The Bugle - Spring/Summer 2024

CONTENTS

7 | FROM THE SECRETARY

9 | FROM THE DIRECTOR

10-11 | EVERY VETERAN IS A STORY

12-13 | NATO AT 75

14-15 | FROM THE COLLECTIONS

16-17 | SAFE SHALL BE MY GOING

19 | WVMF MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

20-21 | FROM THE FOUNDATION

22 | CALENDAR

23 | THANK YOU DONORS

WVM.0589.I801.01 | Grace Pierson, who served in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), is dressed in uniform at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin in 1944. She is standing behind a workbench cluttered with tools and holding what appears to be an M1 rifle with a bayonet. In the background there is a poster explaining how to detail strip a U.S. rifle cal.30 M1. To the left of the poster there appears to be a row of bazookas. The image is from the Collection of Dorothy Dannies Alexander

Dorothy Dannies Alexander joined the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in 1942 and graduated from the first WAC officer training class at Fort Des Moines, Iowa as a 2nd lieutenant. In early 1944 she was named company commander of the 4620th Service Unit at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin and was promoted to captain.

We

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT

DANIEL CHECKI VICE PRESIDENT

JOANE MATHEWS TREASURER

DAVE HEILIGER

SECRETARY

WILLIAM F. HUSTAD

DIRECTORS AT LARGE ALEJANDRO ARANGO-ESCALANTE

DAN GREENE

TIMOTHY LA SAGE

NATHANIEL T. MILLSAP, JR.

PAUL MCEVILLY

CONNIE WALKER

FOUNDATION STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

JENNIFER CARLSON

608.261.0536

JENNIFER.CARLSON@ WVMFOUNDATION.COM

MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS DIRECTOR

MOLLY SNOW

608.261.0540

MOLLY.SNOW@ WVMFOUNDATION.COM

COLLECTION DONORS

11/14/24–2/13/24

A most sincere thank you to all who donated to our collection from November 2023–February 2024. Thank you for your generosity and support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.

Mark Albanese

Dawn Bowers-Winters

Marguerite Burns

Janet L. Dennis

Michael Flanagan

Kevin Hampton

Kurt Knoll

Teresa Maki

Alannah McReavey

Dan Plzak

Richland County Veterans Service Office

Dennis Strachota

MUSEUM MISSION

The mission of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is to commemorate, acknowledge, and affirm the role of Wisconsin veterans in America’s military past and present

The Bugle is published quarterly for our members and friends through the support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation provides funds for the support of artifact acquisitions, exhibit production, and the development of educational programs.

Baseball game played by WACs, likely taken at Columbus Army Air Field in Ohio.

Image from the collection of Ethel M. Krueger of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Krueger served in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) with the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps during World War II.

FROM THE SECRETARY

Greetings! I hope this message finds all of you well. The beginning of a new year means new challenges and new opportunities to tell veteran stories at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.

I had the honor of accompanying Governor Tony Evers as he toured the museum on one of his visits to state agencies. It was wonderful for me to see the exhibits again, exhibits that celebrate the stories of the service and sacrifice of so many Wisconsin veterans. And even more wonderful to see how impressed the Governor was. We’re lucky to have such a great team at the Museum. Thanks to our Director, Chris Kolakowski, the talented curators, our devoted staff, and the WVM Foundation Board for their commitment to our rich and unique veteran history.

As you know, the exhibits and items on display are representative of veterans from across the length and breadth of Wisconsin, from our largest city to our smallest town, from every era of service, and from a multitude of backgrounds. Joining the Marines was a transformative experience for me in many ways, one of the most important being that it taught me our strength comes from our differences. The Museum is a testament to the diversity of those who have served and their life at home.

If you have not done so recently, I encourage you to visit the museum—see what’s new and discover more about Wisconsin’s veteran history.

Yours in Service,

James Bond Secretary-designee Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs

“Our airbase was located at Warmwell, near Dorchester, England. (The closest airbase to the invasion sight) and on'D Day' (June 6, 1944) France was being invaded. History was in the making, an army of soldiers was being moved through the sky. More than 800 C-47 airplanes were loaded with paratroopers and many of the airplanes were pulling two cargo gliders, each loaded with soldiers and equipment, it was an awesome sight. As they reached the French coast they encountered such heavy ground fire that many of them were shot down, dropping men into the English Channel where they drowned. The gliders were build of plywood and canvas for a one time landing and were released from the airplanes that did make it over France. Many of the gliders (called flying coffins) crash landed killing many of the soldiers. An armada of large battle ships plus many large airforce bombers were pounding the German gun entrenchment with large artillery shells and bombs along the Normandy shore. I was up all night helping take care of the shot-up and crippled airplanes that made it back to our airbase. Bloody Omaha Beach was where languished fire form Hitler’s impenetrable “Atlantic Wall” turned the surf red with American blood as successive waves of soldiers from the United States 1st and 29th Infantry divisions waded ashore on the Normandy Coast of France.”

WVM.2130.I074.01 | George L. Rambo was born in Iowa in 1919, and enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942. Rambo served with the 474th Fighter Group Association, working as an engineering machinist and developing film taken from the planes. Following his service in World War II, Rambo settled in Baraboo, Wisconsin and became a member of the Wisconsin American Legion. George L. Rambo passed away in 2004.

From the scrapbook of George L. Rambo, compiled of photographs, ephemera and maps and Rambo's reminiscences of his experiences in service.

FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum,

Greetings from Madison! It is an exciting time at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum as we honor the past and look toward the future. This issue will give you a sense of what is going on.

This time of year, we observe several very important anniversaries. First is the 80th Anniversary of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. This is one of the most famous battles in American history and has done much to define the future. We also mark the anniversaries of NATO’s founding 75 years ago in 1949, and the 20th anniversary of the battles of Fallujah in 2004 – two events that still resonate today.

In the last issue, we highlighted the sacrifice of Wisconsin’s Ellen Ainsworth, one of the first women to earn the Silver Star for combat service. Now we expand on that theme by honoring pioneering Badger women whose service helped make this state, nation, and world what it is today.

Our extensive online offerings continue to attract audiences from across the state, nation, and world. We are continuing them with a mix of in-person events at the museum itself, and you can find the latest information on our website.

All of this is only possible with the help and support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation. Working together, I am confident we will sustain this momentum and continue to make great things happen.

Best wishes to all of you and thank you for your continuing support. See you at the museum soon.

Best,

Chris Kolakowski

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Director

Michael Trepanier was born in Seoul, South Korea and lived his first few years in an orphanage there. He was adopted by a Wisconsin family and raised in Fond du Lac. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2000 with degrees in political science and communication arts, he spent two years working in the Wisconsin State Legislature.

Motivated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Trepanier joined the U.S. Army in January 2003. From January 2004 to March 2005, he served in Iraq as a Chemical Operations Specialist in the Baghdad area with Bravo Company, 2 nd Battalion, 12 th Regiment (2/12), 2 nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. Trepanier served five years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve.

By: Jen Stevenson Marketing Manager

EVERY VETERAN

Paulette Burgie, a Monroe, Wisconsin native, joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in late 1942. Serving stateside and mostly in the Midwest, she was part of a team that sought to inform the public about the role of women in the military at the time and to recruit more women to the cause. Her team held town hall meetings, gave speeches, and operated information booths. Because of the efforts of Burgie and her fellow female soldiers, more than 150,000 women served in the WAAC (later renamed the Women’s Army Corps/WAC) during World War II.

By: Russ Horton Reference Archivist

VETERAN IS A STORY

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) came into existence 75 years ago this year, in 1949. Starting with a dozen members, today the alliance includes 31 countries in Europe and North America. By most measures, it is one of the most successful alliances in history.

NATO’s roots lie in two other events that mark major anniversaries in 2024. First is the invasion of Normandy (Operation OVERLORD), which started on June 6, 1944. The invasion force was a coalition of nations that all fought together under the leadership of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower to liberate Western Europe and defeat Nazi Germany. This success cemented regional partnerships and led to several nations formalizing alliances after the war—notably at Dunkirk in 1947.

The second event was the Berlin Blockade, which ran from June 25, 1948, to May 12, 1949. The crisis and its threat of war demonstrated the need for a larger and more cohesive alliance among European powers and the United States. The result was NATO, created by treaty in Washington D.C. on April 4, 1949.

The North Atlantic Treaty calls on all signatories to “contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and wellbeing. They will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration

Years

between any or all of them.” The treaty’s Article 5 regards “an armed attack against one or more [members] in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.” NATO has two main headquarters: one in Belgium and one in Norfolk, Virginia. Subordinate headquarters are located around Europe.

NATO stood as a collective bulwark against the Communist Warsaw Pact during the Cold War in Europe. Its framework inspired other international collaborations, such as NORAD (the U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense) and SEATO (the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization), among others. After the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, NATO expanded to include many former Warsaw Pact members.

Article 5 has been activated only once, in the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The War in Afghanistan was fought under the alliance banner. NATO members have acted offensively in the former Yugoslavia, in Libya, and other military operations since 1995. Today NATO stands in strong support of Ukraine as it resists Russian invasion. Most Wisconsinites who served in Central or Western Europe during the Cold War, the Balkans from the 1990s to the present, or in Afghanistan did so either directly or indirectly under the NATO banner.

By: Chris Kolakowski WVM Director

First Lieutenant Claryrce O. (Louison) Henke of Amherst was working as a civilian nurse in Honolulu when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred in December 1941. She volunteered to nurse injured service members during their transport back to the mainland, inspiring her to enter the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) in 1942. She was first sent to Ahvaz, Iran to help staff a general hospital for a year and a half, then reassigned to the Philippines, spending the last six months of her service in Batangas.

K1977.7.1 Olive drab service coat worn by Lt. Louison toward the end of her service.

WOMEN IN UNIFORM

Eighty years ago, the idea behind putting women in uniform was to free up men to fight overseas. And yet, many U.S. women in service, like those in the Women’s Army Corps, also found themselves serving abroad during World War II. Nurses in the Army or Navy Nurse Corps in particular risked their health and safety to work closely behind front lines. The following stories represent just a few Wisconsin women in our collection who supported their country across five continents during the war.

Martha B. Schramske found herself far from her Boyceville home while serving as a flight nurse with the U.S. Army Air Forces. Lt. Schramske was one of a small group of nurses who volunteered to become part of the emerging field of medical air evacuation at the end of 1942. Assigned to the 802nd Air Evacuation Squadron, she arrived in North Africa in February 1943 and spent the next 28 months transporting wounded soldiers out of Tunisia, Sicily, and southern France.

K1986.3.1 Schramske wore this specially designed blue flight nurse’s uniform first standardized in June 1943.

First Lieutenant Signe D. Skott Cooper put her nursing skills to use in the China-Burma-India Theater, serving first with the 18th General Hospital then 20th General Hospital in India. She treated Allied soldiers fighting in Burma, including members of the famed special operations group known as Merrill’s Marauders, as well as those undertaking the harrowing task of constructing the Ledo Road supply route.

V2007.22.3 and .4 / WVM Mss

1197.02 Skott Cooper purchased handmade shoulder sleeve insignia in 1945.

By: Andrea Hoffman Collections Manager

Mary Jewell

was born in Pierce County, Wisconsin but living in Madison when she opted to join the then-Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in January 1943. She was sent to the Pacific Theater in September 1944 and served as a mess sergeant in New Guinea and the Philippines for thirteen months.

V1996.25.3 / WVM Mss 137

Mary Jewell acquired this souvenir bracelet made up of Australian and U.S. coins in New Guinea in 1944.

COLLECTIONS FROM THE

While Beaver Dam, Wisconsin native Evelyn M. (Herdrich) Korth also spent the war in the tropics, she was far from the Pacific. Just off the coast of Venezuela, Lt. Herdrich served at the 359th Station Hospital at Fort Read, Trinidad, predominantly treating American soldiers injured or stricken with tropical diseases while training in jungle warfare on the nearby Manzanilla peninsula.

K1989.5.7 Second pattern blue service cap worn by Evelyn Herdrich in Trinidad.

This “short snorter” documents the travels of Milwaukee resident Dolores (Urbaniak) Raczynski who enlisted in the WAC in January 1944. Overseas, she served as a switchboard operator with the 3341st Signal Service Battalion, predominantly in France.

A "short snorter" was a collection of foreign bills taped together, often signed by friends.

V2004.2.3 / WVM Mss 712

Dolores Urbaniak’s “short snorter” was signed between June 1944 and April 1945.

“Air WAC”

Renata Lucht of La Valle enlisted in the WAC in 1944, and as part of the Army Air Forces worked as a clerk-typist for the Air Transport Command (ATC), a strategic airlift component that coordinated the delivery of equipment and aircraft to combat zones. Lucht spent most of her overseas service in Great Britain followed by stints in Hanau, Germany and Orly, France.

V1995.84.3 / WVM Mss 752

One of a pair of silver and enamel ATC distinctive insignia worn by Renata Lucht while serving in Wales.

DEATH'S ENDEAVORS.

SAFE shall be my going. Secretly armed against SAFE though all safety is lost. SAFE where men fall. And if these poor limbs die. SAFEST OF ALL. ALL

Safety by Rupert Brooke

Safe Shall Be My Going

Lee W. Otto, II on the Second Battle of Fallujah 2004

By: Luke Sprague Oral Historian

In a recent oral history interview, fourth-generation Wisconsin veteran, Sergeant Lee W. Otto, II (ret.) relates his combat experience as a soldier in November 2004 during the Second Battle of Fallujah, Iraq. Originally code-named Operation PHANTOM FURY, the Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi renamed it Operation AL FAJR (New Dawn).

Though assigned to 4 th Platoon, A Company, 2 nd Battalion, 2 nd Infantry Regiment, 3 rd Brigade, 1 st Infantry Division, during the Battle of Fallujah, Otto served with and was attached to F Troop, 4 th Cavalry Regiment as part of the brigade reconnaissance team (BRT) with Task Force 2-2.

As a Bradley Fighting Vehicle driver, Otto retells how U.S. Marines, soldiers, and Iraqi Army Soldiers participated in some of the deadliest urban combat with insurgents, resulting in the highest casualty count during the Iraq War. Allied forces sought to remove the insurgents and regain control of Fallujah.

On the morning of November 7, 2004, Task Force 2-2 entered Fallujah. Hear Sergeant Otto describe the event in his own words. Scan individual QR codes for excerpts or scan this QR Code to watch the entire video.

“So, in the fall of 2004, I recall, this was a pretty significant battle we were going into. And the reason we knew it was our command once again had us go through all the-- the paperwork, making sure your life insurance policies were-were up to date and your emergency contacts.”

“And it looked like something out of a movie where there was nobody there. It looked like a ghost town. This big, huge city taken over by the insurgents and then fortified was just insane to me.”

“I’ve never heard this. And it was one of those eerie feelings. The Marines came over the radio and said, “We are mission ineffective.” And I remember just there was a long silence and this gut feeling of like, what just happened, what was going on outside our-- our zone? And they had just taken such a hit with a lot of casualties, a lot of-- a lot of loss of life that they weren’t able to continue.”

(Center Photo) Otto describes how a Bradley Fighting Vehicle periscope works and the initial road march to FOB Warhorse.

(Top Photo) Otto holding picture of him near the interior his Bradley hatch where he painted an extract from “Safety,” a war sonnet from World War I English poet Rupert Brooke.

(Bottom Photo) Otto in Kuwait after leaving Iraq, “I was smiling, I had no frickin’ gear on…But we were done. We were going home.”

ROSIE THE RIVETER  PLUSH DOLL

11 inches tall

$19.95

https://Store.WisVetsMuseum.com

The iconic “We Can Do It!” poster was created by J. Howard Miller for the Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

The poster was designed to help improve employee morale within their factories and only shown for a short time. Ironically, the Federal Government’s Office of War Information did not use “We Can Do It!” in their advertising campaign to sell the war.

During the war, most Americans would have never seen it. 1940s Americans were much more likely to have seen Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter painting which adorned the May 29, 1943 cover of The Saturday Evening Post. That same year there was even a “Rosie the Riveter” song released that gained popularity.

The iconic Miller poster image, on which this Rosie plush is based, was rediscovered in the 1980s. It wouldn’t be until the 1990s, during 50th anniversary WWII commemoration that the popularity of the “We Can Do It!” really took off.

As America sent its young men off to war, America’s women were recruited to help fill the void. Six million women joined the workforce to keep the “Arsenal of Democracy” going strong. Many women worked in the aircraft industry, but many worked in the munitions industry as well.  At its peak it’s estimated that women made up almost one third of the American workforce during World War II. In the permanent exhibition at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, there is a Wendy the Welder display to honor the role that our state’s women played in the war effort.

Today Rosie has become widely popular as a symbol of female empowerment. Let this 11” plush Rosie inspire and remind you that you too “can do it!”

FOUNDATION

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Meet one of our newest members. Kerry McAllen grew up in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, and served in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 2020. After hearing stories of her father’s experience in the National Guard, she decided to join the army as a mechanic. She completed three years of active duty in Wiesbaden, Germany, and ten years in the Wisconsin Army National Guard as a wheeled vehicle repairer, track vehicle repairer, and automated logistical specialist. The difference between active duty and the guard that surprised her was, in the guard, they were calling each other by their first names. While in service, she obtained her bachelor of arts from UW-Madison in communication arts, radio, television, and film.

In 2004, she transferred to the Army Reserves and served on two overseas combat deployment tours. She performed as a recovery specialist, direct support mechanic, tool room custodian, and maintenance support team leader during her first tour in Kuwait. Her second tour led her to Iraq where she carried out her role as a brigade logistics liaison at the Balad Joint Operations Center in 2009.

After 30 years of dedicated service, Kerry retired as a command sergeant major (E9) and is currently the President of McAllen Properties, which was founded by her father in 1976. While she was serving in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, she worked alongside him learning the business, and took over as president in 2015.

Kerry was the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs “Woman Veteran of the Year” in 2023. Kerry’s exemplary service goes beyond her time in the U.S. Army. She also volunteers and supports her local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and is the past president and member of Operation Ruck 22, an event which raises money to assist organizations who can help diminish the number of veteran suicides.

When asked why the Wisconsin Veterans Museum is important to her, she said, “I believe it’s important that the general public understands what such a small percentage of the population does to protect our freedoms. Most who serve are performing a civic duty at a young age and that sense of duty never leaves most of us. We continue to serve, and the rest of our country should understand and perhaps emulate this.”

You can listen to more of Kerry’s story by checking out her oral history on our website or by scanning this QR code.

We thank Kerry for all she does as a museum member and for the community!

MISSION MOMENT

A big thank you to our longtime supporter and member, Melinda V. Heinritz, who becomes our first Mess Night Series Sponsor for 2024. Melinda is proud to sponsor in honor of her father, James “Jim” Vogler, who passed away on December 8, 2002.

James “Jim” Vogler was born on July 3, 1936, in Jasper, Indiana. About a year after marrying Lynda Kay Webb on October 1, 1958, Jim enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was stationed at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota and trained in San Antonio. Melinda says, “He was very proud of his service and was deeply patriotic.”

Melinda, who has lived in Wisconsin since 1993, decided to support the Mess Night series to recognize her father’s military service and to benefit an organization that preserves and shares the stories of veterans like him.

We hope you will join us this year for our Mess Night at the Museum series. See the upcoming dates and topics below.

2024 PROGRAM DATES

Major Series Sponsor: Melinda V. Heinritz in memory of her father, James L. Vogler, U.S.A.F.

Join us for our 2024 Mess Night series line-up. Each Mess Night at the Museum begins at 5:30 PM and ends at 8:00 PM, featuring a guest speaker, topic, dinner, drinks, and time to socialize before and after the talk. Registration will be required before the event. Invitations will be sent to our members four weeks before the date to let you know when registration opens.

Thursday, April 25, 2024

“54th Civil Support Team: Protecting The State From Weapons of Mass Destruction”

Speakers/Demo By:

SSG Jaclyn Sommers, SSG Ava Kielisch, and SGT Schuylar Hagen

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Supporting Sponsor

"Island Infernos: The U.S. Army Pacific’s War Odessey, 1944"

Speaker: Author John McManus

Thursday, June 20, 2024

"Unseen Patriots: Wisconsin’s First Female Special Operations Support Team”

Panel Discussion with: MAJ (Ret) April Lassa and TSGT Sonia Buchanan

Thursday, November 21, 2024

“A Troop, 1-105th CAV 2009 Security Mission in Baghdad”

Panel Discussion with: LT COL Matthew McDonald, State CSM Curtis Patrouille, and CSM (Ret.) Brian Bieniek

Supporting Sponsor

Supporting Sponsor

FOUNDATION PRESIDENT FROM THE

TRADITION.

Many authors have written pieces attempting to explain the reasons the military branches are unable to fill their recruiting quotas. We know that much of what is written points to real issues that are difficult to address. Many young people are disinclined to subject themselves to the rigors of military discipline. They do not see value in the sacrifices necessary to protect and defend the nation. We must ask ourselves, why should they?

A nation at peace with an all-volunteer military can have difficulty stirring the patriotic juices that inspire military service. Events can cause the mood to change quickly. My father told us stories of the lines around the block at recruiting stations after Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. We know that the 9/11 attack brought many young people into military service as the danger of international terrorism hit the homeland for the first time.

There is, however, another side to the story. Twenty years of warfare in the Middle East pursued by an all-volunteer force can numb the spirit. The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who fought that war made up a tiny portion of our population and were in many cases, never given the understanding they deserved for their service. The fact that the wars continued long after the 9/11 attacks and, as General Petraeus and Andrew Roberts point out, in their book titled Conflict, The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine , the military strategy was inconsistent and never fully explained to the American people, are contributing factors to the reservations young people have when considering military service.

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is a venue for young people to learn and appreciate the tradition of military service and the sacrifices necessary to preserve our freedoms. Freedom requires constant vigilance. As the world is now becoming a more dangerous environment and the forces of tyranny are challenging the post-World War II world order once again, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum stands as a reminder to our state and our nation that freedom is not free, and that the tradition of service is essential if our current younger generations and future generations are going to enjoy its benefits.

In gratitude,

Daniel Checki Foundation Board President

Mark Your Calendar

BOOK TALK

12:00–1:00PM

Join us as we welcome author Shannon McKenna Schmidt, who will be talking about her latest work, The First Lady of WWII: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back, which details a five-week, 25,000-mile mission the First Lady undertook to report on conditions in the Pacific theater, including territory that was still under enemy air attack.

26 APR

MOVIE NIGHT

7:00–8:00PM

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

Join us for a virtual discussion of the selected movie with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum staff.

19 MAY TRIVIA NIGHT

11 MAR 22

7:00–8:00PM

Join us for our virtual trivia night and test your historical knowledge. Individuals and teams welcome.

VIRTUAL DRINK & DRAW

7:00–8:00PM

Gather your art supplies, pour yourself a beverage, and bring your artistic energy as we spend the evening together stretching our creative muscles.

15 APR

BOOK TALK

12:00–1:00PM

Join us as we welcome author Steven K. Bailey, who will be talking about his latest work, Target Hong Kong: A True Story of U.S. Navy Pilots at War, which recounts the untold story of the U.S. Navy airstrikes on Japanese-occupied Hong Kong during Operation Gratitude in 1945.

MESS NIGHT

25

5:30–8:00PM

Please join us at the museum for our quarterly dinner series as we welcome the 54th Civil Support Team. They will present the program "Protecting the State From Weapons of Mass Destruction."

$50 Members | $58 Non-Members

Major Series Sponsor: Melinda V. Heinritz in memory of her father, James L. Vogler, U.S.A.F.

9 VIRTUAL DRINK & DRAW

7:00–8:00PM

21 TRIVIA NIGHT

7:00–8:00PM

JUN

20 MESS NIGHT

5:30–8:00PM

"Unseen Patriots: Wisconsin's First Female Special Operations Support Team" Panel discussion with MAJ (Ret) April Lassa and TSGT Sonia Buchanan.

$50 Members | $58 Non-Members

Major Series Sponsor: Melinda V. Heinritz in memory of her father, James L. Vogler, U.S.A.F

JUL

23 TRIVIA NIGHT

7:00–8:00PM

Join us for our virtual trivia night and test your historical knowledge. Individuals and teams welcome.

*For detailed information and registration visit: WisVetsMuseum.com/events

THANK

YOU DONORS A most sincere thank you to all who donated from December 2023 through end of February 2024. We cannot provide quality programming and award-winning exhibits without your help.

Anonymous

McAllen, Kerry

Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation

W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation

Wertsch, Paul

Adams, Cheryl Brodd, Thomas

Fibrenew

Heiliger, Cheryl

Kolar, Mary & Scott

Orella, Liz & Tim Reiland

Pulvermacher, Andy

Schroeder, Matthew

Sweeney Design

Remodel

Turner, Mary

1848 Construction

Adams, Rhonda

American Legion Post 59

American Legion Post 141

American Legion Post

501

American Legion Post

521

Banda, George

Barth, Paul

Bieniek, Brian

Checki, Daniel

Cheney, Scott

Ely, Jessica

Ely, Michael

Engelhart Motorsports Company

Gauger, Stephen

Gross, Tammy

Haight, James

Hall, Phillip & Barbara

Hampton, Alice

Harned, Lewis

Hill Electric, Inc.

Hoesly, Michael & Nan Hooper Foundation

Icke, John & Karen

King, Jeanette

Kolakowski, Peter & Jane

Kromanaker, Lisa & Alan

Krueger, Cal & Susie

Kurtz, Anthony & Kimberly

Kurtz, James & Rebecca

Lincoln Elementary School

Link, Thomas

Markert, Bruce & Kathryn

Matusinec, Francis & Rose Mary

Mercy Dental

Millane, James & Monica

Millsap, Nathaniel & Tanisha

Olsen, John

Park Capital Management

Schemenauer, Ken & Eleanor

Sharratt, Tom & Sharon

Sheski, John

Shropshire, William Solberg, Samuel & Karolyn

The Hausmann Group

Timothy B. Staats

Irrevocable Trust

Turner, Barbara

VFW Post 7694

Vietnam Veterans of America, Chpt. 409

Waity III, Charles

Wartinbee, Jr, James

WI Society, Sons of the American Revolution

Wisconsin Broadcasters Association

Wisconsin Light Horse Association

American Legion Post

205

American Legion Post

350

Anderson, Dianne

Anderson, Merry Arestides, Karen

Arndorfer, Roberta & James

Arneson, Kyle

Barczi, Leigh & Steven

Barnes, Celia

Barry, Lisa & Patrick

Bartz, COL (Ret) Claudia

Boullion, James

Brasser, Dale

Breitenbucher, Catherine

Brink, Ann Catherine

Calkins, Carol

Carlson, Jennifer

Chandler, Richard

Cohen, James

Dean, Roxanne

Duecker, Robert

Duerr, Jerome

Ekblad, Wayne

Fahey, Kathryn

Finke, William

Fries, Carol

Graham, Darrin

Greene, Dan

Hall, John

Hauda, William

Heuer, LT COL (Ret)

Martin

Hofer, Dave & Patsy

Kallas, Phillip & Priscilla

Kaltenberg, David

Koeppen, John

Kraniak, John

Kubina, Jo

Lawlor, Christopher & Kathleen

Madsen, Frederic & Linda

Martinelli, Thomas

Melancon, David

Miller, Katherine

Mulrooney, Teresa & Paul Eastwood

Mumma, David

Naylor, Daniel & Mary

Olmsted, Michael

Parr, Thomas

Phillips, Gene

Pierce, Edward

Powell, Angela

Radosavljevic, Julie

Richardson, Kenneth & Julia

Robbins, William & Chris

Rodas, John

Schaefer, James

Schedler, Jonathan & Jo Ann

Schmidt, James

Sommers, Mike & Mary

Speracino, Denise

Staab, Daniel

Stone, Vivian

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thorson, Thor & Alice

Trest, Dennis

Van Kauwenbergh, Gary & Darlene

VFW Post 10549

VFW Post 6709

Westbury, David

Wiggins, Katherine

Wise, Mitchell & Roslyn

Wren, Christopher