News
A history of Bottineau's local AMVETS Post 25
Heather Milbrath
08/13/2013
Editor’s Note: Bottineau Courant staff writer, Heather Milbrath,is writing a series on veterans’ posts and organizations in Bottineau County. Milbrath will be writing about the different types of posts and organizations and their histories in the county. This week, she looks at the Bottineau AMVETS Post 25
The Bottineau AMVETS Post is the newest veterans post in Bottineau County. The AMVETS is a veterans organization that has been around since 1944, but has not had as much of a presence in North Dakota as the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the Legion. Currently, there are only 13 AMVETS Posts in North Dakota. Despite its youth, the AMVETS has gained in popularity in the short time since its inception.
The Bottineau AMVETS Post was established on March 28, 2011, with 30 members on the charter. That membership has now grown to over 70 members and is continuing to grow. Like the post itself, the AMVETS has much more younger members than the other posts in Bottineau County.
Keith Peterson, current commander of Bottineau AMVETS Post 25, said that they have members as young as 19 and as old as 90.
“Membership is not as limited as in other service organizations like the American Legion and VFW.” Peterson said. “Membership in the AMVETS is open to anyone who is currently serving or who has been honorably served in the US armed services since WWII to the present to include the National Guard and Reserves.”
Although AMVETS is new, they have already begun to work with the other veteran organizations in the county for many of its activities. They partake in the Color Guard, funeral honors and a wide range of community projects. In its two years, AMVETS has sponsored two veterans “stand down” events and two veteran group photos.
“If there is a veteran function, AMVETS are there,” Peterson said.
AMVETS has also handed out 87 IWVA Awards to Bottineau County Veterans of World War II and the Korean War in recognition of their service.
Around the time AMVETS was established, a new veterans organization in the county was also forming: the Bottineau County Veterans Inc. The Bottineau County Veterans Inc. held its first meeting in January 2011. At that time, a board of directors was established, consisting of a post commander from the American Legion, AMVETS and VFW posts in the county.
Bottineau County has eight different veteran organizations in five different towns.
However, many of the veteran organizations in the county, especially those within the city of Bottineau, have much overlap in membership. This one organization found a way to unite them all, giving them a strong voice in veteran affairs.
The initial purpose of establishing the Bottineau County Veterans Inc. was to ensure that “no vet was forgotten.” This collation has also been the major force in working toward a new veterans building in Bottineau, and they have definitely gained strength in numbers.
The veterans have found a location for the new veteran’s building and have already moved the old monuments to the new site. They also now have a building to put on the new location.
State Bank of Bottineau recently donated its branch office to the Bottineau County Veterans Inc. The current brick building located at the corner of Highway 5 and Main Street will be moved to its new location in the future. This new building will not just be for the veterans in Bottineau, but all the veterans in the county.