“Survivor's Story: George F. Banda's Heroic Service with the 101st Airborne in Vietnam” Thursday, November 13, 2025 5:30 PM – 8 PM George F. Banda was drafted in January 1969 and served as a combat medic with the 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, E Company, Recon Platoon. Deployed to Vietnam in December 1969, he endured some of the conflict's most harrowing moments. On May 6, 1970, Banda became the sole survivor of his unit following the devastating bombing of Firebase Henderson. At Mess Night, he will share his powerful story of service, sacrifice, and resilience. 5:30-6:15 - Happy Hour 6:15-7:00 - Dinner 7:00-8:00 - Presentation $50 MEMBERS | $58 NON-MEMBERS  This event is sold out! Each MESS NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM features a guest speaker, topic, dinner, drinks, and time to socialize before and after the talk. Registration will be required before the event. Join us as we transform this historic naval tradition into our own. Event suitable for all ages. Event sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of our 2025 Mess Night Series Sponsor Generac Power Systems.

Grab some popcorn and a seat in your favorite chair and join us for a virtual discussion of the selected movie with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum staff. For October, we will discuss the 2024 film Edge of Tomorrow. Your mission is to watch the movie, which is available from most libraries or on streaming services (we will not be watching the movie the night of the program). On October 31st, 2025, at 7:00 pm we’ll all meet via Zoom for a discussion led by museum staff. This event is free and open to the public. Register here.

SOLD OUT "Service in the U.S. Navy Reserve Nurse & Medical Corps During OIF/OEF at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany" Thursday, June 26, 2025 5:30 PM – 8 PM Join Commander Lisa Kromanaker Registered Nurse (RN) and Commander Kathy Vrydaghs Physical Therapist (PT) and learn about their 2006/2007 Deployment to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) Germany in support of OIF/OEF. During this time, they cared for US and allied forces wounded warriors flown to LRMC directly from the war theatres in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each MESS NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM features a guest speaker, topic, dinner, drinks, and time to socialize before and after the talk. Registration will be required before the event. Join us as we transform this historic naval tradition into our own. 5:30-6:15 - Happy Hour 6:15-7:00 - Dinner 7:00-8:00 - Presentation $50 MEMBERS | $58 NON-MEMBERS Event sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of our 2025 Mess Night Series Sponsor Generac Power Systems.

Come join Feast of Crispian for an afternoon of one-of-a-kind stories told by American Service Veterans - a kind of community campfire story circle, with a little taste of Shakespeare thrown in for good measure. Shared by veterans of six decades of American military conflict and peacetime service, Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot is a gathering of stories that centers on the kinds of surprising, wacky, touching, and absurdly funny moments and events that happen in the spaces before, between and beyond the combat zone and the complicated and triumphant journeys back from war to healing and civilian life. Admission is free. Seating is limited to 40. Please RSVP here.

This event is SOLD OUT. "A Troop, 1-105th CAV 2009 Security Mission in Iraq" Thursday, November 21, 2024 5:30 PM – 8 PM Please join us for our quarterly dinner series with senior leaders from the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Troop A, 1-105th Cavalry Squadron. CSM (Retired) Curt Patrouille, CSM (Retired) Brian Bieniek, and LTC Matthew McDonald will provide an overview of A Troop's very unique mission throughout Iraq in 2009-2010. The unit conducted over 900 high risk force protection missions in preparation for the handover of authority from the US to the Iraqi government and received some of the highest accolades from senior federal officials over the course of the year. Each MESS NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM features a guest speaker, topic, dinner, drinks, and time to socialize before and after the talk. Registration will be required before the event. Join us as we transform this historic naval tradition into our own. • 5:30-6:15 - Happy Hour • 6:15-7:00 - Dinner • 7:00-8:00 - Presentation This event is suitable for all ages. $50 MEMBERS | $58 NON-MEMBERS | Event sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation through the generous support of our 2024 Mess Night Series Sponsor Melinda V. Heinritz in memory of her father, James L. Vogler, U.S.A.F. and supporting sponsor Park Bank.