4 to be inducted in Wisconsin National Guard Hall of Fame

From the Wisconsin National Guard:

Four outstanding former Guard Soldiers have been chosen to enter the prestigious Wisconsin Army National Guard Hall of Honor.
A special committee of current and past Guard Soldiers selected retired Brig. Gen. Kerry Denson of Lake Mills, Wis., retired Brig. Gen. James Krueck of McFarland, Wis., retired Col. Timothy Pfrang of Sussex, Wis., and retired Col. David Schumacher of Onalaska, Wis., to receive one of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's highest honors for exceptional achievement and devotion to duty.
They join the ranks of 46 individuals previously inducted into the Hall of Honor.
Denson was drafted into the U.S. Army in December 1965, earning the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, 35 Air Medals and the Purple Heart during two tours in Vietnam as a UH-1 combat pilot. He joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard after completing his active duty service, and served in a variety of command and staff assignments. He commanded the 147th Attack Helicopter Battalion, served as director of aviation for the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and served the final nine years of his career as commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Denson's military career spanned 40 years and 10 months.
Krueck enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 1966. He reached the rank of staff sergeant before being appointed as a warrant officer in 1975. He completed Officer Candidate School in 1976 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant of armor in 1978. He held a variety of command and staff assignments in the 32nd Infantry Brigade headquarters; 1st Battalion, 632nd Armor; 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery; 13th Evacuation Hospital; and the 64th Troop Command before becoming deputy director of personnel and administration for the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 1994. Krueck then served as director of personnel and administration, director of human resources, director of logistics, and chief of staff at State Headquarters. He commanded the 32nd Infantry Brigade for six years beginning in October 2000. He was promoted to brigadier general in 2004. He deployed to Kuwait as commander of the 32nd Separate Infantry Brigade (Light) and deputy commander of the 377th Theater Support Command in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He commanded the Wisconsin Army National Guard from November 2006 until his retirement in February 2008. His military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal and two Meritorious Service Medals.
Pfrang enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1971, and enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 1974. He received his commission in 1977 and, after graduating Infantry Officer Basic Course in 1978, was assigned as a platoon leader in Company B, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry. He held a variety of staff and command assignments at the battalion and brigade level until assuming command of the 132nd Support Battalion in July 1996. He was assigned as the Wisconsin Army National Guard mobilization readiness officer in October 1998, the operations and training officer in late 2000 and the director of plans and operations in 2002. He was promoted to colonel in October 2002.His military awards include the Legion of Merit and two Meritorious Service Medals.
Schumacher joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard in June 1967 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1969. As training officer for the 426th Engineer Battalion he developed professional development programs for junior officers and was rated the top field grade officer in the 264th Engineer Group. During his time as commander, the 426th Engineer Battalion earned the Eisenhower Trophy and Superior Unit Award, oversaw the mobilization of the 229th Engineer Company and deployed to Panama in 1992 in support of Fortes Caminos. During this time Schumacher also served on the Fort McCoy Facility Review Committee, which eventually led to relocating the Wisconsin Military Academy from Camp Williams to Fort McCoy in 1995. He commanded the Wisconsin Military Academy and the 426th Regiment from 1992 until his retirement in 1997, and led the academy through a period of significant growth and transition. Throughout his career Schumacher was regarded as among the best officers of his rank, and his military awards include the Legion of Merit and two Meritorious Service Medals.
A public induction ceremony will be held May 5 at 10 a.m. in Witmer Hall, Joint Force Headquarters in Madison.

Wisconsin Air National Guard cuts questioned

Members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation are asking the Air Force to explain plans for cutting three aircraft and about 5 percent of the personnel from the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

Read their letter to the Secretary of the Air Force.
Reported in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Special effort reunites vets with money

Wisconsin's treasury and veterans affairs departments say they have found  $76,418.20 for 293 veterans. That's an average of about $261 per person.

Officials merged a WDVA list of vets with the names in treasury's Unclaimed Property Fund, then mailed claims forms to the 3,000 veterans. About one in 10 have made claims for amounts ranging from $5 to just under $4,000, according to a press release from WDVA Secretary John Scocos and Treasurer Kurt Schuller.

There is about $400 million in the unclaimed property account. You can check for your name on the  State Treasurer’s website: www.wismissingmoney.com.

WDVA offices moving Feb. 11

Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that its offices will move to 201 W. Washington on Feb. 11.

Veterans Museum stays where it is on Mifflin on the Square, but big changes may be on tap. Here's more on the master plan for

... a $75 million joint Wisconsin Historical and Veterans museum that could be part of a larger private project with private offices, retail space and parking in Downtown Madison.
No site has been selected, but the state has studied the current Historical Museum property on Capitol Square coupled with private holdings behind it at the corner of North Fairchild and West Mifflin streets.
The development could provide 200,000 square feet of space for the museums, state documents say.
State Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch has convened a task force of community leaders, interested parties and experts — including Mayor Paul Soglin — to explore sites, financing and other issues. The task force had an initial meeting on Jan. 23 and will meet through the year.

IED claims Wisconsin Army officer just weeks after deployment to Afghanistan

An Army officer from Mayville was killed by an IED on Wednesday while on foot patrol in Kandahar Province. 1st Lt. David Johnson had told friends and relatives he felt lucky to command a platoon-sized firebase in a "very active" part of Afghanistan. Johnson shipped out just before Christmas, family members said.

From the soldier's base public affairs office:
1st Lt. Johnson was a platoon leader assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
According to unit records, Johnson was commissioned in 2010 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and he is a graduate of Evangel University, Springfield, Mo. In 2011 he attended the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Benning, Ga. He arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in August 2011, and was assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The unit deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in December. This was 1st Lt. Johnson’s first deployment.
Johnson’s civilian and military education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from Evangel University (2010), Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (2011), Combatives level 1 and 2 (2011), and the Stryker Brigade Combat Team Leaders Course (2011).
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Overseas Service Bar.

Oahu trip planned for Wisconsin's survivors of Pearl Harbor

An Appleton-based volunteer group that has been flying area World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to see war memorials is launching a statewide effort to take Wisconsin survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack to Hawaii on June 14-18.
Old Glory Honor Flights is looking for veterans who were stationed on Oahu or within 3 nautical miles at the time of the attack. Call 1-888-635-9838 and leave a message by Feb. 6 for more information. Many Wisconsin survivors of the attack still have vivid memories, which propelled the U.S. into WWII. Dec. 7 was the 70th anniversary.

Flying Tigers ace from Wisconsin featured in new exhibit

Flying Tigers ace Fritz Wolf of Shawano, Wisconsin, is the focus of an exhibit opening  Jan. 31 at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. 

Wolf was a naval aviator who flew in Burma and China in 1941-42, and from  the decks of the USS Hornet and USS Yorktown in 1944-45. According to a museum description of the exhibit:

During World War II, Wolf shot down five enemy aircraft, including two Japanese bombers on December 20, 1941. This new exhibit features numerous artifacts, including a scarf given to him and his fellow “Flying Tigers” by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, photographs and mementos from his service, and a short film detailing Wolf’s homecoming parade in July 1942.

The museum is  located at 30 W. Mifflin St., across the street from the State Capitol.