The O RIER C JUNE 2018 ome of the members who reside Sin Stordock Hall went on trip to visit and tour the EAA museum in Oshkosh. Thank you to the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the Auxiliary for making this trip possible. WISCONSIN VETERANS HOME AT KING Home News Richard Mapes Commandant Wisconsin Veterans Home at King AY-Day…….May-Day…….MAY-Day! May our cemetery is undergoing construction and will Mwas filled with great weather and I had the continue to be under construction throughout the opportunity to experience my very first Open House summer. When it is complete, there will be a new event on May 20th. This event really showcases our building, wider roads, and a new columbarium. campus and provided our members, their families, our staff and their families as well as the community Aside from these two major events, our members with an opportunity to come on our grounds to had a fun filled month of activities and trips. Many learn, experience, and enjoy our beautiful lakeside schools from around the state come to participate home! Members and visitors were able to meander in intergenerational programming as well as the through the Old Car Show, kids participated in face high school and middle school bands who provided painting, bouncy houses, balloon twisting, and even entertainment on our bandstand! We want to say had some fun with our “Dunk Tank!” The admissions thank you to all of them for spending time visiting department offered tours, our Legends on the Lake and entertaining our members! Our wonderful units offered virtual dementia tours; and there were donors and VSO groups have sponsored a number tours of the Commandant’s house as well as the Main of outings for our members, including: an armed Chapel and campus! We had over 200 bikes come forces day breakfast, Timber Rattler Games and from the Fox Valley HOG group. This was their 19th campfires in the park. year coming to King. All the money these “bikers” raised comes back to King to support our members! We continue to connect with our community in The entertainment by the Charlie Justmann Band various ways which include WFRV Channel 5 doing along with the food and ambiance of the day really a feature story on King for their “Our Town” segment helped to make it special! Finally, we had the honor which will air during the week of Strawberry Fest in of recognizing Don Nelson, one of our esteemed Waupaca. We also have a new Agency Liaison whose WWII members, with the French Legion of Honor time is dedicated to making connections in our Medal which he rightfully received for his service in community and around the state. We will be hosting Normandy during WWII! It was my first experience of a Senior Health Fair on July 24th. We will offer tours our Open House event and I look forward to many of our beautiful campus and have entertainment for more! all! Don’t forget our social media by checking our website for more information! In closing, May is our I then had the honor of participating in our Memorial month to remember those who paid the ultimate Day services to honor our fallen heroes, both at the price. We remember them thoughtout the year, but 9:30 waterfront service and the 10:30 cemetery especially in May! service. We had over 200 community members come to place flags on all 7000 individuals laid to Commandant Rich rest in the Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery. As you drive by our campus, you will see 2 Commandant’sHome News Column WISCONSINWISCONSIN VETERANS VETERANS HOME HOME AT AT KINGKING Working Together for Healthy Living! Senior Health Fair Tuesday, July 24, 2018 Wisconsin Department 10am-3pm | Marden Center of Veterans Affairs Secretary Daniel J. Zimmerman Wisconsin Veterans Home at King JoinUs for King’s first Senior Health Fair. Come learn about various services Commandant offered here at King and in the community which can provide support to you or a Richard Mapes loved one, help you stay active and become the healthiest version of yourself, and most of all-live life to the fullest! Schedule for the day is as follows: Ainsworth Hall Executive Director 10am Health Fair begins. Vendor tables and demonstrations - Marden Douglas Wamack Memorial Center (main level) 10:30am Presentation “Identity Theft” - learn how to protect yourself from MacArthur Hall identity theft in today’s world (movie theater, lowel level) Executive Director 11am Walking tour of the Marden Center Gregory Reichenbach 11:30am Bus tour of the campus 12pm Lunch break 12:30pm Walking tour of the Marden Center Olson Hall 1pm Presentation “Power of Attorney Documents” (movie theater, Executive Director lowel level Sandra Schoen 1:30pm Entertainment in the Park - Jerry Voelker & the Jolly Gents 2pm Bus tour of the campus Stordock Hall Executive Director N2665 Cty Road QQ, King, WI 54946 | 715.256.5021 | www.WisVets.com Tammy Servatius Donation from the Marden Administrator Heart Shelley Jandt Member Charles Ullman from Ainsworth Hall Admission Director received a box full of yarn from 4th graders at Hillary Larson Woodland Elementary School in Kimberly. Charles knitted 21 caps for them. The kids were so happy and thankful! 3 WISCONSIN VETERANS HOME AT KING Home News Honoring Sargent Sparks, a Four-legged Hero n February 2010, I was offered the opportunity to Iattend the Marine IED Detection Dog handler school in Southern Pines, NC. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but it turned out to be the most rewarding opportunity I had while in the Marine Corps. Upon arrival, each Marine was paired up with a labrador retriever who was trained to find improvised explosive devices. After a month long course, Sparks and I deployed with the third battalion seventh Marines to Musa Qualah and Jim Jolly (right) who resides in MacArthur Hall Sangin Afghanistan where we cleared “danger zones” participated in the flag folding ceremony for Sargent for vehicles and led squads on dismounted patrols. Sparks, IDD P481. Besides ensuring my fellow Marines and I were able to successfully conduct combat operations without the fear of stepping on mines, Sparks also provided the moral support that only a dog can provide to a group of homesick young men deployed to a hostile foreign country. After our deployment, I got out of the Marine Corps; however, Sparks stayed in. He deployed at least one more time and was struck by shrapnel from an IED while deployed in Afghanistan. In 2013 my wife and I were given the opportunity to adopt Sparks which we gladly accepted. He lived with us, enjoying retirement and playing fetch with anyone who would throw a ball until he peacefully passed away in September 2017. It was an honor to have served with such a brave dog who had survived multiple combat deployments and even more of an honor to have been able to provide him with the much deserved retirement he received after a career which allowed multiple Marines to come home intact and alive to their family and friends. Brad Nelson, Lcpl U.S. Marine Corps Brad Nelson-Lcpl, Jami Nelson-WVH-King Materials Management 4 Director and Jim Jolly. Donations WISCONSIN VETERANS HOME AT KING On behalf of the members, we sincerely Thank Everyone for their generous donations. First Judicial District Judges of American Legion Auxiliary - WI Blue Star Mothers - Chapter 1 WI ELKS National Veterans MonetaryMilwaukee County Dept. of Wisconsin Greenville, WI Services Milwaukee, WI Portage, WI Fond Du Lac, WI In memory of Frank T. Crivello Gogebic-Iron Marine Phillip & Betty Ingwell Detachment No 1133 - Marine VFW Auxiliary King Rep. Alan & Christine Evinrude Madison, WI Corps League Kaukauna, WI Menomonee Falls, WI Ironwood, MI In memory of Frank T. Crivello Elizabeth Walton American Legion Aux - Unit 106 South Bend, IN Michael V. Schlaak Seymour, WI George & Karen Alex Appleton, WI Milwaukee, WI K.J. & S.L. Jagiello Northwest IL Chapter #150 In memory of Beatrice Petersdorff New London, WI Lorry & Lynn Sallee Korean War Veterans Association In memory of Pat Stegath Neshkoro, WI Freeport, IL Jeffrey & Andrea Kleczka In memory of Beulah Hieland Franklin, WI Donald & Kellie Stegath American Legion Auxiliary In memory of Beatrice Petersdorff Appleton, WI Ken & Jolene Kenyon Post 271 In memory of Pat Stegath Verona, WI Poynette, WI Paul & Janis Wilcox Milwaukee, WI Mark & Kathy Des Rochers Carl E. Grabman Post No. 329 C.J. Groskreutz In memory of Beatrice Petersdorff Appleton, WI Briggsville, WI Redgranite, WI In memory of Pat Stegath Jerome D. Jennings Harry Hohnberger Dunk Tank - Open House 2018 Waupaca, WI Dorian & Sue Hermanson King, WI King, WI Verona, WI Jason & Andrea Jochimsen In memory of Pat Stegath Masonic Service Association Harold Brandt Freedom, WI Oshkosh, WI King, WI Judy & David McDonald Robert Kroning & Nancy Plainfield, IN American Legion Post 153 Ken O’Malley Goehl-Kroning In memory of Bea Petersdorff Pittsville, WI King, WI Waukesha, WI In memory of Frank Crivello VFW 2126 Terry Callahan Francis Beidle (Kurt Beidle) Menasha, WI Plainfield, WI Wausau, WI Dick J. Rettler Appleton, WI Outagamie County DAVA Unit 18 Ruth Gravelle James F. Holeman In memory of Norman Rettler & Appleton, WI King, WI King, WI Joseph Verhyen Curtis & Bonita Galloway American Legion Wisconsin Jean M. Smith Estate John & Jackie Pum & Family Veterans Home Hospital Rep. Kewaunee, WI Greenfield, WI Washburn, WI New London, WI In memory of Frank Crivello In memory of Ronald LeRoy VFW Galloway American Legion Post 95 Kaukauna, WI William Laux Jr. Memorial Trust Delavan, WI Disabled American Veterans continued on page 6 Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary - Dept.