Home The Call to Serve: Stories of Sacrifice, War and the Way Home
The Call to Serve: Stories of Sacrifice, War and the Way Home


The ripple effects of war are intense and wide-ranging, impacting soldiers, medical personnel, family members and refugees. The experience forever changes the shape of their lives. For decades, Twin Cities PBS has been committed to sharing the stories of Minnesotans who heeded the “call to serve.” This collection is generously funded by the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation.


The ripple effects of war are intense and wide-ranging, impacting soldiers, medical personnel, family members and refugees. The experience forever changes the shape of their lives. For decades, Twin Cities PBS has been committed to sharing the stories of Minnesotans who heeded the “call to serve.” This collection is generously funded by the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation.


Two Mothers Reflect on the Gold Stars They Didn’t Want
Sandy (Masterson) Lynch and Valerie Kennedy have the type of gold stars no one wants - the kind you receive when military officers arrive...
Minnesota’s Military Kids Keep Service Members Serving
One Minnesota family facing the realities of military deployment - the Nelsons - fit the classic archetype of the "all-American" nuclear unit in just...
7 Veterans Share What Veterans Day Means to Them
The Minnesota State Fair, with its glittering Midway lights, an endless legion of people and all the fried foods on a stick, also has...
Vietnam Era Veteran & Archivist Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Risked It All
Jean-Nickolaus Tretter spent his adult life advocating for gay rights. If you asked him about LGBTQ+ history, he’d likely rattle off a fascinating monologue...
Two Vietnam War Veterans Reflect on Seeing Familiar Names on the...
In the summer of 2018, Twin Cities PBS brought a traveling replica - the Wall That Heals - of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that...
Love from Saigon, Minnesota
No one who meets me today would ever suspect that I did not prefer Vietnamese food when I was growing up. Today, I am...
Welcome Home: Vietnam Veteran Memorial
In 1982, Vietnam veterans from across the nation converged on Washington D.C. for what was, at the time, a controversial memorial and to give...
Remembering What It’s Really About
Doug Bradley and Craig Werner, authors of We've Gotta Get Out of This Place, share ways that music has helped veterans cope with the enormity...
For What It’s Worth
Twin Cities PBS hosted We Gotta Get Out of This Place concert, celebrating the soundtrack of the Vietnam War, as part of Minnesota Remembers Vietnam. This...
Piece of My Heart
Minnesota musicians and veterans joined together to remember the Vietnam War through spoken word and song. Veterans took the stage to read excerpts from...