Editor's Notes

In this issue we welcome new director, Christopher Kolakowski. He steps into a long line of custodians, curators, and directors who have had the honor and privilege of caring for Wisconsin’s veterans’ stories. The first leaders of the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall were veterans of the Civil War who had lobbied the state legislature to create the hall through state statute. In their foresight, the legislature established this memorial to commemorate Wisconsin’s role in the Civil War and “any subsequent war.” By 1938, the first veteran of the Spanish-American War became custodian and in 1945, with the creation of the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs, the Memorial Hall was given to its charge and leadership.

In the 1970s, the first professional curator trained in museum practices headed the staff, which also was accompanied by a change in the name of the Hall to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. By 1982, Richard Zeitlin was named the first director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Christopher Kolakowski is the third person to be named director in the history of the Museum.

Throughout its history, the Memorial, later Museum, continues to follow the mandate of its first statute, to commemorate Wisconsin’s role in the Civil War and any subsequent war. Over the years, the dedicated staff continued to update the exhibits to acknowledge Wisconsinites' participation in the Spanish-American and Philippines Wars, World War I and World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and more recently the Persian Gulf War and post 9/11 military actions in the Middle East. They also worked to collect and preserve the stories of service members who maybe did not see combat, but whose roles were vital to the functioning of the military across the globe. The focus for museum staff now is on “Every veteran is a story,” collecting objects, papers, photos, and oral histories from people of every stripe. Their only commonalities, may be that they served in a branch of the military and were from Wisconsin. But the more we dig into these stories, the more on the surface we see ourselves in these people who only took the extra step to serve their country. We hope you will stop in to see our service members in a new light.

Dear Friends of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum,

Greetings! I am honored to be the latest director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, having taken the helm here on January 6, 2020. This is an exciting time for the museum with opportunities to build on previous successes and explore new possibilities.

I’m very happy to be here in the Badger State. In fact, coming to Madison brings me back to part of my roots. My mother’s family is from Green County and Juneau County; today I have relatives in many parts of the state, including the west side of Madison. My ancestors helped settle New Glarus, and I am a proud descendent of Wisconsin veterans of all branches from the Civil War through the Cold War. I have visited Wisconsin many times to see family, and often made a trip to the Museum. I’ve long respected the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, so when the chance to be a part of its future came along, I jumped at it.

At the Museum, we often get questions about what we do and how we do it. This issue showcases some great items and stories from our current holdings. As you flip through these pages, you will see what an outstanding team we have here at the museum, and how passionate they are about preserving and telling the stories of Wisconsin Veterans.

Thank you for your support, and hope to see you at the museum soon!

Chris Kolakowski