If Dreams Come True…~The Wanserski Family
Part of the George Wanserski WVM Collection by Laura Farley This is a love story about Wisconsin natives George Wanserski and Florence Lange that spans nearly five years of separation and struggle to raise their family. Married July 18, 1934, the Wanserskis set up home in the Milwaukee area and
Harold Schmitz
By Yvette Pino, Traveling Art Exhibit Coordinator In June 1942, Milwaukee artist Harold F. Schmitz was drafted into the U.S. Army and served with the 955th Topographic Engineer Company. At the time of his conscription, he was working in the art department of Hammersmith-Kortemeyer (H & K) Publishing. The company,
Military Appreciation Month by Ellen Brooks
“It takes about eight or ten people behind the lines to support one person in the front lines.” (Thomas Diener, Oral History Interview, 2005) Thomas Diener never saw combat while serving during World War II with the Army Air Corps, but he was one of the essential troops supporting those
In Recognition of Aviation Month – The Story of Robert Balliet
By Jeff Javid, Wisconsin Veterans Museum Archives Assistant Robert Balliet of Appleton, Wisconsin served with the 776th Squadron, 464th Bomb Group, Fifteenth Air Force, United States Army Air Force in the European theatre during World War II. An employee of Wisconsin Bell Telephone Company, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in
Pearl Harbor Remembered through Oral Histories
In this 14 minute clip, Thomas Butler, a quartermaster in the Navy, recounts his experience aboard the USS Tennessee on December 7, 1941. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum Oral History Collection contains more than 15 interviews with veterans who were stationed at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. It also includes
William Stark and the Church Pennant
While serving aboard a landing craft (USS LCI (L)-23) in the Solomon Islands during World War II, William Stark of Waukesha was saved by what he must have believed was partly “divine intervention.” In 1943, when his landing craft beached to unload, Motor Machinist’s Mate Second Class William Stark was
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty by Emily Irwin
On July 11, 1944, Gerald L. Endl made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to his country. “For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty,” Endl was awarded the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military honor. Today, 70 years later, we recognize
Remembering Pearl Harbor The Story of Herbert “Herb” Buehl
By Jenna Madsen, Wisconsin Veterans Museum Assistant Curator Herbert “Herb” Buehl from Monroe, Wisconsin was in the Navy aboard the USS Arizona when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Herb served as an electrician in power distribution on the Arizona. His post was at the bottom of the center of the ship
The Army Olympian: Carleton L. Brosius
By Russ Horton, Reference Archivist Wisconsin has a long and proud Olympic tradition—one that is often associated with the Winter Games. Athletes from the Badger State like Bonnie Blair, Eric Heiden, Dan Jansen, Mark Johnson, and others gained fame in speed skating and ice hockey. But ninety-six years ago, four