Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Vietnam veteran Joe Salzer holds three hand-carved canes he made for other veterans at the St. Cloud StandDown Resource Fair on Friday, Oct. 24, at the St. Cloud Armory. The one in his left hand has an elephant head carved on both sides of the handle.Lauren Breunig / St. Cloud LIVE
Episode 3142 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how Minnesota Vietnam Veteran Joe Salzar helps prove the greatness of his generation. The featured story is titled: Veterans share stories of resilience and community in St. Cloud It appeared on the St Cloud Live website and was submitted by Lauren Breunig. She is a news reporter for St. Cloud LIVE. She can be contacted at lauren@stcloudlive.com.
Breunig reported that Joe Salzer embodies the spirit, strength, and selflessness of America’s Vietnam veterans. At 78, this remarkable man from central Minnesota continues to serve others through a deeply personal mission: hand-carving and gifting canes to fellow veterans. Each cane, made from diamond willow wood, is a unique creation — often adorned with intricate designs and carved with care in Salzer’s workshop north of Avon. But these canes represent far more than craftsmanship. When Salzer places one in a veteran’s hands, he says, “As one veteran to another, I’ll walk with you to the end until you can’t anymore.”
A Vietnam veteran himself, Salzer was drafted in 1966 after graduating from St. Boniface High School in Cold Spring. He served with transportation and support units for the Ninth and 25th Infantry divisions, operating between Saigon and the Cambodian border during the intense years of 1967–68 — including the Tet Offensive. Like many who served, he carries the weight of loss and the scars of PTSD. Yet, rather than turning inward, Salzer transforms his pain into purpose, creating around 125 canes each year in memory of the friends he lost and in honor of all who served.
Salzer’s compassion reflects the resilience of all Vietnam veterans — men and women who endured the unimaginable, returned home to rebuild, and continue to lift one another up. His generosity and humility remind us that greatness lies not just in surviving hardship, but in dedicating one’s life to helping others do the same.
Listen to Episode 3142 and discover more about how Minnesota Vietnam Veteran Joe Salzar helps prove the greatness of his generation.
