WALNUT GROVE — A special event coming up in Walnut Grove will thank Hmong and Lao veterans for their service in the war in Southeast Asia, 50 years ago. The gathering will include food and performances by the SW Nkauj Dancers, as well as remarks by local officials and Minnesota state lawmakers, organizers said.

“I think we’ll have a good turnout,” said Walnut Grove resident Dan Peterson. “The main goal is to honor the veterans and the community.”

The free event will be held from 1:30-4 p.m. on June 28, at the Walnut Grove city park.

“It’s a family event. We will have food, and dancers,” said Theresa Keaveny, one of the event organizers.

The event comes at a milestone year for many Southeast Asian Minnesotans – 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Southeast Asian Minnesotans, including Hmong and Lao veterans, fought on the side of the U.S. in conflicts during the Vietnam War era, like the Secret War in Laos.

Keaveny said the anniversary seemed like a good time to uplift Southeast Asian veterans and their families.

Some of the sponsors of the event include the DFL Party Rural Caucus, the DFL Veterans and Military Families Caucus, and the DFL parties of Redwood, Cottonwood and Lyon Counties. But Keaveny said speakers at the event will include local people with connections to the Hmong community and to Walnut Grove. Mayor Ron Stubbe, Walnut Grove city council member Yeng Yang, and Lue Kue of Tracy will all be part of the event.

In addition to honoring veterans, the event will feature speakers like Minnesota state Rep. Kaohly Vang Her of St. Paul, and Sen. Tou Xiong of Maplewood. They will discuss bills passed by the Minnesota Legislature marking the 50th anniversary of the war in Southeast Asia, and other legislation affecting rural Minnesota and the Hmong community, Keaveny said.

This year, the Legislature allocated $400,000 for historic and cultural grants commemorating 50 years of Southeast Asians in Minnesota, and $200,000 for commemoration programs celebrating 50 years of Hmong Americans in Minnesota. The Legislature also approved $150,000 for a commemoration program with the Minnesota Historical Society, that recognizes the contributions of Vietnamese, Lao, Cambodian, Hmong and other Minnesota veterans who supported the U.S.

Keaveny said another bill affecting Hmong veterans in Minnesota was part of appropriations for Veterans Affairs. The new legislation will make veterans of the Secret War in Laos eligible for Minnesota veterans benefits. The benefits included eligibility for veteran designation on driver’s licenses, grave markers, and burial in state veterans cemeteries. The appropriations bill called for an advisory task force to be formed to determine which veterans who served in Laos are eligible for benefits.