Beyond The Yellow Ribbon

Editor's note:  Roseville Mayor Dan Roe authored this column along with Maplewood Mayor Will Rossbach and  Shoreview City Council member Ady Wickstrom.

“Uncle Sam Wants You.”  “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”.  If you remember the first quote you were mostly around when World War II was in progress and if you relate to the second quote you were possibly part of the peace and love generation.

During WWII the American public was a part of the war. Soldiers in many cases did whatever they could to get into the action, and the people at home made many sacrifices to support the troops.

In the early sixties when President Kennedy made his famous quote the country pulled together again to work as one to make the United States the best country in the world.

Then we became involved in the Vietnam War. The country was divided over the war and much of the American public lost support not only for the war but for the soldiers fighting on the front lines. Our government did not ask the general public to sacrifice directly, but our soldiers experienced many problems both in the field and upon their return home.

Today our country is involved in multiple conflicts around the world and has thousands of men and women fighting for us and the security of our nation. What are we doing to help them and their families who are left behind?  

Once again, our government is not asking for us to make direct sacrifices to support the wars.  But our soldiers and their families are sacrificing and paying a very high cost for us here safe at home. It is high time that we start doing our part to support them and show them how much we appreciate their sacrifices.

 Within the next few months nearly 2,400 members of the Minnesota National Guard will be deployed to serve our country for a year to help with the reduction of forces as the U.S. military commitment to Iraq winds down.

Several cities in our area- including Maplewood, Roseville, and Shoreview -are working to support our military personnel and their families through the Beyond The Yellow Ribbon (BTYR) program. Other cities such as Woodbury, Lake Elmo, Hugo, and Stillwater already have programs in place.

BTYR is a program started here in Minnesota and is coordinated by the Minnesota National Guard with the mission of “creating awareness for the purpose of connecting Service members and their families with community support, training, services and resources.”

You may ask why this is important?  

The Yellow Ribbon website at www.btyr.org states, “Since 9/11, thousands of Minnesotans have served our country. By developing a Yellow Ribbon Network, communities unite to honor and embrace those affected by military deployments. The outward showing of support enables successful transition all the way home. The community’s effort transcends the military to any group in need and builds a stronger, more compassionate community.”

This program is driven by volunteers, and we need you!  You can do as much or little as your time permits. But without you,the program cannot succeed.  Participation is needed from all parts of our communities, including regular folks, businesses and employers, school districts, veterans’ service organizations, local government officials, faith communities, physical  and mental health providers, and others.  Each has a key role to play in this effort. 

This is a time when we need to be asking what we can do for our country and for our neighbors who are risking their lives or the lives of their loved ones so that we can enjoy being citizens of the greatest country on earth.

An organizational meeting for beginning a Beyond The Yellow Ribbon effort for the Roseville and north suburban Ramsey County area will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday. June 2 at the Roseville Skating Center. 

If you have questions or would like to help the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon project please contact Yellow Ribbon Outreach Coordinator,  First Lieutenant Kathryn Helland at kathryn.helland@us.army.mil or 612-618-6927.