Governor Tim Walz gestures to get his point across as he speaks during the Redwood Falls Veterans Cemetery dedication ceremony Saturday. A major point of emphasis during his speech was putting veterans first.

Redwood Falls — Governor Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar gave speeches Saturday honoring the dedication of a new Veterans Cemetery in Redwood Falls.

The cemetery is the third built since 2009, when legislation directed the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) to build additional state veterans cemeteries across Minnesota. Preston was the first in 2014, followed by Duluth in 2018. Redwood Falls is the final cemetery built under this program.

The blistering heat provided challenges to the organizers. MDVA Interim Commissioner Brad Lindsay said they were able to adjust to ensure the event was as safe as possible. One of these changes was adding tents above attendee seating and the stage.

“We originally weren’t going to have the tents,” he said. “With the heat coming in we learned about earlier this week, it was a last minute decision. We needed to get tents out there. We needed to make sure we had plenty of water on hand and volunteers to take care of any issues that may arise medically for someone from heat injuries. [For] most of the staff we’ve downgraded the uniform of the day, it’s not great suit and tie weather.”

After being introduced by Lindsay, Governor Walz delivered the keynote address. He began by thanking all of the people who had supported the project and put the hard work in to get it done. He emphasized the state’s commitment to veterans is more than politics.

The 34th Infantry Red Bull Band perform a musical selection during the dedication ceremony Saturday. Tents were added at the last minute to shield all participants and attendees from the sweltering heat.

“I have to tell you, when it comes to care for our veterans, there is not an inch of daylight amongst folks who serve in this legislature,” Walz said. “Those sitting here, these senators and representatives, have done something in the last several years that’s never been done in Minnesota. They’ve taken the care for our veterans and our warriors out of all other discussions at the Capitol. [They] debated them and funded them separately before anything else was done, ensuring we would never use veterans as a political move. We would never use that as an leverage point.”

Walz ended his speech by stating how grateful he was the prairie veterans of Southwestern Minnesota have a resting place where they can be near their loved ones. “It might be cheaper to build big cemeteries in one place and ask people to drive there,” he said. “But that’s not how we do things.”

Senator Klobuchar spoke next as a part of Congressional Remarks. She remarked it had been two years and 100 degrees different since the last time she had spoken there for the groundbreaking ceremony. She recalled her father’s service, and how it felt to be able to be close to where he was buried.

“For me it was my dad who served in the Korean War,” Klobuchar said. “He always felt bad he never went to Korea. He was stationed in Germany, but he went there because that was where he was assigned to go. For him burial in Fort Snelling, where I’m able to visit him because it’s close to our home, meant everything. That is true for all our veterans in big towns and in small towns.”

To end her speech, she compared the purpose of the cemetery to the flagpole erected by Larry and Helen Krippner in Kimball. They did so to honor Minnesota National Guard members James Rogers Jr., Charles Nord, and Kort Plantenberg, who died in the Krippner’s field in a helicopter crash during a maintenance test flight.

“What began as a single flagpole in a cornfield is now a beautiful, permanent memorial which will forever honor their legacy,” Klobuchar said. “That is what we are talking about today with this veterans cemetery. A place for those who lived and worked and have loved ones nearby can come. A place for us to remember our veterans, and one place to remember those who served. This responsibility is ours. They held the responsibility for our freedom in our country, and now we hold the responsibility to honor them.”

The cemetery will be open starting Monday, August 21.