Operation Iraqi Freedom: Wisconsin Women Were There Proving Their Skill
Among the First to Arrive On March 20, 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) officially began. More than 3,900 active Wisconsin troops deployed to Iraq. Among the first Wisconsin units to arrive was the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 32nd Military Police Company. In preparation for major combat actions, medical personnel also
Remembering Operation Iraqi Freedom 20 Years Later, Part I
Build-Up for Operation Iraqi Freedom Twenty years ago, on March 17, 2003, after weeks of deadlines and demands for compliance with UN inspections, President George W. Bush delivered a final deadline to Saddam Hussein before Operation Iraqi Freedom officially began. The leader of Iraq and his two sons were given
Two Generations of Wisconsin Veterans
At the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, we document, preserve, and make available the stories of Wisconsin veterans and their families. As a museum, we’ve collected several stories from multi-generational Wisconsin families. This month we feature a military family from Couderay, Wisconsin, Mary Slisz-Chucka and her son Todd Haskell. Mary Slisz-Chucka grew
A video interview with Brigadier General Robert Andrew Cocroft
Written by Oral Historian Luke D. Sprague Robert A. Cocroft graduated from North Division High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1965. While attending and playing football at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the United States Army drafted him on October 24, 1966. At Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Cocroft passed the qualification tests
“These Numbers All Mean Something”
By Russell Horton, Reference & Outreach Archivist “I’ve got documents that I brought out of Korea… just pieces of paper with numbers on them. They are very old. These numbers all mean something.”
Jeff Carnes: Veteran in the Spotlight
As a military linguist, Jeff Carnes provided a critical link between American troops, foreign forces, and the local population, establishing trust in treacherous times. Fluent in Arabic, Carnes connected intimately with the local people during his tour in Iraq in 2003. He recalls a conversation with an Iraqi civilian named