North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum issued the following statement today in observance of Veterans Day. The governor will deliver remarks during the Veterans Day ceremony at the North Dakota Heritage Center.
“As Americans, we enjoy an abundance of rights and privileges that many people in other parts of the world go without, and we know these freedoms are not free – they come at the high cost of immeasurable sacrifices made by our military veterans,” Burgum said. “Today we share our endless gratitude and appreciation for our veterans, our North Dakota National Guard members and our active duty servicemembers for the extraordinary acts they perform to protect our freedom and maintain peace through strength. As they fulfill their duty with honor and courage, we must honor their service with full support for our veterans and their families.”
As governor and commander-in-chief of the North Dakota National Guard, Burgum has worked with the state Legislature to make North Dakota a more military-friendly state through several actions, including exempting military retirement pay from state income tax; providing occupational license reciprocity for trailing spouses of military personnel; providing funds to defray the cost of burying the spouses and dependents of military veterans at the state Veterans Cemetery; and permanently displaying the POW-MIA flag in front of the state Capitol. The governor also formed the Task Force for Veterans Affairs to assess the current system for supporting military veterans and ensure current resources are best positioned to support them.