Sorry, the event is SOLD OUT Join us for our April Mess Night featuring Chris Sturdevant as he talks about his 2018 book, Cold War Wisconsin. Chris is a U.S. Air Force veteran and chairman of the Midwest Chapter of the Cold War Museum in Washington, D.C. 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. Sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation.

Join us for our first Mess Night of 2022 featuring Shayne Jarosz, Special Events Coordinator at the Iwo Jima Association of America. Iwo Jima was returned to the nation of Japan in 1968, and the U.S. maintained an agreement that veterans or family would be able to visit Iwo Jima anytime they wanted to return. 75 years after the battle, the island is closed. Now, the Iwo Jima Association is the only organization authorized to travel to the island. Jarosz discusses the Battle of Iwo Jima's legacy and how we as Americans can help keep the island open. 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. Please register in advance. $38 MEMBERS |  $46 NON-MEMBERS | $30 STUDENTS (W/ID) REGISTER HERE Sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation.  

Please join us for the return of our quarterly ‘Mess Night’ series to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. This event features our popular dinner and lecture, presented by author Joseph Tachovsky. Mr. Tachovsky will be speaking about the formation of a specialized group of Marines and their preparations for the assault on Saipan. Author Joseph Tachovsky describes the creation of "40 Thieves on Saipan." His research into the platoon his father led in the WWII Battle for Saipan unearthed details and stories about this unique Special Operations platoon of Elite Marines. The oral histories of surviving members shed light into how the platoon got their nickname of the "40 Thieves," other nefarious antics, and their role in the Battle for Saipan, D-Day in the Pacific. 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. Please register in advance. $38 MEMBERS |  $46 NON-MEMBERS | $30 STUDENTS (W/ID) Sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation.   REGISTER HERE  

Please join us for the return of our quarterly ‘Mess Night’ series to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. This event features our popular dinner and lecture, presented by author and Civil War historian David Powell. Mr. Powell will be speaking about Wisconsin soldiers and the impact they had on the battle of Chickamauga. Two brigade commanders were from Wisconsin, John C. Starkweather of Milwaukee, who was wounded; and the Norwegian Immigrant Hans Heg, who was mortally wounded. Several hard-fighting regiments contributed to the desperate fighting that characterized the battle, often facing heavy odds. This talk will highlight those important contributions to the Union cause at Chickamauga. 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. Please register in advance. $38 MEMBERS |  $46 NON-MEMBERS | $30 STUDENTS (W/ID) REGISTER HERE This event is sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation. and is suitable for all ages.

The concert and panel discussion are free and suitable for all ages. 5:15 - 6 pm : Concert at the top of State Street. Open to the public, bring your own seating. 6:30 - 8:00 pm : Panel Discussion with the musicians. Please register in advance on Eventbrite due to limited seating at the museum. REGISTER HERE Live music is back and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum will host a free, outdoor concert at the top of State Street to preview the release of the album, The Last Thing We Ever Do (bring your own seating) followed by a public panel discussion (free; register in advance on Eventbrite) with the musicians. The album is a collection of songs based on first-hand testimony of Vietnam veterans about their experiences. The panel will explore their creative process and the healing that art activities can bring about. Inspired by first-hand testimony, Vietnam-era veterans and professional songwriters created the songs and studio musicians gave them voice resulting in the 14-song album, The Last Thing We Ever Do.  The origins of the project begin with Vietnam vets sharing their experiences at retreats like Warrior Songs where veterans heal through the creative arts, personal conversations, and interviews. Topics range from combat and the draft to reintegration and moral injury. Panelist: Jason Moon, founder and executive director of Warrior Songs; Yvette Pino, Iraq war veteran and curator of veteran art for the Museum; Doug Bradley, Madison Vietnam veteran and co-author of We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War; Jake Froelke, songwriter and musician. He and Bradley collaborated on “Look Out Sam,” one of the songs on the album which emphasizes the significance of music to troops in Vietnam. The Last Thing We Ever Do is produced by Wisconsin native and Iraq vet Jason Moon of Warrior Songs, a Madison-based nonprofit which brings hope and healing to veterans through music and the creative arts. Warrior’s second volume, Women at War, was awarded album of the year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry in 2019. *Copies of The Last Thing We Ever Do will be provided free to veterans who attend the event. The program is presented by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation with the support of Madison's Central Business Improvement District.