GUEST BLOG BY RICK BERRY, VIETNAM VETERAN AND WVM VOLUNTEER
“…AND WHEN CHARLIE HAS THE GROUND UNIT SURROUNDED, WE USE WHAT WE CALL THE HIGH-OVERHEAD APPROACH.” My Mom included the cartoon on the right in a scrapbook she complied regarding my military service. Portions of the scrapbook are exhibited on a touch screen display in the “Souvenirs of Service” exhibit
Book Talk with Michael Hankins – Flying Camelot: The F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia
Michael Hankins will be joining us to talk about his newest work, Flying Camelot: The F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia, which explores the post-Vietnam era, when the US Air Force launched two new, state-of-the art fighter aircraft: the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Coulee Region Veteran Gary Castona Remembers
This blog post features extracts from an oral history interview with a Wisconsin veteran Gary Castona from La Farge, Wisconsin, in the Coulee region. He relates his experiences of Vietnam combat service and later Cold War Germany. Like many veterans, Castona’s military service affected the rest of his life. His
William L. Sims: A Lifetime of Service
William L. Sims calm smile and collected manner belies a man whose herculean efforts empowering veterans in Wisconsin are almost without equal. He continues shaping veterans organizations, mentoring fellow veterans, and implementing programs. There is a reason why Sims has a statue featured on the main floor of the War
Honoring LGBTQ+ Veterans of Wisconsin
In honor of LGBTQ+ History Month, we are featuring the story of United States Naval Officer Larry A. Reed. Reed served in the United States Navy from 1961 to 1966 during the Vietnam War. Reed was the weapons and air control officer on the destroyer escort USS Wilhoite (DER-397) from
Book Talk – The Party Dolls: The True, Tragic Story of Two Americans’ Attempted Escape from a 1969 Hanoi POW Camp (Independently Published, 2021)
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum welcomes George Hayward to introduce his newest work, The Party Dolls. This story of escape from a Hanoi prisoner of war camp details the horrors of being a POW in Vietnam and the often tragic consequences faced by those who try to escape. George will talk
Honoring Hmong Veterans of Wisconsin
Written by Luke D. Sprague, Oral Historian Hmong veterans of Wisconsin sacrificed their lives, homes, and livelihoods due to their alliance with the United States during the Secret War in Laos from 1961 to 1975. These Hmong, armed, trained, and organized by the United States and its allies, fought in
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
Suffrage Through Service: How Military Service Expanded Voting Rights
By Russell Horton Reference Archivist Throughout U.S. history, men and women in the military have risked their lives to protect the civil rights we enjoy as citizens. Beyond protection, their brave service has also affected some of those rights over the past 150 years. In particular, military service has changed
MOVIE NIGHT: APOCALYPSE NOW
Grab some popcorn and a seat in your favorite chair, and join us for a Movie Night and Virtual Discussion with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Staff. While we can’t all be together, we can share discussion on major motion pictures that deal with the hardships, humor, and horrors of combat.