Badger

&“Wisconsin”&“Wisconsin” Official Publications of TheWisconsin American Legion Family

“For God & Country”

www.wilegion.org

July 10, 2014Vol. 91, No. 6aire

The mission of The American Legion, Department Of Wisconsin is to provide service to veterans, their families and their communities.

The 96th Annual Department Convention will open on Friday, July 17th with keynote remarks from Wisconsin’s 45th Governor, the honorable Scott K. Walker. Walker was fi rst elected Gov-ernor in 2010 and was sworn in on January 3, 2011. He attended Badger Boys State and represent-ed the Department of Wisconsin at Boys Nation in 1985.

“Rhino’s Run”, the 3-day motor-cycle fundraising effort for chil-dren of service members killed since 09/11, will roll out of Portage on Monday, July 14th and cover over 900 miles before arriving in Appleton on Wednesday, July 16th. En route the Riders will trav-el to Camp American Legion and the cities of Eau Claire and Janes-ville, visiting the following Ameri-can Legion posts on the tour;

MONDAY, JULY 14TH• Depart Portage at 7:00 AM• Rosholt Post No. 509 Arrive at 8:30 AM Depart at 9:30 AM• Camp American Legion Arrive at 12:20 PM Depart at 2:00 PM• Bruce Post No. 268 Arrive at 4:35 PM Depart at 5:35 PM• Brackett Post No. 550 Arrive at 6:50 PM

The convention is being held at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel and Convention Center in Apple-ton which last hosted a Depart-ment Convention in 2011. Head-quarters staff will be on hand at the convention site on Wednes-day, July 16th. Initial meetings that day will include the Wiscon-sin American Legion Foundation Board of Directors. The various

TUESDAY, JULY 15TH• Sparta Post No. 100 Arrive at 9:30 AM Depart at 10:30 AM• Richland Center Post No. 13 Arrive at 12:20 PM Depart at 2:15 PM• Darlington Post No. 214 Arrive at 3:30 PM Depart at 5:20 PM• Orfordville Post No. 209 Arrive at 6:30 PM

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16TH• Mukwonago Post No. 375 Arrive at 8:30 AM Depart at 9:45 AM• Oak Creek Post No. 434 Arrive at 11:00 AM Depart at 12:00 Noon• Grafton Post No. 355 Arrive at 12:50 PM Depart at 2:15 PM• New Holstein Post No. 124 Arrive at 3:15 PM Depart at 4:45 PM

standing Department Commit-tees will begin meetings at 7AM on Thursday, July 17th. The early starting times are necessary in order for the business of the sub-committees to be completed in advance of the Department Executive Committee meeting scheduled for 4 PM.

District Caucuses will be held on Friday, July 18th at 7:30 AM followed by the Opening Cer-emonies at 9:00 AM. First time attendees will have a great op-portunity to socialize and learn about the business of The Ameri-can Legion fi rst-hand. Conven-tion Committee Meetings will take place at 2:00 PM and con-sider a number of Resolutions related to Legion business and

Governor and National Commander to Keynote Convention Sessions

RHINO’S RUN REV’S UP!Scholarship Fundraiser to Roll July 14th to 16th

The ride will culmi-nate with a reception for the Riders featuring National Commander Daniel Dellinger of Virginia at the Johnston-Blessman Post No. 38 in Appleton at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, July 16th. All times are approximate.

Funds raised by the event will fund scholarships for children of military personnel who died while on active duty. Commander Rynes has set an initial fundraising goal of $50,000. Posts, units and squad-rons are encouraged to raise funds locally and present the proceeds to Commander Rynes and the Riders at stops along the way. Individuals interested in supporting with their tax-deductible donations can reg-ister on-line at www.wilegion.org. All registered will receive a patch, pin and commemorative booklet while supplies last.

veterans issues at the state and national levels. Among Resolu-tions being considered are pos-sible amendments to the Depart-ment Constitution and Bylaws as well as a series of Resolutions

that deal with Immigration and Naturalization issues. If adopted, Resolutions with potential Na-tional policy implications will be forwarded to The American

(continued on page 5)

DANIEL DELLINGERNational Commander

SCOTT WALKERGovernor - Wisconsin

(Continued on Page 3)

PAGE 2 THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE JULY 10, 2014

Publication ScheduleAll articles due to the Editor four weeks before publication date. Send all copy to

info@wilegion.org

“Badger Legionnaire”& “Wisconsin”

The Badger Legionnaire & Wisconsin are the offi cial publications of the Wisconsin

American Legion Family and are published ten times annually, once every fi ve weeks,

by The American Legion, Dept. of Wisconsin2930 American Legion Drive

P.O. Box 388, Portage, WI 53901.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Portage, WI and additional mailing offi ces.

USPS ID Number 010-135ISSN: 2154-2627

Post Master: Send address changes to Badger Legionnaire and Wisconsin,P.O. Box 388, Portage, WI 53901

“Badger Legionnaire”The American Legion,

Department of Wisconsin2930 American Legion Drive

P.O. Box 388 • Portage, WI 53901Phone: (608) 745-1090

E-mail: info@wilegion.org

David A. Kurtz, Executive Editor

2013-2014 Communications CommitteeKendel Feilen, Chairman

Harold Rihn, Vice ChairmanDale Oatman, DEC Liaison

Butch Van Rossum, MemberBernie Olson, MemberPhil Ingwell, Member

Barb McDaniel, MemberCecil Groves, Historian

Loretta Shellman, Auxiliary LiaisonBonnie Dorniak, Auxiliary Liaison

2013-14 Department Offi cers

CommanderKen Rynes

Vice Commanders Robert Shappell

John WolfeDan Rindt

Larry Wrycza

AdjutantDavid A. Kurtz

Sergeant-at ArmsCharles Roessler

Dave Wischer

Service Offi cerJames Fialkowski

NECmanDavid L. Gough

Alternate NECmanSteve Krueger

District Commanders 1st – Dave Brisk 2nd – Dan Seehafer 3rd – Rich Ruland 4th – Claire Goodfellow 5th – Ensley Brown 6th – Jeff Puddy 7th – John Thurk 8th – Jerry Krofta 9th – Dale Oatman 10th – Ed Cooper 11th – Frank Kostka 12th – Jim Chapin

Change of Address & Other Information:Subscribers: To report any upcoming changes of address, please ask your Post Adjutant to fi ll out a Membership Data Form and forward it to Wisconsin American Legion Headquarters. The change of address form that will be completed by the Post Adjutant should not be confused with the change of address card fi lled out at the Post Offi ce. Department fi nancial statements are available to Legionnaires in good standing upon written request through their District Commanders.

“Wisconsin”American Legion AuxiliaryDepartment of Wisconsin2930 American Legion Drive

P.O. Box 140 • Portage, WI 53901

Bonnie Dorniak, EditorJoyce E. Endres, Department President

Bonnie Dorniak, Exec. Secretary/Treasurer

To change your address: Notify Unit SecretaryUnit Secretary: Notify Department

Headquarters on a Member Data Form

The “Wisconsin” deadline for copy is 4 weeks before publication date.

DEPARTMENT COMMANDERDEPARTMENT COMMANDER

Ken RynesDepartment Commander

Dear Fellow Legionna i res, Since this is my last article as your Com-mander I have spent quite a bit of time trying to fi nd the words to

sum it all up. It all goes back to a simple heart felt THANK YOU! This has been an experience that ranks up at the top of the many, many things I have done in my life. In typical fashion I have trav-eled nearly 40,000 miles on your behalf. Put in a numerical value it sounds overwhelming, but day by day it accumulated. During a recent radio interview the host asked what I would remember most. That is an impossible ques-tion to answer as every event had

As we head into the 96th Annual Con-vention of the Department of Wisconsin we can look back at a year of tremen-dous progress on

a number of fronts. We were able to accomplish many important initiatives while still maintaining budget discipline in a challeng-ing economic environment. The Headquarters building in Portage got a facelift last fall with resur-facing of the exterior and a new American Legion Emblem that measures six feet in diameter.

The Legion Baseball and Boys

its own signifi cance. I will always remember my friend and our De-partment Chaplain Greg Simonis. I lost my mom during my tenure. I had my fi rst 2 grandchildren come into this world. I and Ann had an incident with a dog in Tex-as and the list goes on and on.

I had goals going in, as every person should have during any period of life. The main one was to leave it better than I found it. We missed some goals and over-achieved on others so it is a bal-ance. I am very proud of prog-ress at Camp American Legion as may be judged by the recent dedication of Cabin #14, the new Chapel and new waterfall. Other items in the last year include the new dock that was constructed by the National Guard. The dock and chapel were signifi cant in the fact

State programs remain strong and both have put procedures in place to better protect participants by using mandatory background checks for volunteers. The Amer-icanism and Government Schol-arship competition has added ad-ditional scholarships and enjoyed tremendous growth with over 5,000 participants. Participation in the Junior Shooting Sports program has also ballooned with the addition of a Postal Match that allows competitors to submit targets by mail and compete for scholarships.

The Department Service Of-fi ce at the VA Regional Offi ces in Milwaukee continues to set the standard for advocacy and

that The American Legion part-nered with other organizations to accomplish the improvements. I encourage all of you at every lev-el to try doing collaborative ef-forts with other organizations. It is a win, win because you are get-ting physical help that is needed and without even knowing it, you are creating an awareness of The American Legion that will bring in new members without any ef-fort.

I have interacted with so many fellow veterans; from Medal of Honor recipients to Vietnam POW’s to Pearl Harbor survivors to veterans of great battles in all wars since WWII. I have escort-ed the caskets of veterans that gave their young life for us. I have spent time with the Gold Star kids of some of these heroes. I have

service to veterans. Our Service Offi ce recovers over 12 Million Dollars in benefi ts and payments for Wisconsin veterans each month, with a grand total of over 150 Million recovered in the last year. It’s a great service to Wis-consin veterans and a measure of the dedication of the Service Of-fi ce staff’s work. Camp American Legion has continued to develop and thrive. In addition to new pro-grams created to focus on veter-ans and their families, Camp now features a new boat landing, as well as a new Chapel and Water Fountain since last summer.

You may have heard radio com-mercials promoting The Ameri-can Legion over the past few

spoken to the states youth at both Badger Boys and Girls state and must say I am still an optimist for a great future. I have dined with amputees and paralyzed vets only to come away feeling upbeat and blessed for I never met one that complained.

I have been humbled by all of your efforts to promote and guard the words of our Preamble. So in-stead of answering the question of what will I remember most, I will end with what I learned af-ter all of my experiences as your Commander. I have learned that sometimes in life we get so in-volved in the pursuit of happiness that we don’t pause to take a look around and realize that we are al-ready there. Thank you all again.

-Commander Ken

months. The Department has implemented an aggressive pub-lic relations campaign across the state designed to raise awareness of our programs and encourage members of the public to support us in our mission.

The growth and progress of the past year would not have been possible without the lead-ership provided by Department Commander Ken Rynes, Auxil-iary President Joyce Endres and SAL Detachment Commander Dan Daily. On behalf of the entire staff, at Headquarters, Camp and our Service Offi ce, I would like to thank them for their leadership and support this past year.

MThis 4th of July as we celebrate Inde-pendence Day, take pause to remember all those through-

out American history who fought to found our great coun-try and keep her free for more than two centuries.

Independence Day is a time to celebrate our independence and our freedom; neither of which we would have today if it weren’t for the brave men and women that have fought, and still fi ght, to protect this great nation. We should never take for granted the contributions and sacrifi ces that our servicemembers and our na-tion’s veterans have made in the effort towards preserving life,

liberty and the pursuit of hap-piness for us and for our future generations.

On this 4th of July, please take a moment to refl ect on our Ameri-can way of life, and remember our service members, especially those that made the ultimate sac-rifi ce; they too believed that the end was more than worth all the means. On this Independence Day, join with your family and friends in celebrating our na-tion’s independence because the great principles Americans hold so dear are worth celebrating.

Our nation has been tested many times in the past 238 years. Each time, from the very fi rst shots of the revolution, our servicemembers have stepped up to serve.

Take for instance, D-Day. On

June 6 we recognized the 70th anniversary of D-Day at the State Capitol with veterans of that great battle and turning point in World War II. Those veterans personify American courage and what it means to serve and sacrifi ce. And when those veterans defeated forces of fascism and military imperi-alism, they returned home and built America into an economic superpower and a model for de-mocracy for the entire world.

Or remember those who fought in Korea. The inscription on the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Wash-ington D.C. reads: “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.” Later

this month, on July 27, we will recognize “Korean War Armi-stice Day” in Wisconsin as a way to pay tribute to those who fought, died, or are still consid-ered Missing in Action as a re-sult of the Korean War, ensuring that none of our veterans are ever again “forgotten.”

Our veterans, of all genera-tions, and of all branches of the military, who have served our nation all around the world, back to the fi rst Independence Day, have left us a legacy of courage and honor.

Finally, remember, we are still at nation at war with troops still serving in combat in Afghani-stan. Each and every member of the military and our veterans are symbols of America and what it means to be free

.

WDVA SECRETARYWDVA SECRETARY

John A. ScocosWDVA Secretary

David KurtzDepartment Adjutant

Independence Day

DEPARTMENT ADJUTANTDEPARTMENT ADJUTANT

Past Commanders Club Party at ConventionThe annual Past Commanders Club party and reception will take place on Saturday, July 19th at 7:00

PM at the Johnston-Blessman Post No. 38, 3220 W College Avenue in Appleton. All Legion Family Members are invited to attend. Admission is only $5. Snacks, beer, soda and entertainment is included.

PAGE 3THE BADGER LEGIONNAIREJULY 10, 2014

As we close in on another suc-cessful year for The American Legion, Depart-ment of Wiscon-sin and all the posts in Districts 1 through 12, it

has become obvious to me that all Legion members are or should be Historians to some degree.

In making such a statement, please let me explain. No Histori-an, whether Post, District, Depart-ment or National can cover all the events that should be documented in some form or fashion. In my opinion, it is the responsibility of all American Legion members to document the various proceedings that relate to the events of post, dis-trict or department and pass it on to the historian, especially if the histo-rian is unavailable.

Please remember that when tak-ing pictures and passing them on to the historian it is very important to provide the basic information regarding your photograph, i.e. who, what, where and when. In some unorganized random pictures it is not possible to identify all the subjects, but the what, where and when can be provided and perhaps a noted individual or two in the picture.

By assisting the historian with pictures or other information, our basic history is more completely documented. The task of collect-ing and assembling the various pictures and related information remains the responsibility of the historian. In some regards, the pro-cess is similar to the way a news-paper gathers information with a number of reporters all providing information to a single source to review for possible publication.

DEPARTMENT HISTORIANDEPARTMENT HISTORIAN

Cecil GrovesDepartment Historian

Camp American Legion Hosts Initial Vietnam Veterans Week

County Service Offi cers SponsorVeterans Advocacy Award

The year 2015 will begin the D e p a r t -

ment of Defense’s offi cial obser-vance of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War. Offi cial com-memoration activities have al-ready begun. Camp American Legion has joined the commemo-ration in our own special way. This year Camp had our fi rst Vietnam Veterans Week the week of May 12-18 and it was a great success. All week long campers and day visitors came together and had a great time. For myself personally, I saw and experienced something unique with this group of Veter-ans that I have not with any other group or week. Sometimes you hear people say the phrase “a vet, is a vet, is a vet” as though all vet-erans are the same. Well, that is true but we are also all unique in-dividuals living in our own unique times. There are certain groups of veterans who have served during

special times in different confl icts which set them apart. The very nature of their service sets them apart because their service era was unique to them as individuals and to “history” in general.

The camaraderie, storytelling, laughs, smiles, tears, sharing, hugs, and remembering amongst these Vietnam battle buddies was something special to see and ex-perience. They really connected with each other. I have never seen longer meal times. Most weeks at Camp everyone is in such a hurry to do this and that. This week was the complete opposite. The meal hours went on forever because they just talked and talked. Time stood still! It was marvelous. Vets that went fi shing spent more time talking than fi shing. Personal sharing trumped everything else. Yes, they had fun but all activities throughout the week seemed to be simple backdrops to meaningful, passionate conversation and cama-raderie. While sharing memories

In my opinion, a good historian is not unlike a good adjutant. When you have a good one, you do ev-erything you can to assure that you retain that person as long as pos-sible. Both historian and adjutant must have the desire and drive and ability to do the job and be cogni-zant of a potential replacement and nurture them to step into your po-sition when that time arises.

Although the Historian’s position is appointed, every post, district and department should be seek-ing out an individual that wants to do the job, not someone that is saddled with the responsibility without the drive and desire re-quired. In my opinion, if we truly seek out and HELP our historians in the information gathering then every post district and department will be served. Maybe then we won’t have the burnout and all too frequent historian turnover.

Here are a few of the many who attended Vietnam Veterans Week.

Campers enjoyed a quiet moment of camaraderie around the campfi re

of their time in Vietnam they truly bonded.

Remembering their days in ser-vice became the focus of the week for these veterans. The Tuesday Peer Support gathering was full. Vietnam Veterans still have a lot to say and a lot on their hearts. The Wednesday chapel/spiritual-ity service was full, so their faith is strong and deep. The Vietnam War experience is still very much within them in body and mind. The feelings they all have about that time in their life is still there and alive. It will always be.

That is why Camp will have this special Vietnam Veterans Week every year from here on. Camp American Legion will create our own Vietnam Veterans “history”. Those vets can now add it to their own individual histories. I want every Wisconsin Vietnam Veteran to know of this special week at Camp American Legion just for them. See you next year!

Kevin MosheaDirector

The County Veterans Service Offi cers (CVSO) Association of Wisconsin is accepting nomina-tions for its’ Veterans Advocacy Award. Nominees for the award need not be a veteran. However, they must provide, or have pro-vided outstanding service to vet-erans and their families and have demonstrated a high degree of compassion for their constituents.

Nominations are limited to three pages, including a narra-tive of not more than two double spaced pages, and an identifi ca-tion page. The identifi cation page will include the nominee’s name,

address, telephone number and occupation, as well as the name address and telephone number of the individual submitting the nomination. Anyone may submit a nomination. For further infor-mation, contact Tony Tyczynski at (608) 434-7509 or tyczynski_tony@yahoo.com.

Deadline for submitting nomi-nations is August 1, 2014, and nominations should be sent to:

CVSO Association of Wisconsin Attn: Tony Tyczynski 505 Broadway Baraboo, WI 53913

Today’s children are tomor-row’s citizens and The Ameri-can Legion takes our role of investing in children serious-ly. Charlie Grant, the Chil-dren & Youth Chairman for the St. Croix County Council, visited the Baldwin Play and Learn earlier this spring and presented the St. Croix Valley Family Resource Center with a $500 donation. Funds were raised through the St. Croix County American Legion’s 38th Annual Golf Tourna-ment.

St. Croix County Council of Th e American Legion Invests in Local Children and Youth Program

Legion National Convention in Charlotte, NC for consideration this August.

Saturday will feature a key-note address by American Le-gion National Commander Daniel Dellinger of Virginia. Commander Dellinger, an Army veteran of the Vietnam era, has distinguished himself this year in advocating for reform of the US Department of Veterans Af-fairs. The annual election of Department offi cers will also take place on Saturday with polls opening at 8:30 AM. De-partment award winners will also be recognized for their ac-complishments. Every one is welcome to attend the annual Past Commander’s Club party and reception which will com-

mence at 7:00 PM on Saturday evening at Post No. 38, located on College Avenue in Appleton.

The 96th Annual Department Convention will wind up on Sunday. The Memorial Service will begin at 8:00 AM in the convention hall. Following the installation of the newly-elected offi cers and the closing ceremo-nies, the Grand Prize winner of the Convention Sweepstakes will be drawn. The grand prize is the winner’s choice of either $20,000 in cash or a new vehicle from the Boucher Automotive Group. All in all it is anticipated to be a busy and exciting week-end in Appleton. Register for the event by logging on to www.wi-legion.org. Registration on-line is fast and easy.

(Continued from page 1)

PAGE 4 THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE JULY 10, 2014

7th District Commander John Thurk is a candidate for the office of Department Vice Commander. John earned his eligibility to join The American Legion by serving in the United States Army during the Ko-rean War era. Commander Thurk has been an American Legion member since 1996 and is proud to belong to the Coon Valley Post No. 116.

John has served in a number of po-sitions at Post No. 116 including 5 years as Post Commander. The post reached all-time highs in member-ship 3 times during his tenure. John has served as Vernon County Com-mander and currently serves as 7th District Commander. Commander Thurk has also served as the Depart-ment Americanism & Government Scholarship test program Chairman for 4 years.

John encourages everyone to ask a veteran they know to join The Amer-ican Legion and is asking for your support and your vote for the high office of Department Vice Com-mander.

First District Commander Dave Brisk is a candidate for Department Vice Commander.

Dave is a Paid-up for Life member of the Daniel J. Martin Post No. 8 in Waukesha and served as a sergeant in the Wisconsin Army National Guard, mobilizing for the Berlin Crisis.

He has served his Post as Service Officer, Vice Commander and Com-mander with 100% membership in 2009 and 2013. He also served as Honor Guard Captain for 8 years. He was named 2006 Legionnaire of the Year at his post and has served on the Department Legislative Committee as well as the National & Homeland Security Committees. He is presently Liaison to the Department Conven-tion & Activities Commission and is a graduate of The American Legion Extension Institute.

Dave and his wife Gerry have been married for 52 years and have a son Lee, a daughter Gina, and four grand-children - Alison, Katie, Tara and Cole. Gerry is currently President of Auxiliary Unit No. 8 and Gina, Alison, Katie and Tara are Auxiliary members. Commander Brisk has the support of his family and the endorse-ment of Post No. 8, the Waukesha County Council and the 1st District.

Dave believes that supporting Vet-erans in need and their families, along with recruiting new members and re-taining our current members, should be top priorities for all Legionnaires.

Ninth District Commander Dale Oatman is a candidate for the offi ce of Department Vice Commander. Dale has been a 44 year continuous Life Member of the Anderson-Sather Post No. 524 in White Lake. His Le-gion eligibility was earned through 20 years of active service in the US Air Force, with a one-year tour of duty in South Vietnam. He has a bachelor’s degree in business.

Dale is a graduate of The American Le-gion Extension Institute. He served as Li-aison to the Department Policy Committee and is currently Liaison to the Communica-tions Committee. He has been appointed by the National Commander to the National Health Administration Committee. He at-tended Badger Boys State in high school and is a strong supporter of the program. Dale was named the 2006 Legionnaire of the Year by his post for his service to his post and the community.

Commander Oatman is member of DAV Chapter 23, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 206 and past Chef de Gare and cur-rent Grand Box Car Directeur of 40 et 8 Voi-ture Locale No. 1204.

Dale is currently the Langlade County Veterans Service Offi cer and plans to retire next year. His fellow CVSO’s elected him to the CVSO Association Executive Com-mittee and their Advisory Committee to the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. He served on the coordinating committee for LZ Lambeau, the May 2010 Vietnam Homecoming at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Dale is a past offi cer of the Knights of Columbus and was a Boy Scout Leader for 15 years. He is supported by his wife of 42 years and is endorsed by his Post, County and District.

Dale is a true advocate for veterans with a wealth of knowledge of veteran’s benefi ts at the State and Federal levels

Candidate for Department Vice Commander

Candidate for Department Vice Commander

John ThurkDale OatmanCandidate for

Department Vice Commander

Dave Brisk Rich Ruland

Third District Commander Rich Ru-land is a candidate for the office of Department Vice Commander. Rich earned his eligibility to join The Amer-ican Legion by virtue of his service in the United States Air Force from 1969-1973. Rich served in the Republic of Vietnam in 1970-71 and is endorsed by the Severson-Cairns Post No. 501 of Madison, as well the Dane County Council of American Legion Posts and the 3rd District. Commander Ruland is a graduate of The American Legion Extension Institute.

He currently serves on the Depart-ment Executive Committee and as Li-aison to the Hospital Committee. Rich is a retired carpenter and has one son who is a member of the Sons of The American Legion. Rich has devoted a lot of time to the Legion Family as well as to his community. He is committed to Troop and Family Support activities, having supported numerous veterans Job Fairs and Business Symposiums.

A vote for Rich brings a passionate, knowledgeable Legionnaire to help move our organization forward.

Candidate for Department Vice Commander

The Frank E. Malone Post No. 113 of Mt. Horeb hosted a dinner on May 22nd to honor area veterans who served during World War II. Pic-tured here from left to right are Gor-don Martinson, Al Bendickson, Willis

Mount Horeb Post Honors WWII Members

More than 60 teams participated in this year’s American Legion State Bowling Tournament hosted by Post No. 189 in Watertown. The win-ning four member team was the “Freedom Four” of the host post. Pictured from left to right with the traveling trophy are Josie Kubly, Adam Saeger, Wayne Brady, and Dave Dricken.

Legion Bowling Tournament Concludes

Heavy weather in the Northwoods has damaged many trees at Camp American Legion. Any American Le-gion Family member who operates or knows of a Professional Tree Cut-ting service that would be willing to donate their services to Camp would be greatly appreciated. We have many

large trees that will need to come down. Other trees will need hanging branches and tops trimmed and removed. A high, bucket truck is required plus skilled and experienced tree cutters. Any interested individuals are asked to contact Camp Director Kevin Moshea at (715) 277-2510 or campal@newnorth.net.

Martinson, Wes Field, Arnie Schoville, Art Dietrich, Wayne Yapp, Pete Eck-stein, Lorne Hook, Don Beghin, Max Rosenbaum, Phil Halverson, Ray Cun-neen, Bob Ellestad and Ralph Buech-ner. Photo by Geoff Shields.

Tree Cutting Service Needed at Camp

PAGE 5THE BADGER LEGIONNAIREJULY 10, 2014

Charles Roessler earned the privilege of joining The American Legion through service in the US Air Force from 1975–1979. Charles also served with the 128th Aerial Refueling Wing, WI Air National Guard from 1982– 2003 where he retired as a Master Sergeant with 27 years of military service.

Charles served as a Milwaukee Police Offi cer for 25 years and has over 30 years of total law enforcement experience. He served 2 terms as Milwaukee Police Post No. 415 Commander reaching 100% membership each year.

He also served 2 terms as the 4th Dis-trict Sergeant at Arms and is presently serving as the Department Sergeant at Arms.

He is currently a consultant to the Na-tional American Legion Counter-subver-sive Activities Committee (3 years) and served on the Department Fundraising Committee for three terms.

Charles served on the 2010 Milwau-kee National Convention Committee as a board member, provost and distinguished guest chairman.

In 2005 he was named the Department Edward Ormsby Law Enforcement Offi -cer of the Year as well as National Ameri-can Legion National Law Enforcement Offi cer of the Year. He has been married for 28 years to his wife Nancy and has two children, Daniel and Valerie.

It has been his honor to serve the De-partment and he looks forward to con-tinuing to serve as your Sergeant at Arms in the future.

.

David Wischer is a candidate for re-election as a Department Sergeant at Arms. He served in the Army dur-ing the Vietnam era and is an Hon-orary Life Member of the H.A. Todd Jr. Post No. 537 in Milwaukee. He has served twice as Post Commander and achieved 100% in membership in each term. David also served as the 4th District Sergeant at Arms for five years and was instrumental in sup-port of the 2010 National Convention held in Milwaukee. He is a graduate of The American Legion Extension Institute and served on the Depart-ment Membership Committee for seven years.

David attended Badger Boy’s State as a High School student and is cur-rently involved with orientation and registration at Badger Boys State. His wife Trish and their two sons and two grandsons are all members in The American Legion Family.

He has the endorsement of his Post, the Milwaukee County Council, and the 4th District. “It has truly been an honor to serve as one of the Depart-ment’s Sergeant at Arms this year and I would like to continue assisting the Department and its Members.”

Candidate forDepartment Sergeant At Arms

Candidate for Departmemt Sergeant at Arms

Candidate for Assistant Chaplain

Clifton Sorenson Charles Roessler David Wischer

Stephen “Steve” Krueger is a candi-date for the offi ce of National Execu-tive Committeeman.

Steve served as Department Com-mander in 2001-2002 and is an Hon-orary Life Member of the O.L. Arnold – D.K. Slayton Post No. 100 in Sparta.

Candidate for National Executive

Committeeman

Stephen Krueger

He has been a member for forty continu-ous years and served as a 100% Post Com-mander in 1991-1992, both years being an all time high. Steve was also a 100% County Commander for two years.

He has served on and chaired many Department Committees including the

Americanism & Government Test-ing program, Membership Committee, Safety Committee, Hospital Committee, Fundraising Committee, Convention & Activities Commission, the Wisconsin American Legion Foundation and the Department Executive Committee for seven years. He has attended every Department Convention and Midwinter Conference since 1988. He has attended nine National Conventions, serving on both the Americanism Committee and the Security Council. He has served at various levels of the Forty et Eight and is a charter member of the Past Chef De Gare Club. Steve has been appointed to review applications for Military Acade-mies by Congressman Ron Kind for the

Department Vice Commander Bob Shap-pell is a candidate for the high offi ce of De-partment Commander. Bob is a Paid-up for Life member of the Peter Wollner Post No. 288 in Cedarburg. His Legion eligibility was earned through 26 years active duty service in the US Air Force after graduating from the US Air Force Academy. He previously served as Second District Commander, Oza-ukee County Commander, and three years as a 100% Post Commander.

Bob served two years on the Department Membership Committee, including a year as Membership Chairman. He also served three years on the Children & Youth Com-mittee. He was County and Post Adjutant, as well as Post Service Offi cer. He is a member of the Sons of The American Legion (in hon-or of his father, a 63-year Legionnaire), 40 et 8 Voiture No. 1330, life member of the Mili-tary Offi cers Association of America, and life member of the Air Force Association.

Bob is supported by his wife, Pauline (also a Paid-up for Life Legionnaire), Post No. 288, the Ozaukee County Council and the Second District. He is an affi liate faculty member of Cardinal Stritch University and teaches classes in business, management, human resources, and leadership. Bob has a master’s degree in management and super-vision, and has completed all coursework toward a doctoral degree in business admin-istration.

Bob believes the keys to success for The American Legion are displaying outward pride in one’s Post and in all Legion pro-grams; maintain integrity in all we do; having respect for everyone’s opinions; demonstrat-ing and fostering initiative; and promoting greater teamwork within the Legion Family at all levels. Instilling these factors in all as-pects of our Legion activities will go a long way toward achieving the fi nal key to our success – strength in numbers and growth in our membership.

Candidate for Department Commander

Bob Shappell

past eleven years.Steve earned the right to join The

American Legion by serving in the Navy from June 1966 to October 1969, most of which in Vietnam. After a short stint in the Naval Reserves, he joined the Wis-consin National Guard and retired as a First Sergeant in 1990. He worked at G. Heileman Brewing until 1990, when he froze his retirement and went to work at Fort McCoy. In 2006 he started his own trucking company.

Steve works to improve the Depart-ment of Wisconsin. He believes in The American Legion Family and that ser-vice to fellow veterans, their families, community, state and nation are the most fulfi lling acts a veteran can perform.

Clifton (Clif) Sorenson of Post No. 53 in Eau Claire wishes to announce his candidacy for the high offi ce of Assis-tant Chaplain. He earned his eligibility to join The American Legion by virtue of his four years of service in the United States Air Force included duty at four bases in the United States and two bases in Vietnam.

Clif is drawn to this offi ce by his back-ground of service to Veterans. The late Department Chaplain Greg Simonis en-couraged him to apply after many con-versations on the topic of the religious side of issues and the holistic approach to dealing with veterans and their fami-lies.

Clif has been working with others on spiritual and religious matters since grade school and hopes that he can achieve much in this position. Clif holds a Baccalaureate Degree from the Uni-versity of Minnesota and also did gradu-ate work there. He is a Licensed Pro-fessional Counselor. He’s a member of and an offi cer in numerous veterans and social services boards and organizations.

He is currently the Chairman of the Department Homeless Veterans Task Force, was previously the 10th District Chaplain and has counseled Homeless Veterans during the week set aside an-nually for Homeless Veterans at Camp American Legion. He is a member of Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Eau Claire and has taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.

Clif is married, with three children (one deceased), fi ve grandchildren and one great grandchild. His two sons have both served in the military, the eldest having served in the Marine Corps. One son and one grandson are still serving in the US Army.

PAGE 6 THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE JULY 10, 2014

The LastBugle

7 Sauk City Ronald Rolstad K 6/16/149 Wisconsin Rapids Bob Delong K 5/27/14Lyle Gellerman II 5/6/14Leon Yeager II 5/2/14Maxwell Andrae II 6/13/1410 WausauLeonard Brzezinski K 5/29/1413 Richland CenterRichard Young V 6/14/14Vigil Pahl K 5/25/1414 IolaNorman Stevens II 5/19/1423 MilwaukeeRay Eldridge II 5/25/1425 OdanahMarc Frank V 5/7/1429 KewauneeMildred Berkey II 6/4/1432 MenomoniePaul Krueger II 5/28/1433 NeenahDonald Seager II 4/28/14Robert Huebner II 3/21/14Richard Krueger V 6/5/1435 EvansvilleRodney Leeder II 5/18/1438 AppletonAlexius Knaus V 5/29/14Peter Stark V 5/31/14Donald Tate II 6/5/14Carl Dohr II 6/7/14Clyde Klemp II 6/13/1447 PortageThomas Willstead K 5/30/1448 BeloitDonald Gardiner K 6/2/14Harold Hawley II 5/29/1452 LaCrosseRichard Williams K 1/24/14David Moss V 2/11/14Harry Kapanke II 3/14/14Oscar Peterslie II 3/14/14Brian Lokken V 3/28/14Gordon Goyette V 4/30/14Carl Rebhan II 1/25/14Calvin Proksch II 4/10/1463 ClintonvilleLeroy Jones II 6/16/1464 LadysmithJohn Pichowicz II 2/25/1467 Lake MillsLynn Jones K 6/8/14Joseph Dresen II 6/22/1469 MayvilleJerome Zuelsdorf II 4/20/1370 OshkoshRoger Rose K 6/16/1472 Sturgeon BayJohn Law K 5/26/1473 NeillsvilleWilliam Schultz K 5/22/1474 OcontoClaire Trepanier V 10/31/13Mike Lipp II 11/22/13Richard Dembroski II 1/11/14Edward Wilde II 12/30/1380 New RichmondPatrick Griffi n V 5/27/14Robert Kastens II 6/7/1483 SheboyganHans Krause V 4/15/14

89 MinocquaRaymond Sikorski II 5/29/14Walter Erickson II 6/16/1491 OconomowocRobert Becker V 6/1/14Rafael Garcia K 5/12/14Martin Zweig II 4/28/1498 CumberlandClarence Capra II 2/4/14Robert Johnson II 3/1/14Dennis Herman V 3/5/14James McLellan II 4/4/14Patrick Capra II 4/19/14Lloyd Kuhl K 5/19/14Ronald Rydberg K 1/7/11Larry Beecroft II 1/14/11Harley Prell II 3/1/11Albert Lloyd II/K 3/29/11Wayne Thompson II 4/14/11Virgil Ritchie II 4/14/11Matt Thomson II 6/14/11Harold Hermann II 9/14/11Lawrence Samlaska II 8/1/11Ernest Kreul II 5/14/12Richard Steen II 5/16/12Frank Budlowski V 5/24/12Samual Ranallo II 6/6/12Gordon Toftness II 10/19/12Darold Nevin II 11/28/12Marshall Bonneville II 12/3/12Norman Ricci II 12/10/12Milton Dennis II 12/21/12Ronald Nieman V 7/18/13Richard Neurer II 8/12/13Ervin Friedbauer K 9/3/13Harold Anderson K 11/10/13Norman Torkelson II 6/6/14108 Clear LakeHarold Waterman K 6/14/14110 New LisbonGaylord Fakes K 6/2/14112 StanleyDuayne Schunk II 6/8/14118 ThorpLouis Depa K 5/25/14141 New GlarusJames Burnard K 6/5/14144 AlbanyThomas Ryan Jr K 8/9/11Byron Jones K 11/22/13146 Beaver DamCarl Sommers II 6/5/14Stanley Rechek K 6/15/14Robert Braun V 6/21/14152 MenashaJohn Ashenbrucker II 6/15/14161 KingBetty Howe II 6/2/14167 Sauk CityRobert Curtin II 6/1/14174 HawkinsJoe Zubeck II 5/11/14175 LoyalGuy Weidman K 6/3/14176 WeyauwegaDaniel Gutbrod II 6/18/14182 Park FallsRichard Hilgart II 5/22/14185 GrantsburgGerald Soderbeck K 6/21/14201 TomahRonald Wagner V 5/22/14Lavern Bernhardt II 5/16/14Donald Olson II 3/28/14202 ChaseburgMerton Wilson K 6/11/14204 EllsworthJames Miller K 5/29/14205 JanesvilleKenneth Curtis K 6/19/14210 WaupunChester Possin II 5/20/14214 DarlingtonRobert Martin II 10/21/13266 ColbyAngus Lamont II 6/23/14284 HolmenFrank Spruce II 6/3/14

286 OostburgHarold Tenpas II 5/28/14299 Hales CornersJerry Miller V 4/24/14305 Johnson Creek Charles Naatz V 6/14/14310 RacineEnzo Lucarelli II 6/14/14John Buck K 6/14/14317 WautomaErwin Reiser II 5/26/14324 OsseoRichard Galstad K 5/29/14331 West AllisRobert Voss II 5/26/14333 Sun PrairieCharles Cornils K 6/7/14336 OnalaskaThomas Lynch V 3/19/14Myron Helgerson II 4/26/14Robert Wilhelm II 5/28/14David Tucker K 3/30/14Clayton Every K 3/18/14Keith Thoftne K 1/30/14Ernest Sanders V 2/22/14Arthur Gale K 6/30/14

Harley Gullickson 3/13/14Phillip Herrmann 12/15/13337 PulaskiIrwin Stollfus K 5/17/14Gary Gajewski V 6/13/14Donald Bogacz V 6/14/14340 BerlinDale Dean K 5/19/14342 LenaKenneth Foral II 6/1/14351 MontelloErvin Schmudlach II 1/19/14Claire Alexander II 6/15/14358 UnityJack Pryer II 5/22/14375 MukwonagoGordon Riek K 6/10/14399 OkaucheeHelmuth Gastreich II 5/19/14406 MilwaukeeGordon Kaufert II 5/19/14415 MilwaukeeCasimer Klapczynski II 5/21/14425 ExelandDavid Stasik V 5/25/12Mailand Patterson II 5/24/14

439 MelroseRobert Buckhannon K 5/29/14443 Blue RiverParker Weum K 6/13/14447 ViolaJohn Young K 4/29/13Emmett Egge II 5/24/13449 Brookfi eldOrval Hummitzsch II 6/13/14453 BelmontGordon Clayton K 6/14/14457 MequonWillard Johnson II 5/27/14Rudolph Manke II 5/24/14485 RudolphEarl Johnson II 6/24/14501 MadisonWilliam Toomey II 5/25/13Kenneth Brost II 6/10/14Herbert Haas K 5/10/14Dennis Carey V 6/1/14518 Green BayEugene Rood II 5/27/14Gary Kisling V 6/6/14553 MadisonDonald McCloskey II 5/15/14Harvey Breuscher II 5/18/14Robert Buckhannon K 5/29/14

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