Today, Oregonians are gathering together across our state to carry forward this great American tradition: on the 11th month, of the 11th day, at the 11th hour, we celebrate Veterans Day.
And just as we gather here, across Oregon, thousands of us unite from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives for a purpose both simple and profound: to honor those who served.
Veterans are a unique and diverse group of Americans, spanning every age, generation, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and place of origin. Which tells me, that our diversity is our strength, and reminds us of the shared values that unite us all.
The one profound experience all veterans share, the bond that binds us, is that each of us had the courage to take the oath, wear the uniform, and stand in defense of the freedoms and values that define America.
At the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, we are proud to serve every veteran in Oregon — regardless of who they are, who they love, or where they come from.
Every veteran answered the call to serve our nation, and it is our mission to ensure our nation serves them in return, with deep respect, gratitude, and an understanding of what they face after service. We stand committed to addressing the most pressing challenges facing our veterans today.
We are actively advancing initiatives in suicide prevention, expanding resources to support veterans experiencing homelessness, and working with our state and federal partners to provide access to comprehensive mental and behavioral health services.
Because of Charitable Checkoff donations — voluntary contributions from Oregonians — some of whom are here today, who donate out of the goodness of their hearts, we were able to launch of a first-of-its-kind statewide veteran suicide prevention campaign.
Our suicide prevention campaign aims to reach veterans from a diverse, multi-generational, and multi-cultural backgrounds. This launch also includes Oregon’s first comprehensive online toolkit of statewide and local suicide prevention resources for veterans and family members, which you can visit today at www.beyondthemilitaryuniform.com.
ODVA, alongside Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Health Authority, have also been active participants in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families. These efforts have focused on postvention, offering support to families, friends, and communities impacted by the suicide of a service member or veteran, as well as working to remove barriers and improve access to mental health services.
Thanks to the strong support of both Governor Kotek and our partners in the Legislature, our work to construct a third Veterans’ Home in Roseburg marks another significant step toward ensuring our veterans have the care they need and deserve.
And ODVA continues to lead the nation in providing direct and targeted veteran services to historically unserved and underserved populations with unique needs and experiences, including women veterans, LGBTQ+ veterans, Tribal veterans, houseless veterans, aging veterans and incarcerated veterans.
With great care and partnership, our team has implemented a range of new, targeted programs and initiatives, while expanding and strengthening existing services to meet these diverse and changing needs of Oregon veterans.
As Director, I am proud of the progress we have made and of our shared commitment to every veteran who calls Oregon home, and in the spirit of honoring every veteran, I want to share a belief close to my heart.
I often speak about intersectionality — a word that reflects the many identities that shape us. I believe selfless service comes from not only acknowledging and understanding our own humanity with dignity and grace, but also recognizing and respecting others just the same.
My faith teaches that “to everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). In the spirit of today I take this to mean honoring veterans’ service across times of war and peace, justice and injustice, discontent and unity.
We know that some of us were marginalized within our nation’s institutions because they fought in deeply unpopular wars. We also know some were denied recognition and benefits simply because of who they love.
Yet we continue to hold a deep commitment to the oath we swore, and to the values it enshrines: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.
Today, and every day we renew our commitment to ending veteran suicide, eliminating veteran homelessness, and ensuring access to mental and behavioral health care for all Oregon veterans.
This commitment to a greater cause and to selfless service is what makes our nation exceptional, and I can say with all confidence that we were ready to serve in, we’re ready today, and the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs will be ready to serve you tomorrow.
On behalf of the veterans and civilians who make up the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, we thank you and your families for your service to this great nation, and for celebrating with us today.
Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels is a United States Army veteran and the director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, overseeing agency operations, ensuring the availability and access of vital veteran services and programs for nearly 275,000 veterans and their families across the state.
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