Jessica E. Williams on Leading with Empathy
With a college degree, Jessica E. Williams could have entered the United States Army Reserve as an officer. Instead, she chose to enlist and take a different leadership path. Williams, who grew up on a five-acre farmette in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, had not originally intended to join the military. But after
Wisconsin Connections to the American Revolution
While Wisconsin did not become a territory until 1836 and a state until 1848, its ties to the American Revolution go far deeper than may be apparent. Many will think of the 250th anniversary of our independence as something that happens in the original thirteen colonies but those who made
The Story of Millie and Clarence
Separated by war, their loving commitment endured after Clarence was taken prisoner by German troops. Twenty-one-year-old Clarence Beltmann of Milwaukee enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1942, one of the tens of thousands of young men caught in the swell of patriotism that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Willie B. Williams: We Were Like Family
Vietnam Veteran Willie B. Williams When Mik Derks for interviewed Willie B. Williams, a DeForest, Wisconsin resident at the time, the result was an intimate picture of an infantry squad leaders’ life in Vietnam in 1966. Williams remembers the good times of camaraderie with his squad's singing group and, more
Wisconsin Veteran Holiday Vignettes
The holiday season offers a unique opportunity to touch on a poignant topic for veterans, the holidays, and usually, we would provide you with a full context for each veteran who served. However, in this case, we would like to focus on short, stand-alone stories that provide a better sense
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
Doug Mauritz: A Passion for Community
Marshfield, Wisconsin, resident Douglas M. Mauritz grew up between Washington state and central Wisconsin in the 1980s and 1990s. While his family lived in Parkland, Washington, outside Tacoma, his father taught him and his sister about country living on a farming property that they owned. Nevertheless, the change from city
The Leyte Landing: Wisconsin Veterans on MacArthur’s Return
General MacArthur's return to the Philippines on Leyte, October 20, 1944. Public Domain: Gaetano Faillace. General Douglas MacArthur's Philippine landings brought with them confident images of dominance. MacArthur promised his return after the Japanese defeat of the Allied Forces in the Philippines: "I shall return." MacArthur's return marked a turning