Photograph from the scrapbook of Ralph Arthur Woodward, the note on the back reads, One of our tanks in our platoon. Doughboys on tank. 1945, Germany. WVM.0620.I010.04
Woodward was born in Cresco, Iowa in 1923 and moved to Columbus, Wisconsin in the early 1940s. He was working in nearby Astico when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1943. During World War II, Woodward served in the European Theater as a Sherman tank driver with Co. C, 741st Tank Battalion. His company was chosen to drive 16 of the 32 amphibious Sherman DD tanks intended to be part of the first wave onto Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion. However, having launched too far out, nearly all the tanks were lost that day. Woodward’s vessel was quickly overtaken by waves and sunk; he nearly drowned. Woodward later saw action during the Battle of the Bulge and at St. Lo and was stationed in Czechoslovakia by the time the war ended.
He was honorably discharged as a Technician Fourth Grade (T/4) on October 31, 1945, having received both a Purple Heart medal and Bronze Star for his service. Afterward, he returned to Wisconsin and worked for Oscar Mayer in Madison, retiring after 33 years. Woodward passed away in Madison in 1999 and is buried at Saint Jerome’s Cemetery in Columbus.
COMMENTS & SUBMISSIONS
We welcome your comments and editorial submissions concerning The Bugle. Comments and submissions should be sent to Jennifer Stevenson at Jennifer.Stevenson@dva.wisconsin.gov.
FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
DANIEL CHECKI
VICE PRESIDENT
JOANE MATHEWS
TREASURER
DAVE HEILIGER
SECRETARY
WILLIAM HUSTAD
DIRECTORS AT LARGE
ALEJANDRO ARANGO-ESCALANTE
MARK CULLEN
DAN GREENE
NATHANIEL MILLSAP.
PAUL MCEVILLY
CONNIE WALKER
FOUNDATION STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
JENNIFER BIENIEK 608.261.0536
JENNIFER.BIENIEK@ WVMFOUNDATION.COM
MEMBERSHIP & EVENTS
DIRECTOR
MOLLY SNOW 608.261.0540
MOLLY.SNOW@ WVMFOUNDATION.COM
COLLECTION DONORS
A most sincere thank you to all who donated to our collection from October 19, 2024 through February17, 2025. Thank you for your generosity and support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
American Legion Post 353
James Angevine
Bell Telephone Company
American Legion Post 427
Cindy Block
Daniel Boehmke
Leslie Brown
Becky Choroszy
Helen Cole
Catherine Ebbert
Tom Gaerther
Frank Galea
Jeffrey Gerrits
Andrew Hyslop
Stephen Jaeger
Susan Jensen
Thomas Kandziora
Claire Lederhaus
Carol A. Leuenberger
Bob Liebl
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.
Rob Linn
Melanie Luft
Jane Marshall
Claudia Meyer
Arlene Mills
David Moeller
Nancy Newton
Marshall O’Leary
Megan O’Sullivan
John Peters
Carolyn H. Sanville
Thomas Scharine
Richard Schmidt
Debra Singer
David Slama
Maxine Wheeler
Mary Jane Wiseman
Joe Witmer
Joan Yohr
The Bugle is published three times earch year 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.
As World War II ended in Europe, American service members were tasked with care of prisoners of war, refugee, and displaced persons care, establishing cemeteries, locating missing and deceased personnel and occupation of defeated nations. These photographs from August 1945 features the American Military Cemetery, Margraten, Holland, now known as the Netherlands American Cemetery. Established in November 1944, this cemetery is unique in its connection to the Dutch people, who still adopt graves of fallen American servicemembers, bringing flowers to the cemetery, researching the life of the service member, collecting photographs of them, and attending memorial services.
This page of images is from the scrapbook of John D. Winner, born in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and resident of Madison, who served with 3rd Infantry Regiment in World War II. In March of 1945, the Third Infantry was sent to Europe, and Winner was assigned the task of organizing prisoner camps towards the end of the war. His first assignment was to the prisoner of war camp at Dietersheim, Germany, where he was given the task of organizing the feeding of thousands of German POWs that were surrendering due to the rapid advancement of the American forces. Winner’s successful actions in feeding the prisoners would earn him the Bronze Star Medal. He was transferred in June, 1945 to another prison in Darmstadt, Germany, serving in a similar capacity. In January 1946, he was transferred to another prison camp at Kornwestheim, Germany and served there for about four months before being assigned with the Third Infantry Regiment to the U.S. occupied zone in Berlin.
Winner returned home in 1946 and received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1949. Winner married and had three sons. He served as District Attorney for Dane County and as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin before founding his own law practice in 1959. During this time, Winner also served with the Wisconsin National Guard and eventually was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He served as a judge advocate general with the 32nd Division when it was reactivated and stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington during the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Winner retired from military life after the division returned to Wisconsin in 1962. He continued to practice law until his retirement in 1996.
FROM THE SECRETARY
Welcome, and thank you for your support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum! I hope 2025 is off to a good start for you and I am excited to see what the museum has planned for the coming year.
And I’m even more excited about our plans for building a new state of the art Veterans Museum facility. It will come with new dynamic and interactive spaces to showcase even more outstanding Wisconsin military and veteran history items that for now are stashed away in our preservation facility. We know that visitors will be thrilled to see even more comprehensive exhibits and additional stories featuring Wisconsin Veterans. I hope you’ll join me in saying thank you to our dedicated curators and staff, they have built a national and even international audience for the museum. I am grateful for the dedication shown by our director, Chris Kolakowski, and his passion for positioning the museum as one of the nation’s best.
2025 also marks the beginning of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is a key player in highlighting Wisconsin’s role in that event and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present, and future. This year we will be celebrating the establishment of our Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, which existed even before we were a country. The celebration will continue into 2026 as we all commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Please stay tuned to our social media channels and the museum’s America250WI website for more information at wisvetsmuseum.com/ america250/.
We know there are always more stories to learn and share. As a part of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, our Veterans Museum helps connect current veterans to all those who served before them and with the general public. It is the living embodiment of the motto “Every Veteran Is A Story.” No matter what era, service, or circumstance the veteran served under, their stories are more relevant than ever.
Thank you for your support!
Yours in Service,
James Bond Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs
Happy 250 th Birthday, U.S. Army !
This cake, baked in 1954 at Truax Field in Madison, is displayed by James E. McMahon. Following his service in the Marine Corps in World War II, McMahon worked as an Air Force commissary stock handler. His photographs from this time feature many celebratory cakes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and military birthdays.
James Edward McMahon was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1921. He was working for the Civilian Conservation Corps in Gays Mills, Wisconsin when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in July 1942. He served as a cook with the 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines in the South Pacific during World War II.
One year after his October 1945 discharge he re-enlisted, this time with the Army Air Forces, and continued to serve in the U.S. Air Force until 1963, after which he settled in Madison, Wisconsin. There, he was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). He passed away in 1991 and is buried at Sweet Cemetery in East Bristol, Wisconsin.
WVM.0380.I001
FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dear Friends of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum,
Greetings from Madison! It is an exciting time at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum (WVM) as we honor the past and look toward the future. There are many exciting things going on at the museum.
This spring and early summer, we observe several very important anniversaries. The largest is the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army (and by extension the military) on June 14. This spring is also the 160th anniversary of Union victory in the Civil War, the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe over Nazi Germany, the 75th anniversary of the Korean War’s outbreak, and the 50th anniversary of Saigon’s fall. I invite you to reflect on the congruence of these anniversaries and what they mean.
In line with these dates, we are highlighting related stories in this issue. Our new special exhibit, Traditions, will be open until early July. It explores Wisconsin veteran stories from all the armed services, along with connections to the state today. We also have plans to honor the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps later this year.
As you may have seen, the Wisconsin State Legislature is considering a request to resource the rest of the future museum development. We are engaged in stimulating discussions about WVM’s future, and I am heartened by how our stories resonate with people all around the state.
What we do is strengthened by the help and support of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation. Working together, I am confident we will sustain our 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
Chris Kolakowski
While the U.S. Army turns 250 this year, women have only been able to actively serve in the army for a little over 100 years. Jean (left) and Maude (right) Webster, sisters who grew up around Lodi, Wisconsin, were among the first women to officially serve in the U.S. Army. They both joined the Army Nurse Corps in 1918 and deployed to France within months. Jean served with Base Hospital 81 and Maude with Base Hospital 22. Both women helped to treat and heal hundreds of wounded and ill American troops during World War I. After returning to the United States, both Jean and Maude married fellow World War I veterans, creating families with strong traditions of service.
EVERY VETERAN
By:
More than 25 years after Warren Webster’s aunts, Jean and Maude Webster, treated wounded American soldiers in Europe during World War I, Warren Webster flew P-47 fighter planes over Europe during World War II. Webster, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, grew up listening to his aunts talk about their experiences in the Army Nurse Corps. Their stories so inspired Warren to continue their tradition of service that he volunteered in the Royal Canadian Air Force in April 1941, months before the U.S. entered World War II. He transferred to the U.S. Army Air Forces in June 1944 and deployed to Europe soon after. As part of the 514th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 406th Fighter Group he participated in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns. After the war ended, he continued to serve with the Air Force Reserves, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel before retiring in 1974.
VETERAN IS A STORY
Russ Horton Reference Archivist
As1945 dawned, it was clear that the days of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany were numbered. Shortly after New Year’s Day, Allied forces launched a succession of attacks from the west, south, and east. On January 12, Generalissimo Joseph Stalin’s Soviet armies stormed westward across Poland, the Balkans, and Hungary; by March Soviet forces were aiming for Vienna, Danzig, Konigsberg, and Berlin. Starting April 9, Allied forces in Italy broke into the Po Valley and fanned out into northern Italy.
Meanwhile, General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s armies drove into Germany from the west, crossing the Rhine in several places during March. His troops surrounded a major German force in the Ruhr, while other units raced east
By: Christopher Kolakowski Museum Director
and southeast deeper into Germany, liberating prisoners of war and uncovering horrific evidence of the Holocaust.
Madison’s Ted Hartridge of the Third Army’s 66th Medical Regiment described entering the Buchenwald concentration camp: “We put a battalion into that when it was uncovered, and they helped clean that up. There were dead all over the place and persons were, well, dying. At that time, we had 1500 units of good American blood extra. It was just about at the time limit to expire, and so we put the men and some three thousand Czechs, Belgians, French got a half a unit of blood instead of throwing it away, and I think it helped them a good bit.” His experience made him conclude that “human life during wartime is the cheapest thing that you have.”
Eisenhower halted his spearheads at the Elbe River in mid-April. On April 16, Soviet forces launched an offensive to capture Berlin; after a week of heavy fighting, they had surrounded the city and were attacking into the streets.
U.S. and Soviet armies met at Torgau on April 25, cutting Germany in two. Other junctions occurred elsewhere.
Milwaukee’s Milo Flaten, of the 29th Infantry Division’s 116th Infantry Regiment, remembered encountering some Russians along the Elbe. “We went down there and made sign language and they brought out a bottle of vodka and we had spent an afternoon.”
Bridge over the Danube River near Ulm, Germany showing artillery damage in 1945. Image from the Raymond Malmquist Collection.WVM.0419.I024
In the center of Berlin, Hitler killed himself on April 30. Grand Admiral (Grossadmiral) Karl Doenitz succeeded him. German forces also began to surrender: first the armies in Italy gave in on May 2, while two days later the German forces in Holland and northwest Germany submitted to the British 21 Army Group. Smaller German units also escaped to American lines, to avoid being taken by Russian forces.
General Eisenhower summoned German military representatives to Rheims, France on May 6. That night he demanded an unconditional surrender of all German forces but allowed a delay between a surrender being signed and it taking effect. The Germans signed the surrender at 2:41 am, May 7, 1945. On May 8, at Russian insistence, a public signing ceremony occurred in Berlin. Hostilities officially ended at 11:01 PM Central Europe Time on May 8, a day since marked by most Allies as Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
As Moscow was one hour ahead, ever after the Russians have celebrated Victory Day as May 9.
On June 5, 1945, the four occupying Allied powers – Britain, France, the United States, and the Soviet Union – assumed joint control of Germany through the Berlin Declaration. Each power took an occupation zone, with an Allied Control Council governing the entire country. The Russian occupation zone became Communist East Germany in 1949, while the other three zones combined into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). Germany reunified in 1990 as one Federal Republic of Germany, which by treaty confirmed its borders as those set in 1945. The last occupation forces left Germany in 1994.
Allied troops in Berlin, Summer 1945. Image from the James Megellas Collection. WVM.2537.I0349
A view of the crowds in Paris on VE DAY. Image from the Marie Kutz Collection WVM.2271.I024.06
The exhibit is on view March 14-July 6, 2025
Uniformed service often defines a veteran’s life, and many continue to serve after leaving the military. Using stories from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum collection, this exhibit explores veterans’ service in uniform and afterward and their contributions to our nation and state.
THE U.S. ARMY @
TBy: Christopher Kolakowski Museum Director
he United States turns 250 on July 4, 2026. However, the United States military turns 250 later this year. The United States had an Army, Navy, and Marine Corps before it was an independent nation. Since 1775, Americans have defended this country and remain on duty to this day.
The United States Army is the senior armed service, created by the Continental Congress as the Continental Army on June 14, 1775. It has existed continuously since that date, although under various names prior to 1796 when it formally received its current name. The U.S. Army has typically been the largest service, peaking at a strength of eight million during World War II. Army soldiers have served in every American conflict, around the world. Since 1861, Wisconsinites have taken their place in the ranks alongside Americans from other states.
Three state symbols are tied to Wisconsinites’ service in the United States Army during the Civil War. First, the state song “On Wisconsin!” was inspired by the story of Lieutenant
Arthur MacArthur’s cry to the 24th Wisconsin at Missionary Ridge. Second, Camp Randall Stadium sits on the site of one of the major training bases for Wisconsin soldiers; the playing field is in the same location as the former post parade field. Third, the first state flag design was created for Wisconsin regiments to carry in battle during the Civil War.
George Washington assumed command of the Continental Army on June 16, 1775, and led it throughout the War of Independence. In 1976, Congress passed a law making him the highestranking soldier in United States history, past or present.
Over time, the U.S. military has grown and changed to better defend the nation. This includes adding the Coast Guard’s first predecessor in 1790, the Air Force (formerly the Army Air Force) in 1947, and Space Force in 2019. Nonetheless, The U.S. Army’s birthday of June 14, 1775 is the origins of the U.S. military. Marking the 250th birthday of the military in 2025 offers an opportunity to honor service of all veterans.
Images from left: Michael Thorson, On, Wisconsin!, 2001, oil on canvas, V2021.060.1
John Gaddis, View of Camp Randall, 1861, watercolor on paper, V1978.32.1 Regimental Color, 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment,
A Succession of U.S. Army Kings
Two hundred fifty years ago, Harvard College student Rufus King (1755-1827), at right, interrupted his legal studies to join the Massachusetts’ militia for service during the Revolutionary War. While King soon determined his aspirations lay in law rather than the military—later becoming a signer of the U.S. Constitution and senator for the state of New York—his descendants ensured the King name would remain equally recognized for devoted military service.
King’s son Charles (1789-1867), at right, served during the war of 1812, but it was his grandson, also Rufus (1814-1876), below left, who became known for his role in organizing the famed Iron Brigade during the Civil War. The younger Rufus was only 19 when he graduated from West Point, but uninspired by his peacetime prospects resigned his commission to follow in his father’s editorial footsteps. In 1845, he relocated to Milwaukee to work for The Milwaukee Sentinel. There, the civic-minded King served as captain of the Milwaukee Light Guard and as major general of state militia.
Rufus King was appointed brigadier general of U.S. Volunteers within a month of the attack on Fort Sumter. In this capacity he organized local regiments into “King’s Wisconsin Brigade,” the first iteration of what would become the revered Iron Brigade.
Unfortunately, epileptic seizures plagued Brigadier General King and rendered him unable to serve as they faced their first combat in August 1862. Misunderstandings surrounding his health and decisions made during the disastrous Second Battle of Bull Run brought his reputation unjustly into question at the time. The ailing general resigned in October 1863.
At the same time, King’s elder son Rufus King, Jr. (1838-1900), at left, continued to honor the family name serving with the 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment. The artillery officer from New York was recognized later with a Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of White Oak Swamp. His younger son Charles (1844-1933) also saw service under him as a mounted orderly at the start of the war. Little did anyone know that Charles’s experience at 17 was the start of what became an unparalleled 70-year military career.
After serving under his father, Charles received an appointment to West Point and graduated in 1866. In 1871, Lieutenant King transferred from the 1st Artillery to the th Cavalry and served out west under General George Crook during the Indian Wars. Serious injuries received during the Battle of Sunset Pass in 1874 eventually forced him to retire from the regular army in 1879. He went on to teach military science at the University of Wisconsin and St. John’s Military Academy. King also began writing about his experiences during the 1876 Sioux Campaign in a series of articles that became his first book Campaigning with Crook. It was one of over 60 books the distinguished author would write.
COLLECTION FROM THE
In 1882, then-Captain King began serving in the Wisconsin National Guard. As a colonel he was in command of the 4th Infantry Regiment from 1890 to 1892. He later served as the state’s adjutant general from 1895 to 1897. In 1898, he came out of retirement to serve as brigadier general of volunteers in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. He was then placed in command of the 1st Brigade during the subsequent Philippine-American War, participating in the Battles of Manilla and Pagsanjan. In 1904, he was made brigadier general of the Wisconsin National Guard and later assisted in training troops during World War I. He was not formally retired until July 1931 at the age of 86.
The military service legacy of the King family spans from the Revolutionary War through WWI. The Wisconsin Department of
By: Andrea Hoffman Collections Manager
Above: Charles King (1844-1933), shown dressed to escort the wife of President William McKinley during McKinley's 1897 inauguration.
WVM Mss 528
Right: Uniform accessories worn by Gen. Charles King (1844-1933) while escorting the wife of President William McKinley at her husband's 1897 inauguration. V1995.26.117, V1995.27.304 and .416, V1997.1.677
MUSEUM RECEIVES FEDERAL GRANTS TO PRESERVE DELICATE PHOTOGRAPHS, IMPROVE PUBLIC ACCESS
By: Brittany Strobel Processing Archivist
Since the 2017 relocation of most object and archival collections from the museum building downtown Madison to the State Archives Preservation Facility (SAPF) on the eastside of the city, staff have been working to create greater public access to the collections. One of the most approachable ways to improve public access has been to digitize the collections and make them available online through our website. In the past, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum received a grant through the Institute of Library and Museum Services (IMLS), a federal agency that provides library grants, museum grants, policy development, and research. The purpose of the grant was to digitize and make available Civil War images, primarily the portrait photography. The image digitization increased the use and usability of these images, making them globally available while limiting physical access and protecting the originals from potential damage.
With that success in mind, museum staff applied for and received a second grant through the IMLS to digitize and make available other images in our collection. While researching and developing the project, archives staff identified that images following the Civil War, including photographs taken during the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars, are increasingly vulnerable. Even when the images are stored correctly, they are prone to fading, losing clarity and details. Many images are also mounted on brittle substrates which, when damaged, can cause harm to the images.
In exploring our collections, archives staff realized that traditional digitization methods, namely scanning on a flatbed scanner, would not be enough alone to capture the images from this period. The staff would have to develop new processes to digitally preserve them. While many of the images from this period can be scanned on our traditional flatbed, other images present unique challenges. A large number of portraits, many of Civil War veterans later in their lives, are often re-touched with pastels, chalk and charcoal, which makes them vulnerable to being damaged if placed face down on our normal scanners. In addition, many of the images are mounted on canvas stretchers, while others have been placed on curved backings. Many of them are also too large for our flatbed scanner, and too delicate to be put on our motorized pullthrough scanner. We concluded the best way to capture digitally as many of these images as possible would be to photograph them.
Thanks to the work of two dedicated digitization specialists whose combined position is funded by the IMLS federal grant, work we are one year into a three-year project. Hundreds of images have been uploaded, described, and published on the internet through our cataloging system. Next, our current digitization specialist will undertake the task of moving our delicate, oversized and vulnerable images into the photo studio at the SAPF and photograph them before re-boxing and returning them to climatecontrolled storage for preservation.
We are excited to share the newly accessible images; view them on the online catalog on our website. See a sample of the preserved images on the next two pages.
Recently Preserved Images from the Charles E. Post Collection
Images in the collection include formal portraits of soldiers, more casual portraits of soldiers and civilians and collected photographs. They feature a variety of uniform styles, settings, studios, and people, capturing the wide range of service in the Philippine-American War service.
Post was born August 30, 1879 in Tonawanda, New York. A resident of Birnamwood, Wisconsin, he served with Company K, 13th United States Infantry in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War.
Two soldiers, a sergeant on the left, seated at a table, apparently smoking cigars, playing cards and drinking. The image was taken in front of a painted back drop, which is hung in front of a wall made of woven plants, possibly a bahay kubo, stilt houses with thatched roofs and large windows indigenous to the Philippines. WVM.0529.I005
Cabinet card portrait of Charles E. Post and a fellow soldier. They stand in front of a photography studio backdrop painted with foliage, wearing campaign hats with brass insignia, sack coats, uniform trousers with belts, and leather boots. The soldier on the left, identified in the caption as Charles E. Post, has a brass anchor pin on his uniform coat and holds a bugle in his left hand. The soldier on the right has corporal rank chevrons on his uniform sleeves, wears a cartridge belt around his chest and another around his waist, and holds a rifle in his left hand, possibly a Model 1896 .30 Caliber Krag-Jorgensen. WVM.0529.I004
Photograph of soldiers and civilians. The United States soldiers wear a variety of uniform clothing, including service hats with artillery cords, service coats with or without chevrons on the sleeves, pistol or revolver belts, and uniform trousers. Two soldiers, likely cooks, wear aprons, and one holds a frying pan. A soldier sitting on the right in the front row holds two young children wearing overalls in his lap. The Philippines soldiers wear Norfolk jacket inspired Rayadillo style uniform coats and hold peaked caps. WVM.0529.I008
Recently Preserved Images from the Arthur S. Frank Collection
Frank's collection includes casual images of camp life. Arthur S. Frank was born on June 4, 1876, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There, he worked as a clerk and served in the Wisconsin National Guard prior to the Spanish-American War. When war broke out, Frank became part of Company I, 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, mustering into federal service on May 14, 1898.
Arthur S. Frank and an unidentified soldier sit on overturned buckets at Camp Harvey, Milwaukee, peeling potatoes over a pot. Both soldiers wear campaign hats, sack coats, uniform trousers, and boots. Behind them is a tall wooden fence and a shelf lined with pots and pans. WVM.1035.I005
Casual portrait of three soldiers at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. They are pictured in front of a tent, presumably drinking alcohol. A soldier on the left pours from a glass bottle into a cup held by the soldier in the center. Arthur S. Frank stands on the right, holding a cup and a rifle. WVM.1035.I010
Photograph of an unidentified group, possibly Company I, 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. The soldiers are pictured facing the camera in two rows, with the front row sitting and the back row standing. The soldiers wear campaign hats, uniform trousers, and boots. The soldiers in the front row have lampasse stripes on their trousers, corporal or sergeant rank chevrons on their coat sleeves, and two of their coats have shoulder loops. WVM.1035.I006
Group portrait of Arthur S. Frank, at left, and fellow soldiers in front of a tent, likely at Camp Harvey, Milwaukee. They wear campaign hats, sack coats, uniform trousers, and boots. The soldier on the right has corporal rank chevrons on his coat sleeves and a lampasse stripe on his trousers. WVM.1035.I007
ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVES FROM THE
Connecting to a History of Service
By: Luke Sprague Oral Historian
Since the founding of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, one can draw a straight-line connection from those soldiers standing in formation to those soldiers serving today. The establishment of the army pre-dates the Declaration of Independence by roughly a year. On June 14, 2025, the United States Army will celebrate its 250th birthday, pre-dating all other military services. Following are U.S. Army veterans discussing their connection to that 250-year heritage.
“And I also took an interest in genealogy, especially after the internet, because it was easier to find documents in the United States. If you go across the pond, you don't find much because so much was destroyed in all of the wars, especially in Germany, Poland and Prussian regions. So I started doing more research and was able to trace our family back through the Civil War, through all the way through to the Revolutionary War, through military muster roles. I was able to find that every single generation from the American Revolution forward has had at least one member of our family served in the military on my mother's side. I'm the last. None of my children joined the military, that wasn't their calling or my stories scared the hell out of them. I don't really know for sure, but I'm the last in my mother's family, and I'm the only woman as far as I know.”
Michelle Kruschke OH2865
“I'm proud to have served my country. I'm proud to be a veteran. I'm proud to be part, not only of the, the history of veterans to--you know in service to this country, but of women veterans. Like I said, they--we've been around since 1776 and not always acknowledged, but, in spite of that, you know, umm, I really am, you know, pretty antiwar.”
Linda J. McClenahan OH1326
“And there might have been some additional I mean, through basic training we had our classes during the day, was learning the history of the army and the Women's Army Corps, and there might have still been some of that going on. I do not remember sitting in the classrooms at Fort Dix.”
Donna Kleinmaus OH2151
“But I have been very active in my Daughters of the American Revolution group and I even for six years now, I've been representing my Daughters of the American Revolution chapter at the Memorial Day and Veterans Day services at the Capitol in which we lay a rose and take part in the ceremonies and representing again my Daughters of the American Revolution chapter on the Wisconsin Veterans Council and so I attend all of those meetings. And you know not representing the United Women's Veterans group because we have somebody else there, but still kind of wearing the two hats.”
Carol G. Behling McLeester
OH532
“We learned to march, we marched and marched and marched, and we fired weapons and we learned a lot about the army, army history. We had to go out for field training and you know, we were new we were in the army, there was no question about that.”
Ann Fritsch OH1968
NEW WHAT'S
to the Collection
By: Sarah Kapellusch Registrar
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum recently added archival items to the collection from Thomas R. Kandziora. While living in Greefield, WI, Kandziora joined the U.S. Air Force on July 24, 1973. After training stateside as a security specialist, he deployed to Bitburg Air Base in West Germany, where he served with the 36th Security Police Squadron, providing security to the base and aircraft. He returned to Wisconsin after discharge in 1977.
This donation includes photographs from his service and a crash grid map of Bitburg Air Base, ca. 1975-1977, complete with a handwritten note from Kandziora:
Caption taken from a note attached to the photograph which reads: "L-R Ted Dobler from San Diego, myself, Asst. Flight Chief whose name I forgot, but I remember he was grom the U.S. Virgin Islands. Taken during an alert in 1977 at Bitburg AB Germany. We thougth we were bad asses."
I’m sending the enclosed Crash Grid Map of Bitburg AB, West Germany, where I was stationed from JUN 75 to JUN 77. I was in the 36th Security Police Squadron, D Flight. The map was in one of our vehicles we called the SWAT truck, but it was just a 6 passenger box truck. The green-colored area on C-12 + 13 was the Vector area where F-4s and later F-15s uploaded with nuclear weapons were kept. I was usually one of several guards there. Bldg 635 on B-13 was Zulu hanger, where jets were ready to take off at a moment’s notice in case of attack. The green area at D-11 was nuclear weapons storage, where I also guarded. The pink area C-3 was I believe the 525th fighter squadron, green C-8 was I believe either the 53rd or 22nd Fighter Squadron. My barracks was 112 on C-4.
This acquisition from Thomas not only enhances the museum collection but augments the Kandziora family story. Thomas’ father, Herbert Kandziora, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard the subchaser USS SC-991 in the Pacific Theater, also donated to the museum.
Like all new arrivals into the museum collection, once all articles in this donation have been measured, photographed, and condition reports completed, they will be available for viewing through our online database on our website. Get ready to type "Kandziora" in the search fields soon.
CODE RED CONDIMENTS
THE
GENERAL'S
HOT SAUCE Bold Gold
Hooah Jalapeno
Dead Red
Grunt Green Danger Close A Salt Weapon
Born out of a feisty rivalry at the 2012 Army vs Navy football game, The General’s Hot Sauce outranks most condiments in punch and purpose. These all-natural sauces are crafted by veteran employees with produce sourced from Louisiana and South Carolina. Honoring their commitment to service, the veteran owners of The General’s Hot Sauce donate a portion of sales to veteran-focused organizations including the Boulder Crest Foundation, the Navy SEAL Museum, the Brendan Looney Foundation.
We love this sauce so much in The Museum Shop that the supply clerk has a standing order with The General. Stop in and grab yourself a signature grenade bottle or lob one as a gift.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT FOUNDATION
Kevin Hampton: A Legacy of Service at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum
After two decades of dedicated service to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum (WVM), Curator of History Kevin Hampton has bid farewell and accepted a new role in Virginia as the Assistant Director of Programs and Education for the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission.
Kevin's passion for the WVM was ignited during a Cub Scout trip, where he brought home a postcard of the Battle of Antietam an item he still cherishes today. In 2004, he began volunteering with the museum, and after completing his college education, he accepted a parttime position. Over the years, Kevin advanced through three full-time roles, ultimately serving as the curator of history for the last ten years.
Kevin’s work touched nearly every aspect of the museum, from exhibits and collections to programs and the Foundation. His love for museums stems from connecting with people and sharing the stories behind the artifacts. You may have heard him give a tour at the museum, State Archive Preservation Facility, or at Forest Hill Cemetery. “History is not about the what, but about the why. The stories are what bring the artifacts to life.” If you had a chance to listen to Kevin tell our veterans' stories, you know how captivating and passionate he is.
“As I say goodbye to the museum and my colleagues, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our members and donors for your steadfast friendship and support throughout the years. Your contributions have enabled us to share the invaluable stories of Wisconsin’s veterans and ensure their legacies are never forgotten.”
Kevin, we wish you all the best as you embark on this next chapter of your career!
MISSION MOMENT
Thanks to Generac Foundation for their generous contribution of $7,000 to support the 2025 Mess Night Series educational programming at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. This contribution highlights the foundation’s commitment to making a meaningful impact to ensure our veterans’ legacies are never forgotten.
The donation will be used to support the mission of the museum, ensuring that its important work continues to educate the public about Wisconsin's military history.
These special Mess Night dinner lectures provide an engaging and inspirational opportunity for attendees to explore Wisconsin's military past through personal stories and narratives from veterans and military families. Their donation will help cover the expenses related to these events in 2025, ensuring high-quality programming, speaker fees, and promotional efforts to bring the community together.
We hope you will join us this year for our Mess Night at the Museum series. 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 is required before the event. Invitations will be sent to members four weeks before the event date with registration instructions..
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Major Series Sponsor
Save These Dates
“Army Aviation in Vietnam: Flying for an Assault Helicopter Company”
Speaker: Rick Berry
Thursday, June 26, 2025
"Service in the U.S. Navy Reserve Nurse & Medical Corps During OIF/OEF at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany "
Speakers: Lisa Kromanaker and Kathy Vrydaghs
Thursday, August 21, 2025
"Redemption and Service: The Inspiring Journey of Civil War Infantry Soldier, Joseph (Ira) Dutton"
Speaker: Peter Skelly, President of the Lincoln Fellowship of Wisconsin and local historian
Thursday, November 13, 2025
"Survivor's Story: George F. Banda’s Heroic Service with the 101st Airborne in Vietnam"
Speaker: George Banda
28 MAR
Mark Your Calendar
MOVIE DISCUSSION Night
Master and Commander:
The Far Side of the World (2003) 7:00–8:00 pm
Grab some popcorn and a seat in your favorite chair and join us for a virtual discussion of the movie with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum staff.
MAY
30
Movie DISCUSSION Night
A Few Good Men (1992) 7:00–8:00 pm
Grab some popcorn and a seat in your favorite chair and join us for a virtual discussion of the selected movie with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum staff.
5 APR
15 MAY
FILM SCREENING
Just Like Me: The Vietnam War/The American War
1:00–3:00 pm | In-Person in the WVM Education Center
Join us for this in-person movie screening of Just Like Me: The Vietnam War/The American War. This film follows Vietnam veteran and filmmaker Ron Osgood on his quest to recover fragmented and buried stories from all sides of the Vietnam War/American War, revealing multiple perspectives that are thematically interconnected. Mr. Osgood will be present for screening and a Q&A session following the film. Reservations are required and seating is limited.
Operation Armed Forces Jeopardy! 6:00–8:00 pm
Get ready for an exciting and interactive in-person game night at the museum as we celebrate Armed Forces Day and Wisconsin veterans. Enjoy appetizers and drinks and face off against one of our curators in a Jeopardy-style format. Registration opens in April. Free for members/$10 for non-members.
JUL
14
WVMF 21st ANNUAL GOLF OUTING
Sponsored by US Vet General Contracting 9:00 am – 5:30 pm | The Oaks Golf Course
Four-person Scramble
• Golf Ball Toss
• Putting Contest
• Prizes for Hole-in-One
• Prize Drawing Contest
Registration Opens Online April 7th
Register before June 1st
$140 per person $560 per foursome
Register after June 1st
$165 per person $660 per foursome
To register visit: WisVetsMuseum.com/events
JUL
25
Movie DISCUSSION Night
Independence Day (1996) 7:00–8:00 pm
Grab some popcorn and a seat in your favorite chair and join us for a virtual discussion of the selected movie with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum staff.
THANK YOU DONORS A most sincere thank you to all who donated from November 2024 through February 2025. You are the reason we can provide quality programming and award-winning exhibits.
Frautschi, W. Jerome
Generac Foundation, Inc.
Hansen, W. Lee
Harned, Lewis
McAllen, Kerry
Naleid, Richard
Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation
American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation
Anonymous
Arango Escalante, Alejandro & Erin
Behr, Denny & Joan
Berry, Richard
Edgewood College Department of Military & Veteran Services
Kolar, Mary & Scott
McCormick, Frederick & Ginny
Orella, Liz & Tim Reiland
Pulvermacher, Andy
Quartz Health Benefits Plans
Corp
Wagner, Dennis
Walker, Connie
Wendt, Gail
Wertsch, Paul
Wilkening, Patricia
American Legion Post 111
American Legion Post 348
American Legion Post 501
American Legion Post 502
American Legion Post 521
Arawinko, David & Judith
Arestides, Karen
Arndorfer, Roberta & James Bird, John & Barbara
Bull, Ronald
Checki, Daniel
Clarke, John
Collins, Chaplain, Rev. Dean
DAV, Chapter 3
Deeken, Michael & Johanna
Duecker, Robert
Ely, Jessica
Ely, Michael
Feldt, Mary
Fetterly, Major (Ret) Roger
Flatley, Tim
Fonger, Maj Linda & Col
Michael
Gauger, Stephen
Gruennert, Jim & Joann
Haight, James
Hampton, Alice
Held, Michael
Johnson, Fred & Mary
Jordan, James
Kelly, James & Carol
Kirkendall, Alexander
Kirschner, Michael & Elisabeth
Wright
Kleinsteiber, Larry
Krueger, Cal & Susie
Kurtz, Anthony & Kimberly
Kurtz, James & Rebecca
Leuenberger, Carol
Leverance, James & Jane
Madison History Roundtable
Madsen, Fredric & Linda
Majka, Andrew & Roxanne
Marino, Al & Marti
Matusinec, Francis & Rose Mary
Millsap, Nathaniel
Milwaukee County
Genealogical Society
Mullins, Michael & Karen
Nehls, Todd
Nyberg, Edwin & Sally
Olesen, Gerald
Olson, Margaret Ann
Pagenkopf, Donna
Perisho, Ron
Peterson, Gary
Queen, Kim
Rattenbury, Richard
RSVP of Dane County - Vets
Helping Vets
Schemenauer, Ken & Eleanor
Schrag, Beverly
Schroeder, John
Sheski, John
Smith, Dale
Smith, Gary & Patricia
Solberg, Samuel & Karolyn
Timothy B. Staats Irrevocable
Trust
Todd, Peter Turner, Barbara
Van De Loop, John & Brenda
VFW Post 11244
VFW Post 6709
Vietnam Veterans of America, Chpt. 409
Vilumsons, Aina
Wartinbee, Jr., James Wisconsin Light Horse Association
Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans, Chpt. 7
Wolf, Richard & Marjorie
Ace, Dennis
American Legion Post 175
American Legion Post 350
American Legion Post 437
American Legion Post 59
Anderson, Jan
Anderson, Merry
Anderson, Pat
Argue, Brad
Bartz, COL (Ret) Claudia
Benson, Bonnie
Bieniek, Brian & Jen
Blau, Conrad
Blondet, Ariel
Bloom, Wilson
Boullion, James
Breitenbucher, Catherine
Brimmer, Travis Bryant, Mae
Bublitz, James
Burkart, Andrew Burton, Nancy Callaway, Mary Chandler, Richard
Chandre, John
Cohen, James
Colbert, Laura Elizabeth Collins, Ted Michael
Concklin, Richard & Jan
Cubalchini, Bonnie Dean, Roxanne
Dexter, Donn Duerr, Jerome
Ekblad, Wayne
Evangelist, Virginia Fahey, Kathryn Finke, William Fisk, Paul Foley, Linda & James Good Shepherd Post 1329
Grabowski, Ervin
Grannis, II, Thomas & Christine Hagen, Scott & Natalie Hanson, Sharla Heiliger, Dan & Tarah
