Badger&“Wisconsin”&“Wisconsin” Official Publications of The

Wisconsin American Legion Family

“For God & Country”

www.wilegion.org

July 16, 2015Vol. 92, No. 6

Badger&“Wisconsin”&“Wisconsin”&“Wisconsin”&“Wisconsin”&“Wisconsin”

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

Commander Bob Shappell, an Air Force veteran, is proud to announce that the Wisconsin American Legion and the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion in Milwaukee have joined together and formed a a partnership for mutual support. The formal re-lationship agreement was signed on Monday, June 15th, at the Peter Wollner Post No. 288 in Cedarburg. The relationship is based on the shared values of The American Legion and the Army Recruiting Battalion and their joint commitment to devel-oping the academic and leader-ship potential of young people. Signing the document on behalf of the Department of Wisconsin was Commander Shappell, while Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Lima, Ci-vilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Wisconsin, and Lt. Col. Daryl Collins, commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Milwaukee, signed on behalf of the Army.

The document reads:

The Milwaukee Army Recruit-ing Battalion and Wisconsin American Legion recognize the shared values and goals in sup-porting the Nation’s youth by raising awareness of education

The Wisconsin Natural Re-sources Board voted on Wednes-day, June 24th to restore 220 acres of land in the Northern Highland – American Legion State Forest to Camp American Legion.

Camp American Legion’s ori-gin can be traced to the inspira-tion of Jim Burns, the 1st Wis-consin American Legion Service Offi cer, who as early as 1920 would make arrangements for sick or disabled Veterans to go camping in northern Wiscon-sin to get their minds off their problems, regain health by ex-ercise and live close to nature. In March 1925 the Legion en-tered into a contract to purchase “Camp Minnewawa”. The camp was put into operation in the summer of 1925 and renamed

and career options and devel-oping the skills and leadership qualities necessary for a lifetime of service.

Camp American Legion. Lands used in conjunction with the camp have been leased from the State of Wisconsin since 1927.

At various times during the 90 year history of Camp, the Legion has controlled different sized parcels of State-owned land, the largest of which fell under a lease which ran from 1944 to 1964. In 1964 American Legion leadership relinquished substantial areas of land with the understanding that this land would again be available to the Department in the future.

During negotiations for renew-ing the current Lease, which runs through 2024, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and American Legion representa-tives discussed restoring the re-linquished lands to Department

Wisconsin American Legion Joins the Army

DNR Board Votes to Allow Camp ExpansionLease Amendment to Take Place at Convention

Camp Goes “Back to the Future”From the July 1944 Edition of the Badger Legionnaire

The Milwaukee Army Recruit-ing Battalion is committed to:

• Supporting the Wisconsin American Legion in meeting its

control. Because the land relin-quished in 1964 had been avail-able for Public Access, the DNR Master Land Use Plan (MLUP) for the forest needed to be for-mally amended before restoring the relinquished lands to Legion control.

The decision by the Natural Resources Board at their June 24th now clears the way for the Camp to return again to the 1944 footprint. As Camp Ameri-can Legion continues to grow in popularity with Wisconsin mili-tary service personnel, veterans and their families, new programs and activities are offered. The Department will continue to pro-vide expanded opportunities to serve Wisconsin’s military com-munity and veterans in fulfi ll-ment of our mission.

2015 Membership Goal 59,600

July 9th Total: 57,863 • 97.09%

2015 Membership Goal 59,600

District 12100.66%

1st PLACE

District 196.82%

3rd PLACE

District 997.98%

2nd PLACE

District 296.03%

4th PLACE

District 1095.42%

6th PLACE

District 396.03%

5th PLACE

District 894.48%

7th PLACE

District 793.86%

9th PLACE

District 694.14%

8th PLACE

District 1193.26%

10th PLACE

District 589.45%

12th PLACE

District 490.99%

11th PLACE

Excitement builds as event takes shape.

(Continued on Page 4)

PAGE 2 THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE JULY 16, 2015

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 010-135

ISSN: 2154-2627Post 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.orgDavid A. Kurtz, Executive Editor

2014-2015 Communications CommitteeKendel D. Feilen, Chairman

Jeremy Nordie, Vice ChairmanEnsley Brown, DEC Liaison

Bernard OlsonPhil IngwellHarold RihnRory Burns

Greg Eirich, HistorianLoretta Shellman, Auxiliary LiaisonBonnie Dorniak, Auxiliary Liaison

2014-15 Department Offi cers

CommanderRobert ShappellVice Commanders

Dale OatmanRich RulandJohn ThurkDave Brisk

AdjutantDavid A. Kurtz

Sergeant-at ArmsCharles Roessler

Dave WischerService Offi cer

James FialkowskiNECman

Steve KruegerAlternate NECman

Ken Rynes

District Commanders 1st – Tom Strey 2nd – Dan Seehafer 3rd – Mary Lloyd 4th – Claire Goodfellow 5th – Ensley Brown 6th – Jeff Puddy 7th – Mark Lesko 8th – Jerome Krofta 9th – Laurel Clewell 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 53901Bonnie Dorniak, Editor

Teresa Isensee, Department PresidentBonnie Dorniak, Exec. Secretary/TreasurerTo change your address: Notify Unit Secretary

Unit Secretary: Notify DepartmentHeadquarters on a Member Data Form

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

DEPARTMENT COMMANDERThis is my fi -

nal article as your Department Commander. The past year has been a great year for the Wisconsin American Legion – a year of which

I am very proud. We said we would start a new Legion post on a college campus, and we did that. Post No. 1881 at Concordia University in Me-quon is alive and well, and will be the model for more college posts as we move into the future. We forged a partnership with the US Army Re-cruiting Battalion, creating a foun-dation to link up Army recruiters with local posts, especially aimed at joint efforts in youth education and activities in high schools. We com-pleted a second straight motorcycle ride, the Spirit Run, raising nearly

Working with the Wisconsin Air National Guard, Camp American Legion recently conduct-ed our “Strong Bonds” program. It was done with-

in a 128th Aerial Refueling Wing Air Terminal Reintegration Week-end. Camp had a good group of Airmen, spouses, families and chil-dren. Strong Bonds is a unit-based, chaplain-led program which assists commanders in building individual resiliency by strengthening the Air Guard Family. The core mission of the Strong Bonds program is to in-crease individual Airman and Fam-ily member readiness through rela-tionship education and skills train-

$50,000 on the ride for the Legacy Scholarship Fund. We recognized the need to expand our abilities to serve more veterans at Camp Amer-ican Legion, and gained unanimous approval from the DNR to transfer 225 additional acres into the Camp. While in themselves these accom-plishments are noteworthy, they are more important because of their fo-cus on our future growth, strength, and capabilities.

I stress the future, because we, the Legion Family, are becoming more and more important to veterans and their families. Within the past few months, you may have heard a ra-dio message in which I said, “The American Legion changes lives.” I believe that with all my heart. Just think of all the people we touch each year. Think of the young man who attends Badger Boys State and goes on to become a respected business-

ing. Strong Bonds is conducted in an offsite retreat format in order to maximize the training effort. Camp American Legion was the perfect setting. The training “get away” provides a fun, safe and secure en-vironment in which to address the impact of relocations, deployments and military lifestyle stressors.

During the session, a very interest-ing demonstration took place based in part on a book by Steven Covey titled “First Things First”. The in-structor took a large jar. He fi lled it with good sized rocks and asked, “Is the jar full?” Most everyone re-sponded, “Yes”. But was the jar re-ally full? The instructor then took some gravel and poured it in with the rocks, shaking the jar so that the gravel settled. Then he asked again, “is the jar full?” At that point most

man, or senator, or governor. Think of the Boy Scout who earns his Ea-gle rank because of the support of a Legion Post that sponsors the troop. Think of the veteran who needs a little help to get back on track with life, and receives a timely grant from us. Think of the veteran who visits our Department Service Offi ce and gets help receiving thousands of dol-lars in benefi ts. Think of the young man who spends the summer play-ing Legion baseball instead of be-coming involved in less wholesome activities. Think of the veterans and spouses in our Wisconsin veterans homes who benefi t from the care, at-tention, and love from our hundreds of Legion Family volunteers. Think of the many veterans who benefi t from the healing environment of Camp American Legion – they will tell you that their lives have changed. Some will even say that Camp saved

people are catching on, so some of them responded, “Probably not”. Then he took out a bucket of sand and poured some in. As the sand fi lled in the spaces left, once more he asked, “Is the jar full?” Some said “No” but others weren’t sure. Finally the instructor took a pitcher of water and poured some into the jar fi lling it to the brim. Now the jar was full.

The instructor then asked what people thought the point of the illus-tration was. Some would say that no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fi t some more things into it. But the important point is; if you don’t put the big rocks in fi rst, you will never get them in at all. In all of our lives we have big rocks, gravel, sand and water. The big rocks are the impor-tant things in our life that we don’t

their lives. Finally, think of the many communities around the state that are better communities because of the volunteerism, Americanism, and generosity of their local Legion posts.

Over the past year, I have seen how important our Posts are to their communities. We are important because we care – because we are passionate about our causes – be-cause we are united by our service to country. The things we do, and the way we do them, positively af-fect tens of thousands of lives each year. We are powerful in both our actions and our words.

I thank all of you for the oppor-tunity to have served as your Com-mander this year. I look forward to working with many of you in the future as we keep this organization growing in size, service, and spirit – yes, the Spirit of Wisconsin.

do because we are always dealing with the little stuff, the gravel, sand and water. The natural tendency seems to favor the small things, leaving little space for the most im-portant tasks. How many times have we said or heard someone else say; “Oh, I have no time for that” and it is a big rock in their life.

What are the “big rocks” in our lives? A large project? Spending time with your family? Our health? Our fi nances? Our faith? Our per-sonal development and dreams? Make a point to make a list of your big rocks. Then make a plan to en-sure that your big rocks are put in your life jar fi rst.

Thanks for your continuous sup-port of Camp American Legion and God bless!

Kevin Moshea, Director

Kevin MosheaCamp Director

The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs has many great partners in tak-ing care of Wis-consin veterans, including many great veterans service organi-

zations. Through Camp American Legion and other programs, The American Legion – Department of Wisconsin is one of those great partners.

The American Legion has oper-ated Camp American Legion since 1925 on land owned by the State of Wisconsin and managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Located in the town of

Lake Tomahawk, 22 miles north of Rhinelander, the camp con-ducts programs free of charge to honorably discharged Wisconsin veterans of all ages and all wars, active duty, Reserve and National Guard military personnel and their respective families.

Camp American Legion provides a peaceful, fun stay at a camp on the lake, serving those who have a physical or psychological medi-cal condition, any and all types of service and non-service related illnesses, injuries or disabilities.

Our current and most recent wars have brought veterans issues and needs again to the forefront of our minds, but thankfully we have had in place programs like Camp American Legion to help our vet-

erans as they return home. The camp has lakefront cabins dedi-cated exclusively for the use of veterans who have returned from Iraq and/or Afghanistan. These private cabins are designed to al-low families to reunite and spend quality time together to reunify as a family.

Veterans returning to Wisconsin from service in Iraq and Afghani-stan are not alone in restoring their lives to normalcy. Combat veterans from all eras deal with stresses that effect their fam-ily and professional lives. Camp American Legion hosts weekly peer group counseling sessions to assist veterans deal with post-traumatic and combat operational stress. In addition, there are many

programs at the camp to as-sist veterans: homeless veterans, wounded warriors, women veter-ans, among others.

The American Legion is looking to further partner with the DNR and WDVA to make new substan-tial improvements to the camp. Planned and potential improve-ments include new structures and hunting blinds for disabled hunt-ers to better serve veterans. The Legion is actively seeking part-nerships with the UW and its hos-pitals to further the Camp’s cen-tral mission of rehabilitation. The WDVA is proud to be a partner of the Legion in serving our veterans and looks forward to a continuing relationship that serves our veter-ans.

WDVA SECRETARY

John A. ScocosWDVA Secretary

CAMP DIRECTOR

Bob ShappellDepartment Commander

Thanks for Attending the 2015 Department Convention!

NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE OF THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE WILL CONTAIN HIGHLIGHTS,

PHOTOS AND SWEEPSTAKES WINNERS!

PAGE 3THE BADGER LEGIONNAIREJULY 16, 2015

Department Commander Robert Shappell of Peter Wollner Post No. 288 of Cedarburg administered to oath of off to the new officer of Concordia University Post No. 1881 at their installation ceremony held at the Mequon campus. The post commander is Eduardo M Garza, Jr. and the post adjutant is James Eichelberger.

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By Gary Achterberg – Special to the Badger Legionnaire

On a chilly, early April evening, veterans and others filled a room at Concordia University Wiscon-sin (CUW) to celebrate a new re-lationship.

The group of about 100 wit-nessed the birth of Wisconsin’s newest American Legion Post, which is calling the Mequon campus home.

“For us, being a Christian-based institution of higher learning, ‘For God and Country’ pretty much says it all,” said Eduardo Garza, who was elected the first commander of Post No. 1881. He is also the newly appointed direc-tor of Veteran Services for CUW.

“When we enter the service, we thank God for what we’ve been able to do to protect our country,” said Garza, who spent six years on active duty in the U.S. Navy. “Here at Concordia, it’s the same mission—we serve others.” Post No. 1881 bears added signifi-cance because that is the year that CUW, formerly Concordia Col-lege, was founded in Milwaukee.

The installation ceremony for the new post attracted veterans from all over Wisconsin, includ-ing The American Legion’s state commander and the assistant secretary of the Wisconsin De-partment of Veterans Affairs. Other nearby posts, particularly the Peter Wollner American Le-gion Post No. 288 in Cedarburg, welcomed their new brother with open arms.

“I can’t see a better fit for a post than Concordia University,” said Bob Shappell, The Ameri-can Legion’s state commander, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy who served more than a quarter century on active duty. He has been in The American Le-gion since his retirement in 2001.

Shappell said CUW is one of the best supporters of veterans in institutional higher learning. “The association with the cam-pus will create a special situation where the Post’s boundaries ex-tend to the hometowns of its stu-dents,” he said.

Garza said an initial goal for the new post is to establish a veter-ans resource center that will give veterans a place to visit, call their own, and serve as a welcome center for their families.

“The term ‘resource center’ is key because we want to be a re-source to help veterans and their families get in contact with the people who can help them,” he said. “We have established some very good partnerships here at Concordia with the VA Medical Center, the Vet Center, and all those different facilities that are designed to help veterans and their families.”

“Should a veteran or family come to us and need assistance, we know exactly who to call and how to help them,” he said.

Another way CUW reached out to veterans was a recent out-ing that connected the Univer-sity and others in the community with veterans. Andrew Locke, CUW’s senior director of donor relations, worked with Garza to organize a “Take a Vet Hunting” event at the Highlands Sports-men’s Club in Cascade, about 35 minutes from campus. The club is owned by T.J. and Anne Som-mer, who recently established a scholarship endowment for CUW and are strong supporters of the University in many other ways.

The group of 12 vets and 12 supporters spent a day hunting upland birds, including quail, pheasant, and grouse. Locke said it gave University backers an op-

portunity to say thank you to the veterans, and forge new relation-ships as they walked and hunted together. The event also helped show support for Concordia’s new veteran initiatives.

The formation of the Legion Post—one of just 10 in the na-tion on a college campus— un-derscores CUW’s commitment to veterans, which also includes the Veterans Services office that Garza leads. “The University is prepared to help veterans apply credits toward their military tran-scripts so they can make the most of the 36 months of tuition pro-vided under the GI Bill,” he said.

“How do you get a four-year de-gree with three years of tuition?” Garza asked. “By being able to utilize the credits they do have and apply those to their program. We’re better serving the veteran and helping them accomplish their goal of getting a degree.”

While the charter members of the Post span a wide age range, Garza said he is honored to have a World War II veteran as one of the Post’s 36 charter members. Eugene “Lefty” Ferry, the father of CUW’s president, is part of the Post.

Garza said that the Rev. Dr. Pat-rick Ferry could not have been more supportive and helpful in the process of getting the Post started on campus. During the ceremony, Ferry said he is hon-ored to be associated with the armed services and The Ameri-can Legion.

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be your colleague and have the privilege of serving alongside you,” he told the students, fac-ulty, and others at the ceremony. “You are among the great heroes in my life.”

Ferry said the new Post not only pays tribute to the University’s

New Legion Post at Concordia University Seeks to Serve Veteransveterans, but also will allow the student population to grow in their appreciation for all that ser-vice members have done on their behalf.

“You serve us in order to protect

our freedoms,” Ferry said. “Be-cause of your service, places like Concordia University Wisconsin are able to do what we do and fulfill our role in Christian higher education.”

Exciting Announcement from the Legionnaire Insurance Trust

We are excited to announce two great changes to LegionCare, your No-Cost AD&D Program.

Starting right now and for enrollments af-ter 1/1/2015, anyone enrolled in LegionCare will be covered for as long as they maintain their membership in The American Legion. This new “one and done” approach will save from needing to re-enroll every 5 years. The LegionCare program will con-tinue to cover you for $1,000 of AD&D coverage plus provide the added benefit of up to $5,000

if the accidental loss oc-curs when on “official Le-gion business.”

We want you to know too, LegionCare is now available to all members

of the Legion Family including the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of The American Le-gion members 18 years and old-er. The Legionnaire Insurance Trust has been working hard to provide valuable benefits to your entire family and we look forward to continuing to serve veterans’ insurance needs.

To e n r o l l , p l e a s e v i s i t www.TheLIT.com now.

A WORD ABOUT LEGIONNAIRE INSURANCE TRUST

The Legionnaire Insurance Trust (LIT) was formed in 1966 with two primary goals: to provide Legion families with low-cost insurance protection, and to provide a source of revenue to participating Legion Departments.

The Trust has been so successful in its over forty-five years that today over 500,000 Legionnaires in 49 participating Departments are enrolled in this unique program.

Also, in the same period of time, almost $1 billion dollars in claim benefits have been paid to Legionnaires and their families through the LIT; and over $71 million in allocations have been paid to participating Legion Departments.

The first Trust insurance plan to be offered was the Hospital Income Protection plan, a program designed to pay fixed dollar amounts for periods of hospital confinement. Over the years, other insurance coverage offered included: Cancer, Accidental Death, Travel Accident, Critical Illness, Disability Income, Emergency Assistance, Long Term Care, Medicare Supplement, Discount Cards, Dental, Whole Life, Auto, Homeowners, Identity Theft, and Home Health Care.

Since its creation, AGIA has worked closely with the Trust to develop insurance programs especially designed for Department members and their families. We are proud to serve you through the Trust and invite your inquiries and suggestions on any aspect of our activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 37454 ©2015

SPIRIT RUN

2015

T RUN

The 2015 “Spirit Run”, Com-mander Bob Shappells’ mo-torcycle fundraising effort to benefi t the Legacy Scholarship Fund, roared to a climax at the Wisconsin Veteran’s Home at King on Sunday, June 21st at the 2015 American Legion Day Cel-ebration.

The Spirit Run began in Me-quon on Thursday, June 18th and circled the state with stops in Germantown, West Bend, Beaver Dam, Columbus, Lodi, Prairie du Sac, Spring Green, Muscoda, Boscobel, Prairie Du Chien, Genoa, Coon Valley, West Salem, Onalaska, Alma, Pepin, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, Cadott, Merrill, Antigo, Wittenberg, Clintonville, New London and Waupaca.

The money raised by the event will be used to fund scholarships for children of military person-nel who died while on active duty. Since September 2001, some 11,000 children have lost a

parent in service to our country. “These children are the innocent casualties of war”, said Depart-ment Commander Bob Shappell. “The American Legion’s Legacy Scholarship Fund was created to ease their burden and we’re anx-ious to do our part.” The total survivor benefi t for children of military personnel killed on ac-tive duty is slightly more than $26,000, to be used for a col-lege education. In today’s dol-lars, this benefi t will pay about half of what a college education costs in the most affordable situ-ation. This gap widens when projecting future college costs.

Conservative estimates call for an increase by 5 percent per year, meaning that in 16 years, the most affordable college edu-cation will be $94,332. Military compensation will not keep up with these dramatic increases. The American Legion’s Legacy Scholarship Fund is designed to help fi ll the fi nancial gap for these children. “Providing an education for the children our military personnel leave behind is a civic duty and a powerful way to show our thanks”, Shap-pell concluded.

Legion Family members in posts, units and squadrons across Wisconsin participated by raising funds locally and presenting the proceeds to Commander Shappell and the Riders at stops along the way. Individuals still interested in supporting with their tax-de-ductible donations can contact Department Headquarters at (608) 745-1090.

PAGE 4 THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE JULY 16, 2015

By Senator Tammy Baldwin

America’s veterans have served our nation through two, decade-long wars, making many sacrifi c-es along the way. Sadly, a large number of our service members are coming home to face the dif-fi cult challenge of physical inju-ries, addiction, PTSD and other mental illnesses. These problems were tragically illustrated last year with the death of Wisconsin native, U.S. Marine Corps vet-eran Jason Simcakoski.

On August 30, 2014, Jason died at the Tomah VA Medical Center as a result of what was medically deemed, “mixed drug toxicity.” At the time of his death, Jason was on 14 different prescription drugs. Jason’s story is a devastat-ing example of the destruction caused by overmedication and addiction, the roots of which are regrettably at the VA.

That is why I have worked across the aisle in the United

States Senate, alongside Republi-can Senator Shelley Moore Cap-ito of West Virginia, to introduce bipartisan VA reform legislation called the Jason Simcakoski Me-morial Opioid Safety Act.

This bill takes steps to address the problem of overprescribing practices at the VA and to pro-vide safer and more effective pain management services to our

SPIRIT RUN NEARS $50,000 MARK!

nation’s veterans. It will give vet-erans and their families a stron-ger voice in their care, strengthen opioid prescribing guidelines, and enhance provider education and training. It also works to im-prove coordination and commu-nication throughout the VA and puts in place stronger oversight and accountability for the quality of care we provide our veterans.

I am grateful to The American Legion for your support of this legislation, which also has the support of several other veterans service organizations, medical professionals, Senators, and the Simcakoski family.

My hope is that by enacting these reforms, we will prevent tragedies like Jason’s from occur-ring to other veterans and their families by getting them help, in-stead of getting them hooked.

Learn more about the Ja-son Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act by visiting www.baldwin.senate.gov.

Funds to Bene� t Children of KIA’s

Jason Simcakoski Memorial Safety Act

Outstanding Senior Boy Award

Oconto Post No. 74 Donates Flag

Post No. 93 Commander Lowell Liberty recently presented the Outstanding Senior Boy Award to Jacob McGuire. This award is based on scholarship, athleticism and volunteerism. The award also includes a $250 scholarship.

Oconto Post No. 74 recently donated a POW MIA fl ag to the Bond Community Center. Connie Parkovich, Executive Director, and John Hubacker, Team Facilitator, receive the donated fl ag from Oconto Post No. 74 Service Offi cer Richard Pinkart.

Legion Riders from across the state took part in the 2015 Spirit Run to raise funds for the Legacy Scholarship Fund which benefi ts the children of service members who have died while on active duty since the advent of the Global War on Terrorism. The “Spirit of Wisconsin Run” traversed 700 miles, passing through 28 Wisconsin counties, and culminated at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King on Fathers’ Day, Sunday June 21st.

mission to develop leadership, foster personal growth and enable career success in students.

• Providing support to American Legion events as mission allows.

• Looking for opportunities to increase collaboration, develop additional programming and heighten awareness of the ben-efi ts of Army service and offi -cership among American Legion family representatives.

The Wisconsin American Le-gion is committed to:

• Emphasizing education, ser-vice to nation and leadership as pathways to success via Army service.

• Providing opportunities for US Army personnel to partici-pate as subject matter experts during American Legion events, workshops and seminars to speak about Army education, career op-portunities, teamwork, advanced skills training and leadership.

This partnership helps solidify local ties between Legion Posts across the state and local Army recruiters. Legionnaires are en-couraged to reach out to local re-cruiting offi ces and assist Army personnel. For more information, contact Department Headquar-ters at (608) 745-1090.

(Continued from page 1)

Past Dept. Sergeant of Arms Meeting

The 12th District celebrated reaching 100% of their 2015 Membership Goal at their Spring Conference held at Cable Post No. 487 over the weekend of May 30th. In attendance were Department Commander Bob Shappell, 12th District Auxiliary President Barb McDaniel, Past Department Commander and National Commander candidate Denise Rohan, 12th District Commander Jim Chapin and Congressman Sean Duffy, who received recognition as the 12th District Legislator of the Year. Photo by Julie Friermood

Joseph Morouney of Darien, WI is the President of Wisconsin Children of the American Revo-lution (WisCAR). Joseph raised over $1,500 for Camp American Legion. To be part of this group the young person must have a documented ancestor who served in the Revolutionary War. Joseph contacted American Legion and VFW posts in the area, as well as other veterans organizations such as Vietnam Veterans of America and the Wisconsin Daughters of the American Revolution as do-nors to his project. Joseph, who is 14 years old, chose Camp American Legion as his proj-ect because both his father and grandfather are now or have been

Post commanders of American Legion Post No. 440 in Clinton WI. Joseph’s father Michael is

a Desert Storm veteran and his grandfather, James Schumacher, is a Vietnam veteran.

WisCAR Raises Funds for Camp

12th District Celebrates 100% Membership Achievement

BIKES, HELMETS & CART DONATION

CAMP’S YOUNGEST CAMPER!

FALL CREEK FUN FEST PARADE

Sydney Olsen, shown with dad, rides her “Princess” bike; one of 25 donated to Camp American Legion by Post No. 375 of Mukwonago. The post also donated bike helmets and a new golf cart. A big thanks to Community Post No. 375 from the land of the Bear! Seeing the smile on this little camper’s face says it all on how much appreciated this donation is. Camp continues to put in place activities and play things for the kids. In just the first three weeks of Camp from May 4 - 24 we have had 56 children.

Two week old Savannah Olson enjoys a meal in the Camp Dining Hall. Savannah and family attended Camp during the 128th Air Refueling Wing Air Terminal Reintegration Weekend.

Members of Brackett Post No. 550 and Fall Creek Post No. 376 leading the Fall Creek Fun Fest Parade. The event attracts hundreds of visitors to the small Western Wisconsin community each year.

PAGE 5THE BADGER LEGIONNAIREJULY 16, 2015

6TH ANNUAL FALL RIDE TO CAMP

$10 DONATION PER MEAL, PLEASE

Saturday, September 19th • 12:00 NoonPig Roast and Corn Boil

All funds raised should be brought to Camp on September 19th for a special presenta-tion event. Rooms at Camp may be reserved for September 11th, 12th and 13th. A donation of $30.00 per bed per night is requested. Continental breakfast is included

with stay. Reservations requested for overnight stay can be made with Camp Director Kevin Moshea at (715) 277-2510

TO RAISE FUNDS TO BENEFIT CAMP AMERICAN LEGION

POLICE POST PRESENTS COLORS

Milwaukee Police Post No. 415 was honored to present our Nation’s Colors at the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers game in Appleton on June 29th. Pictured on the field from left to right are; Wayne Jensen, Bruce Jensen, Darrell Malmarowski and Kendel D. Feilen.

PAGE 6 THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE SEPTEMBER 25, 2014PAGE 6 THE BADGER LEGIONNAIRE JULY 16, 2015

The LastBugle

3 AntigoArthur Kjome II 05/15/159 Wisconsin RapidsDennis Boyer II 12/27/14Kenneth Gustafson II 06/07/1510 WausauThomas Carlson K 06/24/15Donald Leitzke II 06/24/15John Lake K 06/01/15Stanley Seefeld II 01/01/1511 Green BayCharles Zanzig II 05/21/1513 Richland CenterRobert Richardson II 05/28/15Harry Cooper II 06/03/1519 HartfordJerome Held II 05/28/15Donald Ehley II 05/23/1520 WaterfordCalvin Matthews II 06/14/1526 BarabooStuart Schlender II 05/26/15Bernard Rabata K 06/08/1532 MenomonieLarry Hostettler V 06/22/1533 NeenahWallace Prahl II 05/23/15Harland Goldschmidt K 06/08/1536 West BendThomas McDaniel K 12/22/1438 AppletonWilbur Hack II 01/27/1540 BangorMerlin Betts II 06/13/1541 KaukaunaWilfred Powers II 06/08/1542 PlattevilleDonald Vannatta K 06/01/1548 BeloitLyman Carter II 06/11/1551 West SalemMaynard Jacobson K 11/15/14Robert Roraff K 01/05/15Randolph Lokken V 03/01/15Maynard Carlson II 04/26/15Larry Wiemerslage V 06/23/1553 Eau ClaireJames Mcinnis K 03/23/15William Grutzmacher K 05/02/15Lorne Brandl II 05/18/15Gilbert Statz K 06/12/1554 Marshfi eldHarry Panzer K 06/27/15Robert Kohlbeck K 07/01/1569 MayvilleRichard Komp II 06/07/1577 Chippewa FallsLouis Rineck II 06/19/1579 BurlingtonHarlan Frahm K 05/19/15Frank Hetzel K 05/08/15Richard Johnson K 06/13/1581 MaustonEdwin Rogers II 04/28/15Florence Zeese II 05/26/1484 MonroeEnoch Huston K 05/28/1587 Rice LakeStanley Pierce II 06/27/1588 ManitowocDon Holly K 04/15/15Victor Brown K 01/05/15Edward Spurney K 04/25/15

89 MinocquaLeroy Depies K 04/25/1593 TomahawkErnest Reese II 05/27/15Kaarlo Hinsa II 06/17/1595 DelavanBrian Johnston V 06/21/1597 DodgevilleRaymond Brennan K 06/18/15118 ThorpRobert Zukowski K 06/01/15Donald Izydorek K 06/06/15Edward Jasinski II 06/24/15121 River FallsEdwin Olson PG 06/19/15123 OwenCharles Pribbernow II 06/21/15127 HilbertRaymond Baumgarten II 06/29/15141 New GlarusDwight Elmer II 06/21/15142 BlanchardvilleRonald Cleary V 06/19/15143 St Croix FallsEugene Lodermeier II 04/27/15148 BloomingtonDonald Metcalf K 06/15/15153 PittsvilleRichard Fredette K 06/20/15William Hahm II 06/16/15164 JeffersonDuane Lehman K 04/14/15170 Mineral PointThomas Pilling V 10/05/14183 Genoa CityErnst Kloppstein K 06/03/15189 WatertownLyle Allen V 05/29/15Donald Buss K 06/19/15Glen Lemacher V 04/13/15Norbert Willing K 05/07/15190 ReesevilleRalph Gibson V 05/29/15200 Black River FallsWayne Marshall II 06/20/15205 JanesvilleErnest Muenchow II 05/28/15Richard Siefkes II 06/12/15Richard Schenker II 06/24/15209 OrfordvilleElgee Marshall II 04/21/15Norman Geister II 06/06/15210 WaupunRobert Pownell II 05/30/15214 DarlingtonCharles Clayton II 11/12/14Rodney Rowe V 06/25/14Gerald Coffey II 10/18/14217 BonduelRoland Bloedorn K 05/25/15219 MilwaukeeDavid Rhode V 06/18/15220 Soldiers GroveWilford Holliday V 05/29/15233 WaterlooWayne Essmann K 05/31/15244 Westfi eldRaymond Desrvisseaux II 06/18/15255 LuckWalter Balcom II 02/04/15258 Little ChuteHenry Tolliver V 05/25/15Dale Marquardt V 06/23/15263 New LondonDale Reese II 07/02/15Ronald Tschurwald K 06/30/15270 TheresaClarence Steger II 05/30/15278 Balsam LakeWilliam Hoehne V 02/10/15Wendle Johnson K 08/12/14280 ColemanJoseph Polster K 11/01/14282 MarkesanStanley Jezeski V 06/10/15293 Silver LakeLouis Locascio V 06/23/15

310 RacineLeonard Boehler V 05/31/15Charles Poulson II 06/20/15318 Lake TomahawkRichard Fagan K 06/11/15324 OsseoFloyd Tomter II 05/24/15331 ShorewoodJoseph Larsheid K 02/16/14351 MontelloRichard Wheaton II 06/26/15360 WaunakeeTed Pertzborn K 05/25/15368 HixtonHarold Ludeman II 06/08/15375 MukwonagoJoseph Cavalluzzi K 06/15/15376 Fall CreekPaul Welke K 06/17/15382 Menomonee Falls Dean Kramer K 06/17/15Ward Wentworth II 06/20/15

393 Edgar Gerald Kafka II 05/28/15401 Cambria Leroy Hughes K 06/09/15Thomas Williams II 06/18/15406 Milwaukee Richard Bugalski V 03/22/15431 Three Lakes Edward Starrett K 06/13/15440 Clinton John Borowski V 02/18/15450 Darien Richard Morris II 12/14/13451 Boulder Junction Raynard Darnstadt II 06/02/15454 Mt Calvary Alphonse Schneider II 05/28/15Edward Schneider II 06/06/15473 Potosi James Patzner K 05/29/15476 Loomis Harold Race K 06/08/15Lyle Fuller V 06/10/15

483 Allenton William Joers K 06/04/15486 Jackson Thomas Leitheiser K 05/26/15501 Madison William Heine K 12/04/13Robert Hastert K 05/13/15509 Rosholt Richard Domask K 06/23/15522 Hubertus James Wiedmeyer II 05/25/15532 Fifi eld Louis Lobermeier II 02/07/15Royce Putnam K 03/10/15534 McFarland Arthur Ptaszynski II 04/11/15537 Milwaukee Melvin Reese II 04/09/15Frank Thekan II 12/25/14541 Northfi eld Neil Humphrey K 05/26/152930 Portage John Schaller II 03/08/14

What if you were Bob?George and Bob both go on a solo fishing trip to a beautiful, but remote, town in Alaska every summer. While enjoying the idyllic scenery, they both notice chest pains — they are having a heart attack!

George has Emergency Assistance Plus

Medical specialists to monitor their

care

They call 9-1-1 and are admitted to the hospital

Travel assistance to bring a loved one to their bedside

A driver to drive their car/RV back home since they

are unable to drive

Bob pays $400

Bob pays $1,100

Bob pays $1,800

Bob does not

Medical evacuation to a facility that is able to

properly treat their condition

Bob pays $16,000George pays $0

George pays $0

George pays $0

George pays $0

George’s Total:$0

=Bob’s Total:$19,300!

=

What happens next?

Both require

Emergency Assistance Plus is an emergency medical transportation service that goes beyond health and travel insurance. It covers expenses for medical transportation, medical evacuation and travel and companion assistance — services that your insurance usually does NOT pay for.

You must call EA+ during your emergency so EA+ can make the arrangements for you.**This is only an outline of the plan’s features. Please read your Member Benefit Guide carefully to understand all the services available to you, as well as any terms, conditions and limitations.

Learn more about how you can be protected by EA+. Call today to speak with a customer service representative at 1-888-310-1547. Or to apply online, visit www.thelit.com/Emergency-Assistance-Plus

Emergency Assistance Plus® Program

37640

From Your American Legion Department

37640 LT19915 Ad.indd 1 3/31/15 10:15 AM

1. Log onto wilegion.org and click on “Renew Online” 2. Enter your name and member ID number3. Pay with MasterCard, Visa or DiscoverThat’s it! You’re done. You will receive your new mem-bership card in the mail. No more renewal notices. No more stamps.

IT’S AS EASYAS 1 2 3 !

PAGE 7THE BADGER LEGIONNAIREJULY 16, 2015

100% POST COMMANDERS

100% COUNTY

COMMANDER

LORI BELLOWBROWN COUNTY

Post No. 55 • HortonvilleDennis Capelle

Post No. 294 - HartlandTom Lay

Post No. 412 - BelgiumDon Tuhy

Post No. 82 - Port WashingtonJames Schmidt

Post No. 87 • Rice LakeBill Coleman

Post No. 370• Wild Rose Emil Zak

Post No. 457 • MequonBill Prahl

Post No. 385• VeronaCarl Syftestad

Post No. 470 - SaukvilleJohn L. Staton

Post No. 391• FremontMichael Budaj

Post No. 295 • BloomerJim Conrad

Post No. 171- Union GroveFrank Knoieska

Post No. 131 • ColfaxTom Dunbar

2014 2

015

2014 2015

TH

E SPIRIT OF WISCONSIN100%

POST COMMANDERS

POST COMMANDERS

100%

POST COMMANDERS

THESPIRIT

OF WISCONSIN

Cascino Vaughan Law Offices, Ltd.Allen D. Vaughan, Esq. Michael P. Cascino, Esq.

www.DairylandAsbestos.com

1-800-783-00821110 N. Old World Third St., Milwaukee 53203

Serving Wisconsin’s Asbestos Victims for over 25 years.

you SMOKED or have any of the following symptoms, see your doctor and perhaps an attorney.

Persistent coughing or wheezing Chest pain Shortness of breath Coughing up blood Weight loss with no known cause

If you were exposed to ASBESTOS, and

Advertising Material

Advertising Material

Cascino Vaughan Law Offices, Ltd.Allen D. Vaughan, Esq. Michael P. Cascino, Esq.

www.DairylandAsbestos.com

1-800-783-00821110 N. Old World Third St., Milwaukee 53203

Serving Wisconsin’s Asbestos Victims for over 25 years.

you SMOKED or have any of the following symptoms, see your doctor and perhaps an attorney.

Persistent coughing or wheezing Chest pain Shortness of breath Coughing up blood Weight loss with no known cause

If you were exposed to ASBESTOS, and

Advertising Material

Advertising Material

I continue to be honored by your support and gifts to my campaign for National Com-mander of The American Le-gion.

Last month we had a golf tour-nament hosted by Past Depart-ment Commander Ted DeMicchi at the Reedsburg Country Club. There were over 100 golfers and volunteers who helped us raise needed funds for the campaign.

A special thank you to those who volunteered and made spe-cial donations during the event. They are: Ted and Sue DeMic-chi, Wayne and Donna Jensen, Roy and Nancy Helms, Al Rich-ards, Jim Schmidt, Ron Hessil, Donna Gough, Leo Endres, Barb and Stan Erlandson, Jim Hying, Tom Strey, Russ Hanseter, Art and Joanne Biesek, Mark and Marianne Lesko, Tim Dobson, 3rd District Riders, First Dis-trict, Pearl Douglas Trust, and District leadership for basket raffl e donations.

Thank you to the 80 hole spon-sors from around the state. And,

of never forgetting those who perished in various wars, because of their commitments we are a free nation. Young people should also make an effort to be leaders in the community and country, because they will help preserve these freedoms.

At the cemetery each name on the monument was read with a brief biography and a red poppy was dropped in their memory. The ceremony included, in addi-tion to Secretary Boland, Pastor Brian Campbell, Post No. 238 Commander Mike Klump, Honor Guard Commander Harry John-son, and Master of Ceremonies Dick Adler. Taps was performed at the conclusion of the ceremo-ny by Kirkland Johnson.

The Greenwood Legion wish-es to thank the Wuethrich Foun-dation for its generous fi nancial support toward the cost of the monument, as well as Jamie Tuinstra and the City of Green-wood for site preparation.

fi nally, thank you to Boucher Auto Group for the Ford F150 Hole-in-One sponsorship and their continued support of my campaign.

The outing was such a great success PDC Ted is thinking about hosting another tourna-ment next year to benefi t the campaign for National Com-mander.

We are looking forward to several events during state con-vention to include the Auxil-iary fundraising team hosting a Poker Run, 4th District hosting

a National Campaign hospital-ity room, the Past Command-ers Club Party and visiting with members about the campaign. The Appleton Convention Cor-poration has been very generous helping with tables and support for the campaign.

The Iowa County Council sold brats in the lot on July 3rd to benefi t the campaign and Verona Post No. 385 donated proceeds from their Hometown Days event. Thank you to all of you for your support.

As my travels begin to expand it may become diffi cult for me to attend fundraising events. Please continue to include me in your planning, I would love to attend your events to personally thank you and your participants for your efforts.

Meanwhile, if you would like to make a personal donation to my campaign you can make your check payable to and send to: Denise Rohan for National Commander, PO Box 930100, Verona, WI 53590-0100.

THANK YOU

Chapter 1 of the American Legion Riders Association of Wisconsin was honored to provide a funeral escort for Air Force veteran Peter Tillema, Sr. in Racine on May 14th. The Legion Riders are an association of American Legion Family Members who participate in parades and other ceremonies that are in keeping with the aims and purposes of The American Legion. The American Legion Riders Association of Wisconsin promotes motorcycle safety and provides a social atmosphere for Legion Family members who share the same interests. The Association supports the programs of The American Legion and communities across the state.

1ST DISTRICT LEGION RIDERS PROVIDE FUNERAL ESCORT

(Continued from front cover)