2026 Red Wing annual community Veterans Day Commemoration
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Army veteran and police officer Josh Hanson will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Community Veterans Day Commemoration on Friday, Nov. 13. The public event will begin at 10 a.m. in the Red Wing High School gymnasium.
“There are so many great personal stories of service and sacrifice within our community, and mine is just one very small piece of that larger story,” Hanson said. “The contribution of veterans in our community to the service of our country, which itself has a rich and powerful history. To be given the opportunity to speak 25 years after 9/11, as a Global War on Terrorism veteran, at Red Wing High School — where my own story began — is both humbling and exciting.”
After graduating from RWHS in 1999, Hanson entered the U.S. Army as an infantryman, serving in the Special Operations Command. He deployed with the initial ground campaigns of the Global War on Terror in 2001, beginning a career centered on military service, public safety, leadership, and community service.
His military service included both domestic and overseas operations, as well as international military training and partnership programs with allied forces, including the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange (NOREX). When active duty concluded, he joined the Minnesota National Guard.
He supported security operations during the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul and, in 2009, supported the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Hanson later deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn, participating in the final drawdown of U.S. military operations there.
After more than a decade of military service, he transitioned to a career in law enforcement.
The Veterans Day commemoration is traditionally held the Friday closest to Nov. 11, which is a Wednesday this year. There will be military and tribal color guards. Red Wing High School Concert Band, Ovation, Prairie Island Singers and musicians at Minnesota State College Southeast will provide music and song.
“This annual event reminds our students to be grateful for the sacrifices veterans and their families made for our nation,” Superintendent Bob Jaszczak said. “We encourage anyone in the community to join us in honoring the area’s veterans and active duty personnel.”
All are welcome to attend. Please enter at the District Office, Door No. 36. Veterans and guests will be escorted to seating on the gymnasium floor. There is an elevator available. There is also a main-level handicap entrance with assistance available by our CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) students at the back of the gym, adjacent to the football field.
The event is sponsored by Red Wing Public Schools, Minnesota State College Southeast, Red Wing American Legion Post 54 and Beyond the Yellow Ribbon of Hiawatha Valley.
“There are so many great personal stories of service and sacrifice within our community, and mine is just one very small piece of that larger story,” Hanson said. “The contribution of veterans in our community to the service of our country, which itself has a rich and powerful history. To be given the opportunity to speak 25 years after 9/11, as a Global War on Terrorism veteran, at Red Wing High School — where my own story began — is both humbling and exciting.”
After graduating from RWHS in 1999, Hanson entered the U.S. Army as an infantryman, serving in the Special Operations Command. He deployed with the initial ground campaigns of the Global War on Terror in 2001, beginning a career centered on military service, public safety, leadership, and community service.
His military service included both domestic and overseas operations, as well as international military training and partnership programs with allied forces, including the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange (NOREX). When active duty concluded, he joined the Minnesota National Guard.
He supported security operations during the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul and, in 2009, supported the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Hanson later deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn, participating in the final drawdown of U.S. military operations there.
After more than a decade of military service, he transitioned to a career in law enforcement.
The Veterans Day commemoration is traditionally held the Friday closest to Nov. 11, which is a Wednesday this year. There will be military and tribal color guards. Red Wing High School Concert Band, Ovation, Prairie Island Singers and musicians at Minnesota State College Southeast will provide music and song.
“This annual event reminds our students to be grateful for the sacrifices veterans and their families made for our nation,” Superintendent Bob Jaszczak said. “We encourage anyone in the community to join us in honoring the area’s veterans and active duty personnel.”
All are welcome to attend. Please enter at the District Office, Door No. 36. Veterans and guests will be escorted to seating on the gymnasium floor. There is an elevator available. There is also a main-level handicap entrance with assistance available by our CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) students at the back of the gym, adjacent to the football field.
The event is sponsored by Red Wing Public Schools, Minnesota State College Southeast, Red Wing American Legion Post 54 and Beyond the Yellow Ribbon of Hiawatha Valley.
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Where is it happening?
2451 Eagle Ridge Dr, 55066, 2451 Eagle Ridge Dr, Red Wing, MN 55066-7444, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherRed Wing High School
