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Veterans Archives - Ecumen

SEASON OF GRATITUDE: Ecumen Volunteers Help Homeless Veterans

In the holiday spirit, a group of Ecumen volunteers helped out last week at The Anoka Veteran Housing Project, which is providing quality housing for homeless veterans by restoring three cottages at

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96-Year-Old Ecumen Meadows Resident Gives 9-Year-Old History Buff a Firsthand Account of WWII

Bob Roos, 96, recently sat across from Dylan Schuett, 9, telling captivating stories from his World War II service, including the bloody battle of Iwo Jima. Dylan aspires to open

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Our Favorite Veterans Day Stories Told by Ecumen Residents

Many Ecumen residents are veterans with rich and deeply moving stories about their military experience and how profoundly it influenced their lives.

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Vivid Memories of Pearl Harbor: Air Force Vet Gene Erlandson’s Story

Gene Erlandson, 96, of Worthington, Minn., was stationed near Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, and survived the Japanese surprise bombing attack. Read his story.

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Ecumen Meadows Resident Honors Veterans with ‘Quilts of Valor’

Ruby Toussaint, a resident of Ecumen Meadows in Worthington, lovingly makes "Quilts of Valor" to honor veterans.

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One Vet’s Story: 193 Days in Combat Across Europe

Ray Kratzke landed on Utah Beach just after the D-Day invasion and spent the next 193 days fighting the Germans until they surrendered. This is his story.

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Ecumen Communities Prepare for Veteran’s Day Tributes

Veterans Day is a special time at Ecumen communities.  Many residents are veterans with rich and deeply moving stories about their military experience and how profoundly it influenced their lives.

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Army Veteran Wanda Nordlie, a Resident of Ecumen of Litchfield, Cared for Prisoners Liberated From Nazi Concentration Camp

Ecumen of Litchfield resident Wanda Nordlie, 91, was an Army nurse in World War II who helped care for thousands of ill and malnourished prisoners liberated from a Nazi concentration

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Ecumen of Litchfield Resident Don Nordlie’s Eyewitness Account of the Battle of Iwo Jima Memorialized

Don and Wanda Nordlie, residents of Ecumen of Litchfield, were at the battle of Iwo Jima almost 70 years ago.  He was a Marine sergeant, and she was a nurse.

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Ecumen Resident Ken Thompson’s Enduring Love Affair With Helen, Athletics and Worthington

The eyes sparkle and the smile widens as Ken Thompson’s thoughts drift back to the early 1940s.  World War II is heating up after the attack on Pearl Harbor —

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