The Savage Republican

My husband is a veteran. He served in the military during the 1980's. We have many friends who are veterans as well. One, has been a caretaker at the Minnesota Veterans Camp on Big Island (Lake Minnetonka) for a few years. The Vets Camp is fairly run down, because the governing board that runs it has not put much money into it for quite some time. Our friend has put a lot of time and some personal money into the camp so that it can be used. We have had many discussions about the fate of the camp over the last couple of years.

Today, I saw this article in the Star Tribune. It appears my friend has someone else who is fighting for the camp's survival.

Maj. Mike Erickson served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he still may not have been ready for the Battle of Big Island on Lake Minnetonka.

A little history on the camp...

In 1923 the Legislature leased land on Big Island as a living memorial to veterans. The property, according to the suit filed by Erickson's group, was to be used "as a respite for disabled and war-weary veterans and their families."

Here is the gist of the article....where the vets get the shaft...

But the camp's board of directors had already voted to sell the property to the city of Orono for $5.7 million. The deal, which included a $2 million state grant and $1.9 million in city bonds, was scheduled to close on Dec. 14.
A week ago, a Hennepin County district judge gave Erickson and his group until today to avoid dismissal of their lawsuit by posting a $238,000 bond. "We don't have it," a discouraged Erickson said.

Now a lot of veterans, my friend included, have challenged the legitimacy of the sale.

Bill Anderson, a former member of the board of directors, said he lost his seat because he did not agree with the decision to sell the camp. "In the public's eye," said Anderson, a Korean War veteran, " ... No, the pawns voted to sell it -- the shills."

You may ask why I am writing about this, when according to the article today was the last day for the vets to get the bond to stop the sale. It is my hope that maybe some of my good readers would be able to come to the aid of these fine veterans or at the least someone can help them find a way to bring an equitable resolution to this issue. If not that, to at least bring to the attention of the people, that our defenders of freedom are loosing, yet again, another promise that we made to them. We owe our troops better than broken promises and being shoved off of their campground for the sake of private developers.....