Freedom Defenders Veterans Memorial

The Bemidji Veterans Memorial

The Freedom Defenders Veterans Memorial is designed to honor the unity and cooperation of the armed forces in defending America and the freedoms we treasure. The impetus and vision for this project came from a group of veterans from northern Minnesota. Driven by a deep desire to honor their brothers and sisters who have served the nation, these veterans formed a volunteer committee that coordinated planning, construction, fundraising, and public awareness for the memorial. Today, the committee continues to update and maintain the city-owned memorial at no taxpayer expense.

Walk of Honor

Veteran Recognition

The Walk of Honor, an ongoing project, is a path on the memorial site that consists of engraved granite paver bricks designed to recognize those who have served and are currently serving in the armed forces.

Each stone is engraved with the honorees information then placed into the Walk of Honor. There is a map of the stone names and their locations within the walk, so that family and friends can visit and look up their loved one’s stone.

Charles Lindberg: First Statue

The centerpiece of the memorial site

The statue of Bemidji’s Charles Lindberg is mounted on a six foot pillar with two bronze plaques attached which give a dedication and a statement of purpose for the memorial.

Service Dogs

An unsung hero in American’s storied past.

In recognition, tribute and honor of their outstanding contribution in conflicts from the Pacific Islands of World War II to the mountains of Afghanistan and the many wars in between, these veterans of America’s conflicts have served faithfully in all branches of the military…. Learn More

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.”

— Author Unknown