Winnebago Veteran Services

07/29/2026

As the 160th Annual Winnebago Homecoming Celebration comes to a close, we would like to say thank you to everyone who helped make it such a memorable weekend.

A heartfelt thank you to every veteran and active duty service member who attended this year’s Homecoming Celebration. Your service, sacrifice, and continued support of our community are deeply appreciated. It was an honor to celebrate alongside each of you.

We would also like to thank every veteran and active duty service member who helped carry the flags during Grand Entry, raised the flags each morning, or helped with taking the flags down. Your continued willingness to serve our community is greatly appreciated and does not go unnoticed.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to the families who chose to honor their loved ones by hanging a memorial flag on the center pole and for generously sponsoring a breakfast during the Homecoming Celebration. Your support and dedication helped make this year’s celebration even more meaningful.

To all of the families who entrusted us with your loved one’s memorial flag, thank you. It was an honor to display those flags in remembrance of the men and women who have served our nation. Seeing them proudly displayed was a powerful tribute to their service and sacrifice.

If you are a veteran or active duty service member who volunteered during the Homecoming Celebration in any capacity, whether you carried a flag during Grand Entry or raised or lowered the flags, please send me an email at [email protected]. We would like to send you a small gift as a token of our appreciation for your time and service.

We also want to remind everyone that we still have a few memorial flags waiting to be picked up. They are safe, secure, and locked away until they are claimed. If you believe one of the remaining flags belongs to your family, please reach out to arrange pickup.

Here are a few photos of our veterans and active duty service members during this year’s Homecoming Celebration that we borrowed from other posts. If any of these photos belong to you and you would like photo credit, please leave a comment and I’ll gladly add it.

Thank you again to everyone who helped make the 160th Annual Winnebago Homecoming Celebration a success. We are honored to serve our veterans, active duty service members, and their families, and we look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

07/22/2026

A huge thank you to our Village Crew, Eugene and Robbie, for getting our new Hometown Hero banners hung before our annual Homecoming Celebration! We truly appreciate your hard work and helping make sure our veterans are recognized throughout the community.

We’re excited to share that 29 new Hometown Hero banners are being put up today just in time for our annual Homecoming Celebration!

If you submitted an application but don’t see your loved one’s banner, or if you have any questions about your banner, please reach out to me at 402-922-1854 or [email protected].

We order banners in bulk, so applications are still being accepted. Once we have enough new applications, we’ll place the next order.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this project possible and for continuing to honor our veterans.

07/16/2026

🇺🇸 Veterans Meeting Announcement 🇺🇸

The Winnebago Veterans Association will be holding a veterans meeting on Friday, July 17, at 5:00 PM at the Veterans Building.

We are asking all veterans in the Winnebago community to attend if you are able. During this meeting, we plan to discuss and vote on a pressing issue that has been brought forward to the association. Because of the importance of this matter, we want as many veterans present as possible so everyone’s voice has the opportunity to be heard before a decision is made.

This meeting is open to all veterans living in the Winnebago community. If you are a member of the Winnebago Veterans Association, we encourage you to attend. If you are not currently a member but are a veteran, you are still welcome to join us. Your voice and perspective are valued, and we encourage you to take part in the discussion.

Please help us get the word out by sharing this post and letting any veterans you know in the Winnebago community know about the meeting.

We hope to see you on Friday at 5:00 PM. Thank you for your service and for your continued commitment to supporting our veteran community.

07/08/2026

🇺🇸 Winnebago Veteran Association Meeting

The Winnebago Veteran Association will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, July 15, at 5:00 PM at the Veterans Building located on the Pow Wow Grounds.

During this meeting, we will discuss important veteran-related matters, community updates, upcoming events, and other agenda items that affect our veteran community. Your participation and input are valuable as we continue working together to support veterans and strengthen our organization.

We encourage all veterans in the Winnebago community to attend. Whether you have attended meetings in the past or this will be your first time joining us, we welcome your participation.

If you are unable to attend in person, a Zoom option will be available. To receive the meeting link, please email me at [email protected], and I will send you the Zoom invitation.

📅 Wednesday, July 15
🕔 5:00 PM
📍 Veterans Building – Pow Wow Grounds

We look forward to seeing you there and appreciate your continued support and involvement in our veteran community.

07/07/2026

🇺🇸 Calling All Veterans 🇺🇸

With the permission and blessing of the family, we share the passing of one of our fellow veterans. It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our Air Force comrade, Emma LaMere, has begun her final journey home.

The Winnebago Veterans Association will be conducting military watch and honors for Emma and is asking all veterans in the Winnebago community for their assistance during this time. We invite all veterans who are able to stand with us as we honor Emma with the respect and dignity she earned through her service to our nation.

Emma will be brought home at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, July 8th. We encourage all veterans who are able to be present to welcome her home and stand in support of her family.

Her funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 9th, at 10:00 AM. The Winnebago Veterans Association will conduct full military honors during the service, including a 21-gun salute and the playing of Taps.

We respectfully ask all veterans to be present and stand alongside one another as we pay our final respects to a fellow service member. Your presence is a meaningful way to honor Emma, support her family, and uphold the traditions and brotherhood and sisterhood of military service.

On behalf of the Winnebago Veterans Association, thank you for answering this call to honor one of our own.

May Emma LaMere rest in peace, and may her memory forever be a blessing.

View Emma P LaMere's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

07/06/2026

🇺🇸 Reminder: Hometown Hero Banner Program 🇺🇸

This is a friendly reminder that today is the final day to submit applications and any outstanding information for this phase of the Hometown Hero Banner Program.

If I have contacted you and am still waiting on a photo, additional information, or other required documentation, please send it to me by the end of the day today. Any applications that remain incomplete after today’s deadline will be included in the next application phase.

Thank you for your cooperation, patience, and continued support as we work to honor our veterans. We look forward to opening the next application period in the future and will announce those dates when they become available.

07/03/2026

🇺🇸🎆 Please take a moment to read this as we approach the Fourth of July. 🇺🇸🎆

As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I would like to ask our community to keep our combat veterans in mind.

For many of us, fireworks are a fun tradition that represent freedom and celebration. For some combat veterans, however, the loud explosions, bright flashes, and unexpected sounds can bring back memories of experiences they would rather forget. These sights and sounds can trigger symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, hypervigilance, and other invisible wounds that many veterans continue to live with long after their service has ended.

If you live near a veteran, especially a combat veteran, please consider giving them a heads up before setting off fireworks. A simple conversation, text message, or letting them know your plans ahead of time can make a meaningful difference. Small acts of kindness and understanding go a long way in supporting those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

This Independence Day, let’s remember that the freedoms we enjoy were protected by the brave men and women who answered our nation’s call. Their service did not always end when they came home, and many continue to fight battles that others cannot see.

On behalf of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska Veteran Service Office, thank you to all of our veterans for your courage, sacrifice, and dedication to our country. We are forever grateful for everything you have done and continue to do.

We wish everyone a fun, safe, and happy Fourth of July! Please celebrate responsibly, look out for one another, and remember those who have given so much so that we can enjoy the freedoms we celebrate today.

07/02/2026

Are you a Veteran, service member, or eligible family member planning to use your GI Bill education benefits?

The VA is hosting a free live GI Bill Benefits 101 webinar to help you better understand your education benefits and answer common questions. Whether you’re just getting started or have been using your benefits, this is a great opportunity to learn more.

Topics include:

• VA education benefit programs

• Eligibility requirements

• Recent legislative updates

• Additional VA resources available to support your educational success

There will also be a live Q&A where you can ask questions directly to VA representatives.

Wednesday, July 8

1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Space is limited, so be sure to register early.

Register here:
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVAVBA/bulletins/41e8a01

Update:

If you’re unable to register for the webinar or would prefer to watch it with others, you’re welcome to come to the Winnebago Tribal Veterans Building to watch the webinar live. We’d be happy to have you join us.

If you have any questions about your VA education benefits or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Winnebago Tribal Veteran Service Office. We’re here to help.

Register Today – GI Bill 101 Webinar Veterans Benefits Administration sent this bulletin at 07/01/2026 12:00 PM EDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a web page. Dear GI Bill® student, Do you have questions about your Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits?...

07/01/2026

🇺🇸 Hometown Hero Banner Program Update 🇺🇸

First, I want to sincerely thank everyone who has reached out regarding the Hometown Hero Banner Program. I truly appreciate your patience and the overwhelming support for this project.

To allow time for processing and submitting our next bulk order, Monday, July 6, at 4:30 p.m. will be the deadline for accepting new applications and any outstanding information for this phase of the program.

If I have contacted you requesting a photo, additional information, or any other documentation, please make sure I receive it by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 6. Applications that remain incomplete after that deadline will be held for the next ordering cycle.

Please know that this is not the end of the Hometown Hero Banner Program. We plan to open another application period in the future, and we will make a public announcement when we are ready to begin accepting applications again.

Thank you again for your patience, understanding, and support as we work to recognize and honor the brave men and women who have served our country. We look forward to seeing these banners displayed throughout our community.

07/01/2026

Today we remember Specialist Four Anthony J. LaMere KIA 7-1-71 in Vietnam.

Specialist Four Anthony John LaMere, a member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, was killed in action on the 1st of July 1971 in the Quang Tri Province of Vietnam. He died at the age of 20 years and 20 days while walking the point position on a combat patrol when a member of his platoon stepped on a b***y trap. Anthony was a member of the Bear Clan who was serving with Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles." He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart for his service and sacrifice and left behind a proud Gold Star family and a people who honor and remember him.

Tony was born on June 12, 1951 and attended grade schools in South Sioux City and Winnebago Nebraska. He graduated from the 8th grade at St. Augustine's Indian Mission in Winnebago and attended Trinity Prep Seminary in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in Stephan, South Dakota in 1970 before he enlisted in the Army on August 6, 1970.

Tony left behind our brothers, three of whom served in the Vietnam era, and five sisters. He was the son of John LaMere and Matilda Rogue LaMere. He was the grandson of Pete LaMere and Iva Littlewolf LaMere and Charlie Rogue and Fern St. Cyr Rogue. Tony's parents and his grandparents are all gone now but many nieces and nephews have come and one nephew bears his name. He is remembered as a courageous young Winnebago boy who gave his life that people may live and may live free. He gave all of his Ho-Chunk relatives the right to stand on his shoulders and to talk of how things could be and how things should be for the people and the generations to come. It is a sacred responsibility that we who remain must undertake every day of our life. A letter received from Tony written before his death spoke to his resolve, humility and commitment and should be a testament to how we as Ho-Chunk people should face adversity. "I can take no pride like others here in saying that I am fearless or unafraid when I go into battle. I can only take pride in the fact that I go out on patrol day after day with fear and death all around me." He acted for the people and we remember our Ho-Chunk relative. (WIN; Nov. 19, 2019, p. 7)

Gone, but NEVER forgotten.