Governor Jim Pillen and the Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs say applications are now open for Nebraska’s World War II Veteran Recognition Program to recognize Nebraska’s living World War II veterans in 2025 for the 80th anniversary of the end of the war.
“Those who fought in World War II are known as the greatest generation because of their sacrifice and determination to overcome an evil that threatened to overtake the world,” Pillen says. “Our state recognition program is a small, but important, token of our undying appreciation. But for our veterans and their families, we would not be here enjoying the freedoms that we experience every day.”
The medal is available to living veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces between December 1, 1941, and December 31, 1946. They have to be legal residents of Nebraska, can demonstrate they were Nebraska residents at the time they entered the service and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
“The goal of this program is two-fold,” says NDVA Director John Hilgert. “One, we want to thank Nebraska’s World War II veterans while we still can and recognize them for their tremendous sacrifice at a turning point in world history. Two, we want to refocus our attention to these veterans and their stories to remind people of what they were fighting for and just how much they sacrificed to fight for it.”
The application and information on the program are available at veterans.nebraska.gov/ww2. Click here to see video of the ceremony