My Story
I was born in 1940 in Iola (Waupaca County), Wisconsin. Brother Richard was born 15 months later in Rhinelander. My parents names were Allen and Kathryn. Our extended family was great.
We lived in three small towns in Wisconsin the next few years—Trout Lake, Stevens Point and Elkhorn. Then Daddy was transferred to Michigan with his American Marietta employer. I went to public schools—four years in Dearborn, Michigan, four in Waupaca and 4 in Wauwatosa. I usually got good grades.
Eighth grade was terrible, the tragedy of my life as our father died of a heart attack on October 10, 1953. Dick and I went to three schools that year—in Orlando, Florida, Fond du Lac and Reedsburg, Wisconsin, where mother took a job at the Sauk County Normal School. The following year she got a better job teaching grade school in Wauwatosa. Mother was sharp; she was even valedictorian at Scandinavia High School.
I attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1958 through 1962. College was more enjoyable than high school, both academically and especially socially. My major was political science with minors in English and economics. I was active in ROTC, Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity and campus carnival.
After college I taught high school in the tiny rural town of West Lima, Wisconsin. I was hired over the phone so they must have been desperate.
My military career began with the required basic ROTC course at my college, UWM. Army was the only branch option. The basic course was classroom and drill for the freshman and sophomore years.
Then came the advanced course which was optional. As I was wavering whether to continue, my mother convinced me to do it, and I owe her a debt of gratitude. Of course, there was more classroom and drill involved, both in Baker Fieldhouse and at the Richards Street armory. As I recall, cadets got paid $29 a month. My favorite instructor was Captain Hamby.
ROTC summer camp was required after the junior year at Fort Riley (Camp Funston), Kansas. I remember firing expert with the M-14 on record range. My platoon leader was Captain Evrard. My first cousin, John Hayes, was down there at the same time.
I was commissioned upon graduation in August of 1962. One of the faculty sergeants waited outside to salute us so we tipped him the customary one dollar for the first salute.
My two years of active duty began in February of 1963 with the basic officer orientation course at Fort Benning, Georgia. My orders were to spend the rest of my active duty at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where I went through nine cycles of basic training fortunately as cadre, both as a training officer and company commander, always in the third training regiment, fourth battalion. After 18 months, the usual time, I was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. While I was in the army, President Kennedy was assassinated. I remember reading a proclamation at my company’s formation the next day. I enjoyed most of my fellow soldiers, especially the other lieutenants as we were all in the same boat. Friends I remember include Charlie Bentley, Brian Johnson, Harry Fath, Joe Hadley, Jerry Bunting and Norm Petty. We had fun at the officer’s club and a few times at the Lake of the Ozarks. I remember seeing Post Commander General Seeman, in his Army sweatshirt, during the Army-Navy game at the club. He was from Baraboo, Wisconsin and was popular. I had a couple nice girlfriends, Tina and Connie.
I had one bad CO, but of course he was the boss. I learned while you don’t have to respect a person, you have to respect a rank, which is only right.
My active duty ended in February of 1965.
My career included four years in active reserves that I spent in the 84th Div. Tng., whose nickname was the “Railsplitters”. Meetings were either one evening a week or one weekend per month and a two-week summer camp each year. Mine were at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Fort Polk, Louisiana and back at familiar Fort Leonard Wood. Major Barenklau was the CO I remember best. I was promoted to Captain at the usual time.
I was discharged honorably, probably in February 1969, marking completion of my 6 year commitment.
I enjoyed and feel proud to be a military (especially Army) veteran. I enjoyed training and teaching the recruits the most. I probably was on the lenient side, was not exactly gung-ho and did not “wave the flag”. I should feel fortunate that I was too young for Korea and slightly too old for Vietnam.
I’m proud that both my father Allen and brother Richard were Army veterans as well.
During the past 17 years I’ve been a member of the American Legion, first in Omaha and then at Elmbrook Post in suburban Milwaukee. For a few years I was a member of the state fund-raising committee.
After the Army, I took a desk bound job on the marketing staff at a Milwaukee industry. I had the wanderlust and my adrenaline wasn’t flowing.
The smartest thing I did career-wise was getting into the fund-raising management business as a journeyman consultant, starting the week Martin Luther King was assassinated. In a career of some 40 years I had about 100 clients in 31 states with four national firms and freelance, my favorite style of work. I was fortunate enough to work with many interesting people including business leaders and made many lifelong friends.
My first client was the Abraham Lincoln boy scout council in Springfield, Illinois. The last one was Norfolk’s Heroes Park and Flag Plaza, hence this memorial tile. I believe I finally am retired now at age 73.
December, 2013
