Mitchell vet aims to help minorities

By DENISE D. TUCKER
Argus Leader

published: 2/19/02

Native American on U.S. board

Being a Native American who served in the Army, Don Loudner is sensitive to the plight of minority veterans.

The 69-year-old Mitchell man has a national voice in the long and uphill effort to help minorities take advantage of needed services they've earned by defending their country.

Through his work on the South Dakota State Veterans Affairs Commission - of which he is chairman - Loudner was appointed to serve on the national Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. He recently had his appointment extended for one year after serving a three-year term.

"I feel honored to be recommended to continue on the panel," said Loudner. "I'm very outspoken, and I'm there for the veterans."

The Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans, established in 1994, reports annually to the VA secretary on how well VA programs and services meet the needs of minority veterans.

Anthony Principi, the secretary of veterans affairs, recently announced the 19-member panel, which includes representatives from across the country.

Loudner is an enrolled member of the Hunkpati Dakota Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation in Fort Thompson. He served in the Korean War and spent 32 years in the Army Reserve. He is a former commissioner of Indian affairs for South Dakota.

"He's very vocal, articulate and a forceful voice on the committee relating to Native American affairs," said Charles Nesby, director of the Center for Minority Veterans and executive director of the advisory committee.

He said Loudner's work has led to an increase in funding for personnel to get out to the reservations and assist veterans with VA benefits.

"He was instrumental in getting a VA vet center in Mitchell," said Nesby from Washington, D.C.

Loudner is one of three Native Americans on the panel.

"Native Americans have always served," Nesby said. "They are among the highest ethnicity to serve in military service and among the least to accept veterans' benefits."

According to the 1990 census, South Dakota's minority veterans included: 4,063 American Indian-Eskimo, 2,951 women, 386 Hispanics, 311 blacks and 47 Asian-Pacific islanders.

Living far from VA hospitals is one reason Native American veterans seek less assistance. South Dakota has VA medical facilities in Sioux Falls, Hot Springs and Fort Meade. Nesby said Principi will push for more money from Congress for veterans clinics in remote locations.

"I feel we need to continue to communicate with minority veterans," Loudner said. "There is a big lack of information that's not getting to them. They don't seek help until it's really needed."

Serving on the panel does have its benefits for Loudner.

"The greatest reward is to help a veteran or spouse to get that first-time service they've been seeking," Loudner said. "I'm finding there are a lot of services that veterans don't even know about."

Reach Denise D. Tucker at 331-2335 or dtucker@argusleader.com