September 28, 2001 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer talks with National Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Denny Shields about the various special requests being asked of the guard to perform. In addition to providing security at the Twin Cities International Airport, about 1,000 guard members could end up filling in for state workers if they go on strike.
September 26, 2002 - The Mainstreet Radio documentary “An Uncivil War” examines The US-Dakota War of 1862, a war fought in the Minnesota River valley back in 1862 that still leaves scars today. On one side were the Dakota Indians. On the other, settlers and the U.S. government. Hundreds of people died on both sides of the five-week long war. It lead to the largest mass execution in U.S. history, when 38 Dakota were hanged in Mankato.
March 2, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports on how the Minnesota town of Appleton honors fallen soldiers. Funeral services for Sergeant Jesse Lhotka will be held in his hometown of Appleton. A roadside bomb killed Lhotka and two other Minnesota National Guard soldiers in Iraq. Lhotka is the most recent in a long line of Appleton residents to die in battle and reminders of the town's service are everywhere.
June 10, 2005 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports on the death of 1st Lieutenant Michael Fasnacht, who was killed by a roadside bomb Wednesday near Tikrit, Iraq. The Minnesota soldier is being praised today for his love of family and country.
September 1, 2006 - The Department of Defense says 20-year-old Qixing Lee of Minneapolis died on Sunday, August 27th, near Taji, just north of Baghdad. He was among four soldiers in his unit who were killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near their Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations.
October 13, 2006 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson about his opposition to the U.S. Coast Guard conducting periodic training exercises on the Great Lakes to prepare for law enforcement and homeland security missions. The exercises have included live machine gun fire.
December 29, 2006 - In 2006, twenty members of the U.S. Armed Forces from our region died in hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. On this our final broadcast of the year, we take a brief look back at who they were.
January 12, 2007 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on the reactions from students as Armed Forces recruiters start visiting high schools, looking for enlistees to join the army. Not surprisingly, there isn’t a universal consensus.
September 3, 2007 - Lake Superior is known for its pristine water, but one oil spill could ruin all that. U.S. Coast Guard cutters, like the Duluth-based Alder, carry first response equipment in case of a major oil spill. The Alder crew was practicing the system on the big lake and MPR's Bob Kelleher went along to see how it's done.
September 3, 2008 - MPR’s Elizabeth Baier talks with to two gay veterans in St. Paul to see how the so-called "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the military has affected their lives, both during -- and after -- their years in the military.