Hearing Highlights Broad Support for Relocating, Restoring USS WARD GUN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Dec. 19. 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Long 612-636-4108
The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum’s Vision for Preservation and Display Gains Momentum Following CAAP Board Hearing
A rendering of the future home of the Ward Gun #3 at the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum
St. Paul, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota Capitol Area Architectural Planning (CAAP) Board held a hearing on the proposed relocation of the USS Ward Gun #3, a treasured artifact of Minnesota’s military heritage, to the future Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum at Camp Ripley, Minn. The USS Ward fired the first shots by the U.S. military in World War II at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Currently, the Ward Gun is on-loan to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and resides on the Minnesota State Capitol Grounds near the Veterans Service Building.
“This crucial piece of Minnesota – and American – history deserves a place of prominence and honor,” said Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Brad Lindsay in a written statement. “We are excited for this new chapter in the story of the USS Ward Gun #3. The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs has been a proud steward of the gun, and we believe now is the right time to remove, restore, and relocate this artifact to the new Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum at Camp Ripley. We will forever be grateful for the service of the Minnesota Naval Reservists who made history the morning of Dec. 7, 1941.”
The Ward Gun has been exposed to Minnesota’s harsh weather for decades and is now at risk of significant deterioration. The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum has committed to professionally restore the artifact, ensuring its long-term preservation and preparing it for prominent display in its forthcoming state-of-the-art facility. Scheduled to open in 2026, the museum will feature a dedicated World War II gallery where the Ward Gun will hold a place of prominence, preserving its story for future generations.
During the hearing a host of supporters, including veterans, historians and military preservation experts, advocated for moving the gun to a controlled indoor environment to ensure its preservation and display. Key testimonies, both online and in person, highlighted the artifact’s historical significance as a symbol of Minnesota’s role in shaping history and its urgent need for professional restoration.
Paul Storch, an artifact preservation consultant, emphasized the gun’s deteriorating condition, describing it as “actively deteriorating” and in need of immediate attention. Navy League Midwest President Bill James supported the relocation, calling the new museum “the perfect location” for the artifact, ensuring its protection and ongoing accessibility to the public.
The relocation effort is part of a larger initiative to honor Minnesota’s military legacy through the development of a 40,000-square-foot museum set to open in 2026. This museum will offer immersive exhibits, educational programming, and a fitting tribute to the nearly 300,000 veterans who call Minnesota home.
Randal Dietrich, Executive Director of the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative. “The USS Ward Gun is not just a symbol of Minnesota’s history; it’s a testament to the courage and sacrifice of those who served. We appreciate the on-going coordination with Naval History and Heritage Command to potentially move this artifact into the museum to ensure its preservation while allowing us to share its story with future generations.”
While no decisions were made at today’s hearing, support for the proposal was unanimous, signaling a shared commitment to preserving Minnesota’s military history. The next step will be a summary of comments and recommendations presented at a CAAP public board meeting on January 28, 2025.
ABOUT THE MINNESOTA MILITARY & VETERANS MUSEUM: Located at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum seeks to strengthen public understanding of how armed conflicts and military institutions have shaped our state and national experience. A new museum and library complex will open adjacent to Camp Ripley in 2026. Visit www.mnvetmuseum.org for more information.
ABOUT MDVA: The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is a cabinet-level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the five State Veterans Homes, MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach and Veterans employment. Veterans and their families are encouraged to visit www.MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet for more information about benefits.
New museum aims to tell the stories of Minnesota veterans (MPR News story)
By Kirsti Marohn, MPR News, Little Falls, Minn., December 16, 2024
A rendering by the architecture firm HGA shows what a new 40,000-square-foot military and veterans museum at Camp Ripley near Little Falls will look like when it's complete. A landowner donated 32 acres adjacent to Minnesota Highway 371 for the project.
LISTEN: MPR News Story
Construction is underway on a new museum next to Camp Ripley near Little Falls to honor Minnesota’s military veterans.
When Randal Dietrich looks out over a frozen field next to Highway 371, he envisions a place where people will come to hear the stories of the roles Minnesotans have played in conflicts from the Civil War to the present day.
They’ll hear the stories of men and women who sacrificed and still carry scars, of those who gave their lives and lie beneath white grave markers in the nearby State Veterans Cemetery, connected to the museum via a walkway.
“Those stories of those Minnesota veterans buried there are the kinds of stories that we want our museum to reflect,” said Dietrich, executive director of the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum. “So those artifacts of those individuals can be found right next to where they're remembered, and adjacent to Camp Ripley and the Mississippi River.”
The new Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum, under construction at Camp Ripley near Little Falls, as envisioned in a rendering by HGA.
The museum has outgrown its existing 90-year-old building next to a busy airfield. It’s located behind Camp Ripley's imposing gates and guard station, which sometimes deter potential visitors, Dietrich said.
“Folks don’t always know that they are welcome to come and see our current space,” he said. “To move beyond that hurdle and be right out here on the highway is such a game changer when it comes to audiences and accessibility and exposure, and the chance to do some big things.”
Every inch of the current museum is crammed with glass displays of guns, uniforms and medals. Some of its many artifacts are kept in storage. And there’s little room to tell the stories of the 43,000 Minnesota veterans who’ve served since 9/11, Dietrich said.
“Hence the need for us to go out and find a new space to create a brand-new vision,” he said. “This state’s never built a military and veterans museum from the ground up, dedicated to veterans.”
Executive director Randal Dietrich looks at a display case in the current Minnesota Military Museum, located inside Camp Ripley's gates, on Nov. 21. Dietrich says it's outgrown the existing space.
The new space is a former sunflower field east of the Mississippi River, donated by the property owner. The Legislature provided $32 million to build a 40,000-square-foot museum. Its backers are raising private donations to fill it with galleries, classrooms and theaters.
The new museum will be more immersive and interactive, connecting the artifacts with the people and stories behind them, Dietrich said.
“It can be transformative to help understand the experiences of folks and hear the actual veteran stories,” he said. “You don’t hear that right now in the museum. You don’t hear the voices of veterans. So in our new space, you’ll walk through and you'll hear their accounts.”
One of those voices will be Neil Rondorf’s. The Thief River Falls native commanded the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, a Cold War-era nuclear-powered submarine. It carried Tomahawk missiles during the Gulf War.
The decommissioned submarine’s sail and rudder were transported from a shipyard in Washington state. They will be restored and on display on the museum grounds.
A display in the current military museum tells the story of Minnesota veteran Dale Wayrynen, who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Vietnam.
In a video interview that will be featured in the new museum, Rondorf described visiting the site and seeing his old vessel.
“It was just a fascinating moment to know that I had been in that submarine halfway around the world in our nation’s defense and in critical moments. And I was just a kid from northern Minnesota,” Rondorf said. “So I hope that that inspires the next generation.”
The museum also will tell the stories of military families and the sacrifices they made, Dietrich said, especially post 9/11 veterans who served multiple deployments.
“If we send off a Minnesota man or woman overseas and on deployment, the family bears a lot of the brunt of that,” he said. “It’s not just one person out there. It’s a family that really is serving.”
Along with the submarine parts, the new museum grounds will provide space to display helicopters, tanks and other relics. And organizers have been tracking down other artifacts, including a 50-caliber gun from the USS Ward destroyer.
The USS Ward Gun Number Three, which was manned by St. Paul reservists on a Navy warship during the Dec. 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, now sits on the state Capitol Mall.
A St. Paul-based reservist crew helped man the gun, and they’re credited with firing the first shots in defense of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The gun sits on the Minnesota Capitol Mall, but there’s a petition to relocate it to the new museum.
The new facility will spotlight some prominent Minnesotan veterans. One hall will showcase items donated by Gen. John W. Vessey Jr., who served as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under President Ronald Reagan.
But it also will highlight lesser known service members, including World War II veteran Don Halverson. The museum organizers hope Halverson will serve as its first volunteer guide when it opens in 2026. The 101-year-old grew up in Minneapolis and served in Italy with the 34th Red Bulls Infantry Division.
“I just figured I’m damn lucky to make it,” Halverson said in a video interview. “A lot of guys, so many guys, never made it. I’m glad I lived to see all the memorials and all this stuff.”
Dietrich and others have been traveling the state and collecting veterans’ accounts. He called it a humbling experience.
“It is so remarkably Minnesotan,” Dietrich said. “There’s something to the idea that it’s something in the water in Minnesota that leads to good, humble people doing really hard work and doing it as a team.”
Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum Makes History
Little Falls, Minn. – On Sunday the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum held a ceremonial groundbreaking on its new site at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn. Located on more than 30 acres just off Highway 371, and adjacent to the Little Falls State Veterans Cemetery, the future site of the Museum will ensure easy access by the public.
Golden shovel ground breaking ceremony
40,000 square-foot, $32 million facility will be first-of-its-kind in the nation
Little Falls, Minn. – On Sunday the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum held a ceremonial groundbreaking on its new site at Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn. Located on more than 30 acres just off Highway 371, and adjacent to the Little Falls State Veterans Cemetery, the future site of the Museum will ensure easy access by the public.
The outdoor event drew a crowd of more than 300 people and included a keynote address from retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, a Minnesota native and the former four-star commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command. During his remarks, Votel shared that “…it is in these stores that we learn, and that we honor. That is why this one-of-a-kind, world-class museum is so important. I know of no other state [that] has committed both private and public funds to build an institution of the kind envisioned here. And when I say ‘world-class,’ I don’t just mean a gleaming building with well-appointed display cases. I mean world-class stories of service, sacrifice, and love of country, all told well.”
The program also included participation from Civil War reenactors and special music. The five-member crew who ceremonially tossed the first shovelfuls of dirt included the following:
• Joe Nayquonabe Sr., an elder of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a Vietnam Veteran and Purple Heart recipient.
• Evan Krawczyk, the grandson of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Vessey, one of Minnesota’s most decorated Veterans. Evan’s grandfather and grandmother are buried just across the street at the Veterans Cemetery.
• Army National Guard Captain Takeisha Hunt. Captain Hunt serves as the Director of the Joint Visitor’s Bureau at Camp Ripley. She is one of five servicemembers represented in Charles Kapsner’s exceptional painting, titled “Women on Guard,” now on view in the current museum.
• Bob Anderson, the man responsible for getting all this started when he and his wife Debra donated 30 acres for the new Veterans Museum.
• Don Halverson, a WWII Veteran of the 168th Infantry, 34th Division, during the Italian Campaign.
For the grand finale, a restored WWII Bulldozer fired up and bulldozed a small section of the site. Construction is set to begin in earnest in the spring of 2024, with a grand opening expected in early 2026. Following the ceremony, the Hopkins VFW Post #425 made a surprise $25K donation to the nonprofit Museum. The board is more than halfway toward their private fundraising goal of $10 million, which will be used to outfit the facility with gallery spaces, classrooms and collections.
The State of Minnesota provided $32 million to design and construct the 40,000-square-foot facility. The museum's board of directors continues to raise private funds to outfit the facility with the galleries, classrooms and collections spaces planned for the Museum.
“When complete, this project will honor all branches of service, both past and present,” said Randal Dietrich, Executive Director of the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. “It will also truly represent a community effort, encompassing fiscal support from federal, state, community and private funding sources.
As part of the development process the board and planners traveled to some of the best museums in the country, spoke with veterans in Minnesota and beyond, and ultimately enlisted the renowned HGA Architects to help lead the design.
“The ceremonial groundbreaking was a way to celebrate a major milestone for this project, while at the same time activating a “call to action” for our supporters,” said Bill Strusinski, Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum Board Member. “The Museum ultimately belongs to the public, and we are excited to continue mobilizing Minnesotans to build a world-class museum with a statewide reach, and beyond. Our focus will always be celebrating and remembering our military history.”
The Museum aims to strengthen public understanding of how armed conflicts and military institutions have shaped our state and nation. It serves as a place of reverence, education, and celebration, uniquely emphasizing "living history" through initiatives such as the Post 9/11 Project and the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
ABOUT THE MINNESOTA MILITARY & VETERANS MUSEUM: National challenges resolved by military institutions have shaped much of our collective state and national experience. The documents, artifacts, images and stories of how Minnesotans, in uniform and at home, willingly served their state and nation in war and peace help honor their memory. The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum inspires future generations through the exceptional stories of Minnesota’s citizen soldiers.
Women on Guard
Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh, Spec. Ashley Barber, 1st Sgt. Jessica Stiffarm, Capt. Takeisha Hunt, and Capt. Katie Morsch are depicted in a large painting, just completed, by Charles Kapsner and developed in partnership with the MN National Guard & Air National Guard. It will be displayed in the State Capitol in May 2023, and will become part of the museum’s permanent collection, and remain on-view in the museum.
Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh, Spec. Ashley Barber, 1st Sgt. Jessica Stiffarm, Capt. Takeisha Hunt, and Capt. Katie Morsch are depicted in a large painting, just completed, by Charles Kapsner and developed in partnership with the MN National Guard & Air National Guard. It will be displayed in the State Capitol in May 2023, and will become part of the museum’s permanent collection, and remain on-view in the museum.
Mission Briefing Convened at Division HQ
The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum released detailed plans for a new facility, with a grand opening tentatively set for the spring of 2025. More than 100 leaders of the veteran community, museum members and National Guardsmen gathered for a “Mission Brief” event, held at the 34th Infantry Division Headquarters in Arden Hills, Minn.
The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum released detailed plans for a new facility, with a grand opening tentatively set for the spring of 2025. More than 100 leaders of the veteran community, museum members and National Guardsmen gathered for a “Mission Brief” event, held at the 34th Infantry Division Headquarters in Arden Hills, Minn.
The $33 million project includes a 40,000 square-foot facility set on 32 acres. It will be located just outside Camp Ripley in Little Falls, Minn., to maintain easy access by the public. The event program featured guest author Elliot Ackerman, as well as comments by Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Rick Nash, Vietnam Veteran Bill Strusinski and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner, Larry Herke.
“This event was a special way to bring our supporters, lawmakers, donors and volunteers together in one place. We anticipate offering this format annually to keep our partners and the public informed of progress,” said Randal Dietrich, Executive Director of the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. “It’s been an honor to witness Minnesotans mobilize for this project – which is focused on celebrating and remembering our military history.”
To date the Museum has raised more than $18 million. Although last year’s bonding bill included $10 million for the project, the session ended without passage of a bonding bill. In addition to working closely with lawmakers for the coming legislative session, the Museum board is seeking $5 million from private donors.
“When complete, this project will honor all branches of service, both past and present,” said Dietrich. “It will also truly represent a community effort, encompassing funds and support from federal, state, community and private funding sources.
As part of this planning process, the board and planners traveled to some of the best museums in the country, spoke with veterans in Minnesota and beyond, and ultimately enlisted the renowned HGA Architects to help lead the design.
Even now the Museum has continued to focus on “living history” and telling the stories of 9/11. A special Post-9/11 Exhibition debuted last year for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 at the State Capitol. Throughout the year it made several stops, including Duluth and Mankato. The last and final stop of the year for the exhibit was the Mission Brief event today in Arden Hills.
Museum Brings Decommissioned Submarine Home to Minnesota
The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is home. The decommissioned nuclear-powered fast attack submarine’s towering sail and rudder have been transported to the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum in Little Falls from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is home. The decommissioned nuclear-powered fast attack submarine’s towering sail and rudder have been transported to the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum in Little Falls from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
The disassembled pieces arrived at Camp Ripley, Minnesota on Monday, Aug. 29, and the artifact will be a distinctive feature at the new 32-acre Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum & Library, expected to open in Spring 2025. The “sail” of a submarine is the tower-like portion that protrudes from the hull at the center of the boat, and the rudder is at the rear of the vessel.
“While there is a great deal of restoration to make sure these pieces are ready for display, the addition of the sail and rudder of the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul to the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum is an important step in continuing to build a world-class museum,” said Randal Dietrich, Executive Director of the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. “Minnesota is mobilizing to honor the Veterans of all branches of service.”
The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul was a nuclear-powered Los Angeles Class submarine in service between 1984 and 2008. It was the first vessel of the United States Navy to be named for the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Known with the hull classification of SSN-708, the submarine served with distinction in Operation Desert Shield and the First Gulf War. It was the first submarine to carry Tomahawk missiles specifically designated for use in strikes against Iraq.
“Preserving this vital Naval artifact is important to the men who served on her, but also to the history of Minnesota,” said Bill James, United States Navy League Minnesota Council President. “The USS Minneapolis Saint Paul admirably served from 1984-2008 and took part in Operation Desert Shield and the Gulf War. The Navy League and submarine Veterans continue to mourn the deaths of two SSN-708 Sailors who died in rough seas on the coast of southwestern England in 2006. Along with the Minnesota Submarine League we look forward to the restoration of the sail and rudder and placement at the new Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum.”
Transported by St. Cloud, Minn. based Anderson Trucking Service, and expertly unloaded by Camp Ripley logisticians, the pieces will receive extensive renovation over the next two years. “This project is a great opportunity to show our support for Veterans and military personnel,” said Scott Anderson, Executive Vice President and Chief Administration Officer of Anderson Trucking Service. “We are honored to assist with this amazing addition to the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum and can’t wait to see it come to fruition. Many of our drivers and employees are Veterans, and this is one way that we can honor their service and show how grateful we are.”
Commissioning
DULUTH, Minnesota (May 21, 2021) – Members of the town-based Civil War-era militia, the New Ulm Battery, render honors by firing the Saluting Battery during the commissioning ceremony of USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) in Duluth, Minnesota. LCS 21 is the second U.S. Navy warship to honor Minneapolis-Saint Paul. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sonja Wickard /Released)
DULUTH, Minnesota (May 21, 2021) – Members of the town-based Civil War-era militia, the New Ulm Battery, render honors by firing the Saluting Battery during the commissioning ceremony of USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) in Duluth, Minnesota. LCS 21 is the second U.S. Navy warship to honor Minneapolis-Saint Paul. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sonja Wickard /Released).
From Liberator to Educator
Towards the end of WWII, an exhausted, war weary young infantryman of the 409th Infantry Regiment in the 103rd Infantry Division was anxiously awaiting and looking forward to the day the most destructive war in human history would end.
Towards the end of WWII, an exhausted, war weary young infantryman of the 409th Infantry Regiment in the 103rd Infantry Division was anxiously awaiting and looking forward to the day the most destructive war in human history would end. Little did he know that before this conflict would finally grind to a halt, that he would catch a horrific glimpse of some of the worst atrocities imaginable. A thoughtful and literate young man - he would later turn this experience into an opportunity to educate others about what he saw, both to keep alive the memory of what happened, and to ensure that something like this never happened again.
Dr. Roy Arthur Swanson was born and educated in Minnesota on April 17, 1925. An accomplished academic, he earned B.A., B.S., and M.A. degrees from the University of Minnesota,and later became a tenured professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It was while he was at the UW-M that he founded the Holocaust Research and Information Project.
Dr. Swanson passed away on December 15, 2020. The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum was the recipient of a major collection of his materials compiled on the Holocaust-including his original wartime diary and other notes on his experiences during the war.
Museum News
Site & Facility Planned
In allocating $13 million for a new Military Museum, state legislators ensured construction of a facility befitting the service and sacrifice of Minnesota Veterans.
Projected Completion Date: Spring 2023
Virtual flyover of the new site & facility:
In allocating $13 million for a new Military Museum, state legislators ensured construction of a facility befitting the service and sacrifice of Minnesota Veterans.
Another $8 million is needed to fully outfit this facility with the tools and technology to save and share these stories with a statewide audience for generations to come. To this end, the KAHR Foundation has already committed $3 million. Now, leading companies, foundations and families are asked to match this commitment.
Ultimately, the quality and character of the education classrooms, exhibit galleries and public programming rests with everyday Minnesotans who see the value of investing in a future that is as bright as our past. Online Donation
The names of these donors, or donations made in memory of others, will be prominently displayed ($1,000+, $5,000+, $10,000+ levels) upon entry into this new 40,000 square foot facility.
Throughout the design and construction phase, the Museum will host online gatherings, via Zoom, to discuss interpretation, inclusion and overall themes. Email Sign-up to receive invites
If you’d like to assist in other ways including volunteer opportunities, please email us. We are seeking to significantly bolster our collection of artifacts related to the Global War on Terrorism. A list of other items we are seeking (and those we are not) is available here.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Randal Dietrich, Executive Director