Wisconsin Women in Combat: Garza Recounts Being Under Fire at FOB Masum Ghar
In April 2011, Jessica Garza deployed to Afghanistan with the brigade S-1 section, 1-25th Striker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT). Initially, the command assigned Garza and her unit to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Lagman. FOB Lagman was a former forward operating base in Qalati Ghilji, Zabul Province, Afghanistan. While there, she
Remembering the Korean Armistice: 1,100 Days as a Prisoner of War
On July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed that began a ceasefire between North Korea and South Korea, although occasional hostilities flare between the two countries continue to this day. While this declaration of ceasefire was not a formal end to the war, it marks an important day in which
Dunday Recalls Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT)
In March 2005, Blair Dunday enlisted under the Army's Delayed Entry Program (DEP), knowing that the Army would train her as an 89B (ammunition specialist). She delayed entry until July 2005 as she cared for her younger siblings and began her six-year enlistment. Dunday attended basic training at Fort Leonard
Memories of War with Nao Tou Lor
Nao Tou Lor was born in 1953 in the province of Xieng Khouang, Laos. His father worked with the French, and Nao Tou Lor remembers visiting the French fort near his home at an early age. Circa 1962, the Vietnamese arrested his father and took him. Nao Tou Lor and
The Battle of Ramadi, April 6, 2004: The Day Things Changed for Coalition Forces and Brandon Winneshiek
In this video clip, Marine veteran Brandon Winneshiek, F “Foxtrot” Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, relates his experiences in Ramadi, Iraq, on April 6, 2004. Before April 6, Ramadi seemed like any other city, with friendly people going to work and living their daily lives. The Americans gave coloring books
Andreé L. Griffin: Bagram and Back
For Women’s History Month, we feature Andreé L. Griffin, who served in the United States Army Reserves from March 2010 to March 2018 and grew up in Slinger, Wisconsin. She describes her childhood as a "typical country" and included learning to ride and care for horses, a passion she continued
James M. Cocroft: Advocating for Veterans
James M. Cocroft, also known as “Groovy,” served in the United States Navy from August 17, 1987, to September 1, 2007. Cocroft grew up in Milwaukee, attended Milwaukee Public Schools, and graduated from South Division Highschool in 1987. The Cocroft family has a deep military service tradition in Wisconsin. The
Wisconsinites Serving During the Holidays
Serving in the United States military over the holiday season brings back poignant memories for Wisconsin veterans. When asked, they remember the place and what was happening at that time, usually more clearly than the normal day-to-day. They also reexperience the feelings and emotions felt at that time. Oral history
Ho-Chunk Warrior Owen C. Mike
This is the story of Ho-Chunk warrior, Owen C. Mike, known as Jąąpwakącąk in the Hoocąk language. A leader of the Buffalo Clan, Ho-Chunk Nation, Mike served in the Vietnam War and received the Silver Star Medal and Bronze Star Medal with valor device for his actions while under fire
Ghost Mountain Commander from Neillsville
On December 7, 1942, a year after the Pearl Harbor Attack, Herbert M. Smith of Neillsville, Wisconsin, was wounded in the Battle of Buna-Gona while encouraging E and G Companies of 2nd Battalion, 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Division. The battle for Buna remains one of the most brutal engagements of