Story Stones will be arranged as part of the Tribute, representing each of the State?Äôs eighty-seven counties. Excerpts from correspondence sent between military members and their family will be etched onto these stones, providing a window into the lives of our military families and their sacrifices, as well as imparting a strong educational component for the Tribute.

Stearns County?Äôs Veterans Service Office will be collecting submissions for inclusion on Stearns County?Äôs Story Stone. Submissions may be from any time frame, from the Civil War to the current time, and need not be from a conflict. It can be a letter, telegram, e-mail, or even video, which will be transcribed to written word for inclusion on the stone. While only a small portion of any contributed submission will be etched into the stone, likely a portion of a sentence, the stories will depict the life of our military families.

To provide a story, please send a copy of your submission to the Stearns County Veterans Service Office no later than Friday, Nov. 21. Please send to:

Terry Ferdinandt

Stearns County Veterans Service Office

Stearns County Service Center

3301 County Road 138

Waite Park, MN 56387

Terry.Ferdinandt@co.stearns.mn.us

For all, the Tribute will serve as a reminder of the sacrifices military and veteran families make to our nation. The Tribute shows military and veteran families we thank them, we care and we will never forget. The Tribute will forever stand as a thank you to every Minnesota military and veteran family member ?Äì past, present and future. The dedication of the Tribute will take place on June 13, 

2015, on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol.

For more information, contact the Stearns County Veterans Service Office at (320) 656-6176. You can visit the MFT website at www.militaryfamilytribute.org, for complete details and artist?Äôs renderings.