New Lake of the Woods Veterans Memorial in Baudette!

The Lake of the Woods Veterans Memorial is dedicated to the brave men and women that have, are, and will service in the armed forces of the United States.

Mail Call.  Simply put, it is the distribution of mail to members of a military unit.  For veterans, it was a time before the computer age when it was the only communication possible from a girlfriend or boyfriend.  A husband or wife.  Mom and dad, brothers and sisters.  It was, for many, a lifeline of connection to loved ones and a life worth fighting for.  Recently in Baudette, a brand new Lake of the Woods Veterans Memorial was unveiled at Timber Mill Park on the east side of town on highway 11.  The memorial features a statue is of a serviceman intently reading a piece of mail received at mail call.

A dedication ceremony for the Lake of the Woods Veterans Memorial took place on July 4, 2020. Several hundred spectators were on hand as the Baudette Ceremonial Squad marched in and raised the American flag while the the national anthem was played and spectators sang. After a short speech the center piece statue was unveiled.

The bronze statue is titled “Letter From Home”. The ceremony concluded with the Ceremonial Squad firing a 21 gun salute to honor all veterans that have serviced in our military. After Taps was played the Ceremonial Squad departed and the public milled around looking at pavers honoring individuals that have served.

The next time you are in the Baudette or Lake of the Woods area, we encourage you to swing by, take a deep breath and imagine what it was like (or for some, remember what it was like) to receive mail call.  Feel free to take a walk through Timber Mill Park.  This park is great for walking and biking, has a City owned campground and fish cleaning facilities and a wonderful boat ramp to the Rainy River.

While the City of Baudette, Lake of the Woods County, the VFW Post 273, and the American Legion Post 217 have contributed funds towards this project, it is not enough to fun the entire project. Therefore, the Lake of the Woods Veterans Memorial Committee is requesting monetary donations from individuals and businesses to help fund the construction of the memorial and its ongoing maintenance.

If you would like to help out the fundraising efforts for this memorial that will be here for generations to come, please feel free to donate to the GoFundMe Page set up for the Lake of the Woods Veteran Memorial. 

A big “Thank You” to all who have already donated their time, talent and treasure as a way to honor those who have served or are currently serving.  And of course, thank you to all veterans and active military.