American Legion Auxiliary Unit 413, Grand Marais, MN

05/16/2026

The American Legion has placed American flags at the headstones of Veterans in honor of their service. Please contact the American Legion Post 413 (218-370-0119) if a Veteran has been missed (please give as much location detail as possible).

04/24/2026

B-I-N-G-O! Tonight, Friday, April 24th 6-8pm at Up Yonder! Hope to see you there!

02/27/2026

BINGO! Tonight, 6-8, at Up Yonder!

01/08/2026

Join us for BINGO fun!

11/03/2025

Veterans Day Roast Beef Dinner at The Birch Terrace Supper Club Tuesday, November 11th, 2025 4:00pm until 6:00pm. Veterans and their spouse eat free, compliments of the American Legion Post 413. Meals will be served by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 413. Cost of meals for others is $25.

11/03/2025

Free lunches for Veterans will be offered the entire month of November at The Hub in Grand Marais. Cost of meals provided by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 413. Please call The Hub to reserve your meal by 9:30am. 218-387-2660.

Send a message to learn more

05/28/2025

Memorial Day, 2025. A meaningful service to honor our fallen heros.

05/23/2025

COUNTY CONNECTIONS
Memorial Day and….

By: Karen Christianson, Cook County Veterans Service Officer

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."
-- Joseph Campbell

In the excitement of a 3-day weekend, cookouts, parades, and summer being so near. It’s easy to ignore or forget about the true meaning of Memorial Day: to remember and honor all military personnel who have died in the service of our country. Let us never forget the sacrifices of our fallen and their families and to keep those who gave everything to protect our country at the forefront of our minds during our celebrations.

Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while defending our nation in their service with the U.S. Military. Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, began after the Civil War ended in the spring of 1865. The Civil War claimed more lives (620,000 or more) than any other conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. People mourning their loss began to lay flowers and place flags on the graves of the fallen.

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War Veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. He chose the 30th of May 1868, as a day to decorate the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion and whose bodies now lay in the churchyards of almost every city, village, and hamlet in the country. The 30th was chosen by General Logan because it wasn’t the anniversary of any specific battle. General Logan called it Decoration Day.

The origin of the current name of the holiday is unclear, but in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. The city established their Memorial Day on May 5, 1866. Decoration Day originally honored only those lost in the Civil War, but during World War I the holiday evolved to commemorate all American military personnel who died in all wars. In 1968 Congress officially declared Memorial Day a federal holiday and established it as the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend for federal employees. Let us never forget why Memorial Day exists and take time to honor our fallen Veterans. Each year on Memorial Day a national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. Please take a moment to remember those who sacrificed their lives for your freedom.

May is Military Appreciation Month, a special time for those in and out of the military. It is a time designated to honor and recognize the contributions, sacrifices, and service of the members of the armed forces, past and present.
The month also marks several other military anniversaries and events, including Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Armed Forces Day and the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death.

Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to ensure the nation was given the chance to publicly show their appreciation for troops past and present. It serves as a reminder of the profound contributions made by service members.

Military Appreciation Month plays a crucial role in fostering awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by the military community. It provides a platform for education and dialogue about the experiences of service members, veterans, and their families.

The American Legion Post 413 will hold a short program on the lawn of the Cook County Courthouse at the Veterans Memorial. The program will begin at 11:00 a.m. Following the program, the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 413 will host a free meal for Veterans and their spouses at the Birch Terrace Supper Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

To contact your Veteran Service Officer for Cook County, Karen Christianson, call 218-387-3639 and leave a brief message. Office hours are Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Monday- Thursday 1:00-4:00 by appointment only.
Have a very safe and enjoyable Memorial Day.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.

https://co.cook.mn.us

05/20/2025

Memorial Day Service, 11am Monday, May 26th on the Cook County Courthouse Lawn. Lunch to follow at The Birch Terrace Supper Club until 1pm. Meal is free for Veteran and Spouse. $15 for guest.

05/01/2025

Congratulations, Robert Rodriguez! Robert graduated infantry school and airborn school. He is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 413 congratulates you, Robert, and thanks you for your service. We are proud to support you!

04/04/2025

COUNTY CONNECTIONS

Veterans Day on the Hill

By: Karen Christianson, Veteran’s Service Officer

For the past several years, Veterans Day on the Hill (VDOTH) has provided a means to demonstrate our strength as Veterans, families, and supporters of Veterans. VDOTH is open to all Veterans and supporters, and no membership in any organization is required.

The rally’s goal is to demonstrate that voters are paying attention to how decisions are being made and tracking what actions are being taken to ensure Veterans’ needs are being addressed. VDOTH provides a place to gather to focus on the hard questions and hard work yet to be done and heard.
The following list are some of the issues being worked on at the legislative level for 2025.

Pass a clean Veterans Omnibus Bill in the 2025 session- The first Veterans & Military Affairs Omnibus Bill was passed in 2022. This has separated our legislation from partisan trading and should be Minnesota precedent, like an ag bill, tax bill or transportation omnibus bill. We also had our own omnibus bill in 2023-2024. We continue to advocate for our own omnibus bill, so its abundantly clear what Minnesota veterans want.

Modernize the Homestead Market Value Exclusion- The exclusion values for disabled veterans and surviving spouses have not changed in over 10 years while home values have dramatically risen, reducing the impact of this benefit. We cannot allow Minnesota veterans to lose their homes as prices continue to skyrocket and the property tax exclusion benefit becomes less and less effective.

Hunting, Fishing, & Trapping for Veterans- When we look at other states known for their outdoor activities like hunting and fishing, we see benefits intended to show appreciation and get the Veteran back to the outdoors. Minnesota has lagged in this area and for over 10 years the CTF has had this as something we would like to see changed to provide our Veterans with similar opportunities.

Minnesota Claim Shark Bill-There is a proliferation of parties advertising their services to advise veterans on VA benefits claims. Some of these parties are not accredited with the VA and charge steep fees for their services which causes financial hardship for veterans in need. County veteran service officers (CVSOs) and other governmental veteran service officers are accredited to file VA benefits claims for veterans, and they will never charge a fee. It should not be too difficult for parties that charge fees for their services to obtain VA accreditation.

This year the event (rally) is being held on April 9, 2025, in St. Paul. It will kick off at the Armory, 600 Cedar St., St. Paul. The Disabled American Veterans are providing free coffee starting at 1000 hours (10:00 a.m.) and free lunch at 1130 (11:30 a.m.). Veterans march to the rally at 1300 (1:00 p.m.) starting at the State Veterans Service Building, 20 West 12th St., St. Paul. The rally in the Capitol Rotunda is from 1330 (1:30 p.m.) to 1430 (2:30 p.m.).

Please note this is a nonpartisan event. The Veterans Service Organizations (American Legion, DAV, VFW and others) are also nonpartisan, as are your CVSOs (civil servants employed by their respective counties). The rally is about Veteran advocacy and making positive legislative changes to improve the lives of Veterans, their families, and those they leave behind.

Last year I mentioned the possibility of Cook and Lake Counties providing transportation to the event this year. We were unable to secure anything for this year. Looking towards VDOTH 2026, Cook and Lake CVSOs will again be looking at transportation options to provide North Shore Veterans an opportunity to attend next year’s rally.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.

https://co.cook.mn.us