Oral History Interview with Mary Slisz-Chucka

BLUMENBERG: Okay, good morning. Let's get started with this interview. My name is Tom Blumenberg, and it is October 3, 2016. And I am here today in Hayward, Wisconsin, with a veteran that I met some time ago, and her name is Mary Slisz-Chucka. Good morning, Mary.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Good morning.

BLUMENBERG: We will get started with this brief interview, so thanks for joining me today.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Thank you.

BLUMENBERG: Let's just start with some biographic information, simple stuff about where and when you were born.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I was born in Hayward, Wisconsin. My parents lived in Couderay.

BLUMENBERG: So this is home.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, it is.

BLUMENBERG: And you grew up in the big city of Couderay.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Correct. I think there was 112 people at the time, and 00:01:00it went down to ninety-something now, I believe. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: And what was your birth date?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: August 19, 1966.

BLUMENBERG: Tell me about your parents and what their occupations were.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: My mom was a waitress, and she worked at the Beechmoor Restaurant, so it was close to home. And my dad worked for the highway department as a bridge foreman. And he also worked part-time, he became the constable of Couderay, and then worked with the sheriff's department part-time.

BLUMENBERG: Did you have any siblings?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I have a sister, and she ended up moving out to Oregon, and now she lives down in Las Vegas.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, so she's moved around a little.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Younger sister, yeah.

BLUMENBERG: And what was her name?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Patty.

BLUMENBERG: Did she serve in the military?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: She did not.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. So you were living a simple life in Couderay and Hayward. Can you tell me about what was going on in your life in the days before you entered military service?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Sure. I worked--actually there was big unemployment at the time, but I ended up working for two different jobs in Couderay which was kind of interesting because there's hardly any businesses there. I was waitressing at the Silver Fox when that restaurant was going, and then I also worked at Argetsinger Store for a little bit during that time too. After graduation, I went to the University of Wisconsin -- La Crosse, and I was there for about a year. And I saw that college life wasn't very good for me; I needed some self-discipline. So I had a friend who was in the Air Force, and I talked to him about the military.

BLUMENBERG: I'll just back you up a second. Where did you attend your 00:03:00elementary school?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I went to elementary school in Couderay when they still had the school there. And I was in--actually, we had the church was the kindergarten, so it was in the basement of the church right next to the school. And the school, they had grades one through four. And then after that, you transitioned into the Radisson school; there was a school there as well, and that was for fifth and sixth grade. And then I went to Winter for my middle school and high school years.

BLUMENBERG: So Radisson--Couderay had one hundred people, and Radisson had how many?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I want to say they had about 300-400 maybe.

BLUMENBERG: That was the big city.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: That's correct. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: And then Winter was 600.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Maybe, yeah.

BLUMENBERG: So we're talking small towns. And you graduated Winter High School.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, in 1984.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. And then after--you said you talked to your friend about the military when you were at the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse. And how did that person influence you to finally enlist?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Well, he was in the Air Force, and he got to travel around. And he was in Lubbock, Texas, at the time, and he really seemed to enjoy it. So I had a background just in being in the north woods hunting, fishing, and things of that sort, reading maps and stuff. So I thought about the military a lot actually, and I thought it would be a good fit for me. So I went to the recruiter's office, and I started off with the Air Force recruiter. The Air Force recruiter talked to me for a little bit about it, and it sounded very interesting. But I had scoliosis, and they had a degree measurement at the time of 00:05:00twenty-five degrees or less, and my scoliosis was forty-five degrees, so I did not qualify for the Air Force. I left his office kind of stumped, not sure what I would do. Well thank goodness, the other branches of the service had offices in this same building in Rice Lake, so I went to the Army next [laughs], and I finally keep going down the road until I find someone who will take me. And the Army said that I could get in with my scoliosis.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, good. So you enlisted in the Army. I didn't look at your DD-214--what date was that?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I enlisted--I finally got to go in August of 1985.

BLUMENBERG: And so what did the Army tell you that--I mean they said they would accept you into their ranks, but did they give you any idea of what to expect when you got in?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: They did not, and I did not ask. I felt as though they 00:06:00can't break my arm or leg, so what else can they do? [Laughs] I'll be safe, I'll be fine, and I'll get to travel a little bit. So I had no questions whatsoever, I just had a really good attitude about going in.

BLUMENBERG: So you were just going to wing it and make the best of it.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes. And I had a little trouble entering, in that I was supposed to go to MEPS [Military Entrance Processing Station] prior to my actual enlistment date.

BLUMENBERG: What's that?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: MEPS station in Minneapolis, that's where everybody kind of ships out of. I said goodbye to my family, I packed my stuff, headed off there, and I got there, and I was two pounds overweight, so I had to go back home. And they said that, once again, they told me to lose two pounds and come back. I went a second time, and again I was still two pounds overweight. So it took me three times going to MEPS before they'd actually send me off. By that time, I didn't even say goodbye to everybody. I thought I'll just see you again probably soon. [Laughter]

BLUMENBERG: So you went to Minneapolis where you entered into duty, 00:07:00and then what happened to you?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I went to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training, and that was very interesting. Once you get off the bus, everybody is getting screamed at. You just kind of carry your own bag, getting hollered at, and you just move it along with the flow of things. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: What else can you tell me about your basic training there?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: It was very interesting. And coming from a small town, you don't get exposure to a lot of different people. And this was kind of the whole United States coming together, and you see a lot of different people. It stuck out to me right away when they were having us in formation. They said to us that, "You are no longer brown, black or white. You are all green soldiers." And that stuck with me the whole time, and it really brought unity to the group, it really did.

BLUMENBERG: That's needed.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: So we all worked together to get through. I learned really fast that if someone is dragging along, the whole group benefits if you just help that person. When there were fifteen-mile road marches, I did everything I could to make sure everybody got through. I helped a lot of girls there. I think I had the advantage from growing up here. I was a little bit stronger, so I could do push-ups really well and fast. And I saw that was a weakness in the service. A lot of the girls, they would break down in tears when they were told to do push-ups because they couldn't. So I did a lot of training with people and just had them start doing push-ups off the wall and help strengthening and stuff trying to help everybody through it.

BLUMENBERG: So a lot of PT. [physical training]

SLISZ-CHUCKA: A lot of PT, yes. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: And do you want to categorize that? Was it--you were in good shape, but was it rugged for you?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: It wasn't for me. I did pass the Presidential Fitness Award at one time, and I got maxes on all my running, sit-ups, and push-ups, which 00:09:00was nice. So I did like that part of it actually.

BLUMENBERG: So PT was a good point for you.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: It was a good point, and it did help, I think, just from being strong in this area.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, what do you remember of your instructors while you were at basic?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I really liked my instructor a lot. We had some good drill sergeants. There was one that was transferred into ours. I felt bad for this guy. He had--I think he was a little hardcore, and maybe the girls that were under him weren't very happy about that, so they teamed up on him a little bit and accused him of things. So he transferred to our unit, and he was a little maybe just broken down then. But he was good as well too. And I 00:10:00remember the drill instructors, they were firm, but they were good, and they expected us to do what we were told. The military, they kind of--in basic, it was like a breaking point, they break you down in a way of fatigue and a lot of work. And you're kind of just to where you're--at one point, I fell asleep standing up on a rifle range, and I couldn't believe that I ever did that. [Laughs] I woke up to a drill instructor in my face. [Laughter] He just said, "Drop." [Laughter]

BLUMENBERG: He reminded you.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes. [Laughs] But you're broken to that point, but then it's a buildup, a buildup of self-esteem and everything, and that helps.

BLUMENBERG: And you mentioned girls. Were there a lot of females in your unit at basic?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: There was all females in basic training. I don't know if we were close to the males or not. There was a male group at some other area.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. So you progressed through basic. Is there any specific item in basic training that you would want to recall now?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: It was really neat. I really enjoyed throwing the grenades, that was fun. And also, I got to be in a foxhole that we dug out, and I watched an Army tank roll over the top of me, that was kind of interesting too.

BLUMENBERG: Yeah, a different perspective.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes. And the end of cycle [??] course was phenomenal, just going through that and crawling under the concertina wire, and they were shooting rounds at us. You could see the rounds go off above, that was kind of cool.

BLUMENBERG: So live rounds?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: It was yeah, basically blanks, but you could see the flash go off. [Laughs] You didn't want to stand up, that's for sure. I ended up as a squad leader, so that was very nice. I saw an award on the wall when I 00:12:00first got there for training in the cycle, and I wanted it. So I think my push-ups stood out quite a bit, and they just saw that I wasn't going to break down, I was going to help people. So I eventually ended up with the trainee of the cycle award. And the graduation, it was nice. I got to sit up in the front instead of stand in formation and hold a certificate.

BLUMENBERG: So that was the award that you saw when you first came in?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, I was in the hallways, and they posted them up there, the certain awards you could get, and that was the highest one.

BLUMENBERG: And you received that.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, I did, it was really neat.

BLUMENBERG: Congratulations on that.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Thank you.

BLUMENBERG: And then after your basic, what happened?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Then I was transferred to AIT [Advanced Individual Training] at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. And it was kind of close to the capital, so that was very nice. That was more integrated. I was the class of '19. I was the only female this time. And we were doing refrigeration and heating, 00:13:00utility equipment repair. We had to work in--it was called BCCS [Battle Command Common Services] units, it was like a unit where we charged refrigerant bottles for the night sight vision, I believe it was. And then they ended up not needing that anymore because they switched over to different equipment.

BLUMENBERG: Different technology.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah. And so I did the class, and I did progress through that very well. I made a lot of friends. It was interesting because you've gone from basic to same sex, to now it's an integrated unit. So I was treated good.

BLUMENBERG: No problem with that.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: No. I have to say everybody was very respectful.

BLUMENBERG: And the AIT is Advanced Individual Training, is that right?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. And how long did you spend at Fort Belvoir then?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I want to say it was around twelve weeks, it was about a three-month course, I believe.

BLUMENBERG: So twelve weeks of AIT.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah, and during that, we got weekend passes so we could leave the base a little bit. There was a little more freedom than we had during basic training; there was none of that.

BLUMENBERG: Right, no [inaudible].

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Mm-hm, which was good. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: Okay, and then after Fort Belvoir, where did you end up?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Then I got stationed--I got sent orders for Fort Lewis, Washington.

BLUMENBERG: So you went from Washington to Washington.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Correct, yes. And I got to stay at Fort Lewis, Washington, then through the rest of my service. I never did get to go overseas. At the time, I didn't think I wanted to, but looking back now, I wish I could've done that, had that opportunity. That would've been nice.

BLUMENBERG: Well, so just give me a roundabout date of when you ended up in Fort Lewis.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Oh, geez, I'd have to say it was probably around January of '86, I guess.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, Fort Lewis, here you are. You didn't get a chance 00:15:00to go overseas, but what function did you have while you were on base at Fort Lewis?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Well, it was interesting. When I got there, I was trained in utility equipment repair, heating, and refrigeration. And they told me right away that I would have to pick a different occupation because civilians have now taken over that field, so we were no longer needed. They asked me if I wanted to be a secretary or a mechanic, and I asked them, "Please don't put me behind a desk." [Laughs] So they questioned me as to what I knew about vehicles. I said, "I know how to change oil, spark plugs." And they told me that I'd be good as knowing as much as some of them guys coming out of the training for it. So I worked in the motor pool as a mechanic on the two-and-a-half-ton, five-ton vehicles and pickups. It was neat. We didn't do the big engine 00:16:00repairs or transmission, big items like that, but we did preventive maintenance in the motor pool.

BLUMENBERG: Was that a joint base at that time, McChord Air Force?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: No, I don't believe it was. We were going through transitions during that.

BLUMENBERG: All right, so you were working in the motor pool. Can you talk about what a typical day would be for you?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Basically we got up. We did PT first of all before we went there. And then we'd go home, clean up, get some breakfast, and head right over to the motor pool. It was interesting, a lot of stuff was by the manual. So I learned how--you know, you could go down the list, it was all pretty much a check sheet for what the vehicles needed, and we went down the manual. And then I would do things like replace CV [constant velocity] boots on some of the two-and-a-half-ton trucks or change tires, check batteries, things of 00:17:00that sort. And we had also exercises too where we had to go out to the field and perform exercises, convoys, and stuff. So we still kept up our new tactics and training.

BLUMENBERG: Right, you didn't want to let that slide.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: No. It was interesting too, we got to spend a couple of weeks out in the Yakima desert. So it was around all the volcanic ash from Mount Saint Helens, it was right after that period of time. So that was interesting being out there, you got very dusty for a couple of weeks.

BLUMENBERG: And that takes a toll on the equipment too.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, it does. And I ended up--I was always told, "Don't volunteer in the service." Well, they picked me to take a field sanitation course. So during that course, they told us that we wouldn't be digging the latrines, the outdoor bathrooms, but what we would be doing was to be in charge of a crew who dug the latrines. And we would know how to set them up and 00:18:00everything. So I took the course and found out that that wasn't really the case. [Laughter] I was in charge of myself out there. So my job when we went out to the field was to set up the field latrines. But I did get a--I don't know if they gave me a certificate or something--that some of the sergeants that had been around the world said it was one of the cleanest field latrines they had ever been in while they were out in the field. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: Well, field latrines are important.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: That's true. So I learned a bit about sanitation there.

BLUMENBERG: And that's how you started in public health.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I guess. [Laughter]

BLUMENBERG: Well, you're in Fort Lewis, and you've got those experiences. Tell us how you adapted to the military life and the routine while you were in Fort Lewis.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I enjoyed it a lot actually. I enjoyed just starting off and being physical and going to work. And then I did end up getting married 00:19:00while I was out there too. It was interesting because you almost had better financial assets to get married. You could afford to buy a house then, living double.

BLUMENBERG: So you lived off-base?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I did live off-base in Olympia, Washington. My husband and I bought a house out there. And he was more of a soldier partner than marriage partner. [Laughs] So I was married for a little while, but not very long.

BLUMENBERG: Well, that happens too.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. And then while you were stationed there, did you have contact with your family back in Couderay?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, I did. We did a lot of phone calling and writing letters and that too.

BLUMENBERG: So technology then was pretty easy to deal with.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, it wasn't an email. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: Some people in previous interviews said they had, you 00:20:00know, that letter writing was the thing that they did. And there would be a delay between getting your letters.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Oh, yeah, no cell phones back then.

BLUMENBERG: You didn't have to deal with that.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: No.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, then tell us about--apparently friends and friendships and camaraderie while you were at Fort Lewis, apparently you got married there, so that was a soldier friend.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes. [Laughs] And we've kept contact throughout the years even though we're divorced, you know. I still feel like I could call him because of that bond as I think as being a working relationship too as soldiers together. But we had some pretty good friends there. I found that in the military, they were more like family. Everybody was their last name; you didn't call them by first names. And you just really got a tight bond, even though--it's 00:21:00interesting, I haven't kept in contact with those--anybody I was in the service with, except my ex-husband. But still, I know if I ever had to, I could contact these people, and they'd be right there for you too.

BLUMENBERG: Yeah, that's a nice feeling.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, it is.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, then a little bit more about while you were at Fort Lewis. When you had liberty or time off base, what kind of activities did you participate in?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I tried to do a lot of sightseeing wherever I was. It was nice when I was in AIT. I got to go see the capital and tour the monuments in Washington, DC. And Fort Lewis too, we tried to get around Seattle a lot.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. Then it says you were at Fort Lewis for about two years; is that right?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes. And then I got--it was an early-out kind of 00:22:00program they had. So I was on a three-year enlistment, but I did get to leave in May because--maybe because they were making shortage or cutbacks at the time. So a lot of people were given the opportunity to leave three months early. And my husband, he ended up getting discharged because he was overweight, so they were really getting strict on weight regulations and everything like that. But I was able to do my whole tour and take the three months early-out.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. Then what happened after you were released? I mean you can say as much or as little as you want.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: It was stunning. It was actually like you didn't--it was a loss, almost, as far as what to do even. You just got up and--I really missed that structure that I was getting in the service. I didn't find work right away. And my husband and I ended up moving back to Wisconsin.

BLUMENBERG: So you stayed in Washington for a while.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: For a couple of months, yeah. And I think I was in a stun mode to where I didn't even really try to apply for a job right away. I was looking into maybe business ownership, different things. And I actually thought about reenlisting too, that was another thought as well. And then we moved back to Wisconsin and started caretaking for a residence, and then started--then I became a mom shortly after that.

BLUMENBERG: And that was when you came back, you were back in Couderay?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, we stayed in Couderay for a little bit, and then we moved to Ladysmith for a while too. Then I started as a mother and basically stayed home raising my son. And we did transfer, we moved down to Illinois looking for work and that too. I went through a divorce, so I was a single mom for quite a lot of years. I started work as a security officer down there and just did 00:24:00jobs like that, security officer. AT&T, I worked with them for a little bit too.

BLUMENBERG: Yeah, so you had different experiences.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes. And then I ended up with another marriage.

BLUMENBERG: And when did that happen?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Oh goodness, I'm not sure the exact date. [Laughs] I've got type of thing think of my kids.

BLUMENBERG: Well, okay, so that was a while back.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah, about 1995. And I didn't think I would ever get pregnant again. My son was seven years old at the time, and I became pregnant with twins. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: Surprise.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: So yeah, and then that marriage didn't pan out very well, so I was a single mother of three kids for a while. I started in medical transcription from my home, and that was very nice. It was--I was self-motivated then, and I was able to start off and make good money and really learn the field of medical transcription.

BLUMENBERG: And did you attend schooling for that?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: No. Well, I did actually. It was an at-home program, though, so I took a medical transcription at-home program, and I started a job. 00:25:00And I never met any of my bosses from this. You could call them up and get hired, and I just started work at home, which was very good.

BLUMENBERG: Never met your bosses.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: No. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: To me, that's perfect.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, and I didn't have to leave the house. I was able to raise three kids and make money while I was at home. And then my father passed away, so I didn't want to let his home go up north, so I decided to move up north. And my boss that I had at the time for transcription, she didn't want me to leave, and I didn't want to let her go, so I kind of took my whole transcription with me.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, so you were doing that in Illinois, and then you moved back to--

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, to Couderay, back to the house I was growing up in for my high school years, and I'm still there now. So that was very nice, I got to raise my children for a long time off those wages and not leave.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. Well I know your story goes on from there. Now 00:26:00you're back in Couderay, and you're raising your kids. But then you went back to school.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, my kids got a little older, and they cared less about what mom was doing and more about what they were doing, so they were busy. And so I started nursing school, and I started back to college in 2010, and I picked up from where I left off in La Crosse, and brought my credits forward, and then I continued on. I thought nursing would be a perfect field for me because I had fourteen years of medical transcription experience. So I had read the reports and saw the advice of the doctors, and now I kind of knew the terminology, so it fit. And I got my nursing degree, and I passed my boards in 2015.

BLUMENBERG: Wow, so you're a new grad.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: A new grad, yes. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: So that's amazing, 2015, and here we are October in 2016.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes. During that time, I met another husband, and we ran a construction business for quite a lot of years, and we also started a casket business as well.

BLUMENBERG: Yeah, so that's what we're going to get into now. You graduated from La Crosse. And you told me previously a little bit about your casket business. Can you say a few words about that?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: The graduation was actually from Lake Superior College in Duluth for my nursing degree. But my grades, I did transfer credits from La Crosse. So I actually went to a couple different colleges during that time too. I started at the LCO College too, and UW [University of Wisconsin] online college, and transferred around. During that too, we were kind of contacted--my husband's grandfather and grandmother were buried in a homemade casket. And he does really good woodwork, and I do the stained finish of a lot of projects we 00:28:00had together in construction. So our relatives kind of coaxed us into maybe building caskets as a business because there was a need for it. People don't have a lot of money. So we went to Montana and went to a casket school out there. My husband attended the school, we made it a camping trip for the family. And the man who taught in the school came and finished the casket over by the campsite we were at so I could see how the finish work was applied. We brought home the casket with us from Montana, so that was his first. And then--

BLUMENBERG: And what city was that?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Kalispell is where we stayed, yeah. And then we came back here with the casket, and then we proceeded to make them in our garage, and we finished them in our kitchen, so that's where we started off. [Laughs] And every time a casket was needed, the kitchen table got moved to the side, and the casket came in.

BLUMENBERG: So you made them as they were needed?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: As they were needed, yeah. And then we did do a couple 00:29:00to have on hand, and we were going with themes and trying to make like a motorcycle theme casket, different things like that. Every one we do is different.

BLUMENBERG: And how did the people know about you?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: It's all word-of-mouth. We have a lot of relatives that have had experiences where someone close to them passed away. So we've tried advertising a little bit, but we've been so busy with the nursing school and he construction as well, we didn't push the advertising very much. And we ended up having the opportunity to buy some buildings in Couderay, so we bought the vacant Argetsinger store, and we also bought the vacant Presbyterian church, and we turned them into our showroom and store and our building site. So we still continue to do them. We've sold probably about twenty caskets now up to this point from about 2008 to this time, so every year, we get a request for one or two. It's very rewarding actually. And I'm hoping to--and I'd like to 00:30:00even cater to veterans a little bit, which is kind of nice, and offer discounts for veterans.

BLUMENBERG: Well, we can talk about that later. I might have some ideas for you on that. Well, that to me is very interesting, but if somebody orders a casket from you, how long does it take you to get one ready?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Well, we've had pretty flexible schedules to where if we need to do a casket, we can do one in as fast as twenty-four hours, that's from start to finish. We use quick-drying stain, things of that nature. And a lot of times, people will bring the material. I'll ask them if they have special material from home from their loved one that passed away. And we've had beautiful quilts that we were able to line the casket with, and that's kind of nice too.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. And I know that you're doing something other than building caskets because I met you in your new role as a public health nurse.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: That's correct.

BLUMENBERG: So could you say a few words about that?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I was--I started--when I started my nursing career, I started with a hospital in the Med Surg Unit in Ladysmith at Rusk County. And it was really nice, but Sawyer County is a little closer. And I was still continuing college while I was working. I got close to my bachelor's degree; I was in the clinical aspect of it. And they sent me to Sawyer County Public Health to work with Eileen Symack [??] for a little bit. And I got the opportunity to see what the field of public health is all about, and it really was appealing to me. So as soon as my bachelor's degree was final, they were able to take me on as a public health nurse. And they even held the job a little bit so I could get into that. Lynn [??] was retiring and leaving. And I fit the--it was a perfect fit because I got the role of Army--or the military and preparedness is where I'm basically assigned to with public health.

BLUMENBERG: Yeah, so emergency preparedness, response activities.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah, and it kind of fits everything I've learned from the military. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: There you go, you don't build latrines anymore though.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: No, I don't. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: Okay. Then I guess do you have any other thoughts about your time in the military that you want to share? Otherwise, I'm going to ask you some other questions about how the military affected your life, and if you have any life lessons you want to pass on to others.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Okay, that's all I can think of right now.

BLUMENBERG: Okay. So just summarize again, how do you think the military impacted your life to this point?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I think that actually it stressed teamwork, which was really awesome, and unity. And I think it's really nice because I still carry that into my civilian world about helping others. And even if it's in the form 00:33:00of creating a casket, or in any way that I can help somebody, I like to do that. My husband and I even volunteer for helping kids get into powerlifting. I think that drive comes from just even helping the girls in the military and seeing how I could encourage them with strengthening, just starting with push-ups off the wall. A lot of our kids have had some rough times, the ones we're helping, and it's really nice to empower them. We take them--train them how to lift weights, and then take them to weightlifting meets, it gives them strength. And there's a lot in the military too, I developed a nice patience. I think that's from the hurry-up-and-wait type aspect that happens when you get in right away. And I feel that like everything happens for a reason. So even though I maybe have regrets to not reenlisting, I feel that in a way, my life has worked out. It's all--I can see why things happened the way they did. And I try and 00:34:00teach my kids that. I tell them basically that person who you're driving behind, and it slows you down and screws up your schedule could be the same one that saved your life from an accident that you would have got in five miles down the road. So I feel that things just fall into place as they're supposed to, and you meet people along the way that you're supposed to too.

BLUMENBERG: That's I guess how we met.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: We were supposed to meet.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: That's right.

BLUMENBERG: Now do you want to share any general feelings about war in general?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah. What's going on right now is very difficult as far as the wars that have been happening. My son actually enlisted, and now--back then after I got out, and Desert Storm happened, I remember my ex-husband, he did end up going back in after he got out in a reserve capacity. And he got 00:35:00shipped to Desert Storm, and I was so trained at the time and so ready. I was almost angry at him that he was over there and doing what he was supposed to do, and here I was back in the civilian world, and I felt a little bit gypped in a way. [Laughs] It's the mentality, though. You're trained to fight, you're ready to fight, and you want to go. Then as a mom, watching my son go off to Afghanistan, that was a little hard to swallow. And the first time he left, I wasn't sure whether or not we'd see him again. The second time he left, he got to guard Lieutenant General Rodriguez, so I thought that maybe he was a little more safe, and it worked out okay. I do see that the kids grow up really from that experience. It's unfortunate that we lose a lot of young people. I don't know that I would ever take back going into the service. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. And I do believe that even though 00:36:00there's wars going on right now, that it's really important that kids have some direction when they're in the military. It helps them transition from leaving their parents into becoming an adult. And I think at times, it's too bad that all kids just can't go right into the service. You learn respect, and you learn different things about different people and that teamwork. And I think it would really be a good opportunity for so many kids, better than getting in trouble, and you know, especially those kids that are maybe headed down the wrong road.

BLUMENBERG: Right, there's plenty of opportunities to get people straightened out.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: There is, really. And some kids--and back then too, I was not succeeding in college, and I thought, Oh goodness, what am I going to do? Do I go back to Couderay? What will happen? And there's not many opportunities. I believe the Army saved me, it did. It helped me move on to hard working and into a career path. And I saw where it saved my son too from himself and 00:37:00his youth at the time.

BLUMENBERG: Well that's powerful.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yeah.

BLUMENBERG: Okay, Mary, is there anything else that you want to mention now? Otherwise, we can end the interview.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I hope this interview helps one child out there, even just one, to find some direction and guide them out of a possible path of destruction into something good for themselves. I know I never got such a greater high than standing in a formation. They called us out one New Year--it was a Fourth of July event, and we were called at two in the morning. We had to report in our BDUs [Battle Dress Uniforms] and tennis shoes, and we weren't sure what was going on. We thought maybe we were getting shipped out. It was stand in formation as the--and they shot off fireworks and played the "Proud to Be an American." And to this day, I just get goose bumps when I hear that. 00:38:00And things like that just stay with you forever.

BLUMENBERG: Lasting memories.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Yes, that's for sure.

BLUMENBERG: Now do you belong to any military organizations?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I joined the United Women's Veterans Club. I haven't been able to be very active in it yet. I was able just to go to some meetings and stuff, and I keep my membership up, but I haven't been able to be as active as I'd like to be just because of my school right now.

BLUMENBERG: A little bit busy.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: I am, yeah. I did some volunteer firefighter work when I got back to Couderay originally with my kids. That's another thing I want to get back into, hazmat training and stuff. So I want to be really involved again in those types of programs. I am in, right now, a volunteer for Regional Hospice in their veterans program, which is really a wonderful thing. When there's a military veteran that's passing away, the hospice lets us know. And there's a 00:39:00group of a few of us veterans that we see who can do it. But we present this person with a certificate and a pin, and that is so rewarding. And I kind of throw in a salute to them too as I'm giving them their certificate. I'd spend a little time talking with them, and the hospice has found that it's nice doing a veteran-to-veteran program. It's been better than a civilian-to-veteran program because it gives them somebody to talk to who they can speak the lingo and talk about their military service with.

BLUMENBERG: Now do you think the Veteran Service Office here in Sawyer County knows about this?

SLISZ-CHUCKA: You know, I'm not sure. Maybe that's something I need to connect them with. [Laughs]

BLUMENBERG: I'm thinking I'm going to be talking with them in a couple hours, so maybe I can discuss that with you afterwards.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Sure, yeah. There's a couple other veterans that I know of that they're pretty active with them too, that they might have told them 00:40:00about it. But it's a good program, it really is.

BLUMENBERG: Well, Mary, if there's nothing else, we will close this interview. And I will close it by saying that I am Tom Blumenberg on October 3, 2016, in Hayward, Wisconsin. And I am here with Mary Slisz-Chucka, and I thank you for your time.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: thank you.

BLUMENBERG: And I thank you for your service.

SLISZ-CHUCKA: Oh, thank you, Tom.