Veterans Remembrance Dinner 2022

The St. Louis County Historical Society and its Veterans Memorial Hall program host the 17th annual Veterans Remembrance Dinner in the Great Hall of the Duluth Depot. The annual fundraising event includes a social hour and a silent auction fundraiser. 

The keynote speaker is Brigadier General Daniel Gabrielli, who volunteered to lead Operation Allies Welcome, which managed the resettlement of more than 7,000 Afghan refugees from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico — a sort of desert-based Ellis Island — as part of the massive, combined efforts that were part of “Operation Allies Refuge” which evacuated more than 70,000 persons from Afghanistan. Gabrielli described the experience as “the best deployment I’ve done in my whole 33 years. It was the most fulfilling.”

Brig. Gen. Gabrielli assembled a diverse and empathetic crew that was essential to its success — including the USAF’s only female Muslim cleric, Captain Saleha Jabeen — honored in the U.S. Congressional record as having “ensur(ed) that we have lived up to our cherished values of hospitality and providing safe haven to those in need.” The mission also created a Female Engagement Team, where colleagues like Chief Master Sgt. Dawn Teachworth held weekly meetings designed to enhance Afghan women’s understanding American gender culture.

Born and raised in Saint Paul, Gabrielli studied political science at Mankato State University, and interned with the British Parliament before attending Officer Training School and pilot training with the United States Air Force, becoming a commissioned officer in 1989. After three tours of duty in Afghanistan he continued his service as the assistant adjutant general of the Minnesota Air National Guard while remaining a commercial pilot for United Airlines. As the father of a gay daughter, Gabrielli grew to become a staunch advocate for greater diversity and inclusion in the military’s ranks. He served as the senior mentor to the Minnesota National Guard’s LGBTQ Special Emphasis Council with the mission to “provides a safe space for soldiers, airmen, and allies to discuss issues that are unique to their experiences as LBGTQ+ people … to facilitate shared understanding and change.”

This event will also feature the presentation of the Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor Scholarship which each year awards $1,500 to a St. Louis County high school senior or college student.

For tickets contact Jay Hagen, Veterans Memorial Hall program assistant at 218-733-7500 or jay @ thehistorypeople.org.