Local veterans don't have to go far to find a camp that's just for them.

The Disabled Veterans Rest Camp is on Big Marine Lake

David Hawley, Special to the Pioneer Press

MARINE ON ST. CROIX — It was at the Disabled Veterans Rest Camp on Big Marine Lake where my father-in-law caught an $8,000 fish.That was five years ago, the first year Harold started spending portions of his summers at the 75-acre camp in Washington County that was established in the 1920s for shellshocked World War I veterans. Originally it was a kind of convalescent facility, where veterans boarded in a big, ramshackle lodge. But that was demolished in the 1950s. Today, the camp has evolved into a resort-style campground, with cabins, RV sites and tent-camping areas.

And it’s open to all veterans, active-duty personnel and their families — though disabled veterans are given a priority. Registration requires campers to submit proof of military service.

THE BENEFITS OF CAMARADERIE

The camp, a nonprofit organization, relies heavily on donations and the involvement that comes from camaraderie. People pitch in.

It’s also a patriotic place, where American flags are displayed in front of trailers and some RV parking slips are marked with signs that say, "Reserved for the Few, the Proud."

But there is a tolerance about the place that derives, in large part, from shared experience. At the annual Memorial Day ceremony two years ago, for example, one of the speakers was an Iraq War veteran with a high-tech prosthetic leg who talked with great conviction about supporting the war. He was followed by a World War II veteran in a wheelchair who called the Iraq War a great waste.

No one blinked at the contrasting views. These guys had earned the right to disagree.

For the most part, you don’t hear much about military experiences. I suppose this has something to do with the adage it isn’t wise to tell war stories to other veterans because somebody else will always tell one that’s better.

The camp is also a place where cynicism is routinely disproven. On Memorial Day, a motorcycle club called Tribute to the Troops showed up for the ceremony and potluck and then installed new digital flat-screen TVs the group had purchased in all the cabins. A few weeks later, another motorcycle group called 2 Wheels 4 Heroes conducted a fund-raiser at the pavilion for the camp.

TAKING CARE OF THEIR OWN

"The biggest job for me has been letting veterans know the camp is here for them," said Bob Ekeberg, president of the camp’s board of directors. "In many ways, it is like a well-kept secret — and it shouldn’t be."

For my father-in-law, the Vets Camp is the place for summers on the lake he always dreamed about but thought he’d never experience. At age 90, he can’t go it alone, but there are comrades there who routinely stop by his trailer to make sure all is well or help him with his boat or invite him to the canteen for a beer.

"Harold is a tough old guy," said Tom Ferris, the camp’s resident manager, during a recent conversation. "Why, he could have been a Marine."

That was a compliment, though I doubt Harold would see it quite that way. After all, the Army meant a lot to him.

DISABLED VETERANS REST CAMP

Where: 11300 180th St. N., Marine on St. Croix

Contact: vetscampmn.org, 651-433-2699

Requirements: Open to all veterans. Current proof of veteran or active-duty military status is required, such as discharge papers or military identification (organization memberships, such as the American Legion or VFW do not qualify).

Rates: Cabins are $95-$120 per weekend, $200