U.S. ARMY CELEBRATES 250TH BIRTHDAY IN MADISON
Wisconsin Veterans Museum leads a 250th birthday celebration for the U.S. Army on June 13 and 14 MADISON, May 29, 2025 — Join the Wisconsin Veterans Museum on June 13 and 14 as we celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. Mark this milestone and honor the true spirit of our
A Succession of U.S. Army Kings
Wisconsin Ties to the Revolutionary War Two hundred fifty years ago, Harvard College student Rufus King (1755-1827) 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
IMLS Grants Preserve Delicate Photographs, Improve Public Access
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
MEDIA PREVIEW OF NEW EXHIBIT Traditions: Stories of Service to Country & Community
MADISON, February 26, 2025 — On March 13 from 8am-4pm, the media is invited to preview a new exhibit at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Traditions: Stories of Service to Country & Community highlights stories of Wisconsin veterans’ service in uniform and their contributions after service to our nation and state.
IT STILL MATTERS: COLLECTION INSPIRES KISSERS MUSIC
Amplifying the stories of our Wisconsin veterans through modern music is exactly what WVM’s Archivist, Russ Horton and Curator of History, Kevin Hampton have accomplished by lending their expertise to Ken Fitzsimmons of Madison band, The Kissers for their recently released album, The Foe and the Fallen: Songs from the
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
Women’s Army Corps (WAC) 1943 and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion World War II, the global conflict that saw United States fighting forces engaged around the world, created a need for using all citizens of the United States during the war. The U.S. military created women’s auxiliary units starting
The Malmedy Massacre: the Survivor Story of Sergeant Henry “Roy” Zach
The Malmedy Massacre was a German war crime committed by soldiers of the Waffen-SS on 17 December 1944 at the Baugnez crossroads near the city of Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945). Soldiers of Kampfgruppe Peiper shot and killed 84 unarmed
Touching Virtually Everything That Happens in the Museum: This Is Jennifer Van Haaften
From the corn fields of her home state of Iowa to the field of museum work, Jennifer Van Haaften has dedicated the past 30 years to creating a positive visitor experience through museum education and programming. As the Assistant Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, she has a hand in
Gatekeeper of Collections: This Is Brittany Strobel
Deep in the recesses of the State Archive Preservation Facility (SAPF) on the east side of Madison, Brittany Strobel, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Processing Archivist, has the privilege of preserving the significant events and innermost thoughts of some of our veterans. The processing archivist has the official responsibility of the
Behind the Scenes: The State Archive Preservation Facility
The State Archive Preservation Facility or SAPF, pronounced by staff as “safe,” is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art space designed to care for Wisconsin’s historical artifacts and archives. The State of Wisconsin completed construction in 2017 and in 2018 the Wisconsin Veterans Museum moved its collections storage from the basement of the