Fallen heroes get their due in Shawano

The men and women who fought and died for this country’s freedom were honored in song and story by community leaders in Woodlawn Cemetery on Memorial Day.

Shawano-Menominee County District Attorney Greg Parker, who served in the U.S. Army and was part of the military police, was the main speaker for the event and recounted how many people in the Armed Forces in Wisconsin had lost their lives fighting in the United States’ various wars.

“Memorial Day is a day of utmost importance in our history,” Parker said. “Memorial Day, once called Decoration Day, originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. Since the Civil War, Memorial Day has become a day that our United States of America sets aside each year to remember and honor the men and women who have died in service of their country.”

Wisconsin has seen many sacrifices in the wars that America has fought, Parker said. The Civil War took the lives of over 12,000 from Wisconsin. Another 134 Wisconsin residents died in the Spanish-American War.

World War I, which Parker said had been recorded as one of the deadliest wars in history, saw almost 4,000 Wisconsinites die. In World War II, Wisconsin lost over 8,000, and another 13,000 were wounded. The Korean War saw more than 700 Wisconsin deaths, and another 1,200 died in the Vietnam War.

“It is because of their personal courage, their sense of duty and their honor and integrity that we can all have freedom to live in this great country,” Parker said.

Parker grimly noted that this year the country will observe the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which saw over 3,000 Americans killed in just one day.

“Therefore, it is important to remember the reason that we all stand here today,” Parker said.

Parker recalled that his grandfather fought in World War I and was injured by mustard gas, which left him disabled. His grandfather had four sons who fought for the United States in World War II. Parker’s father fought in the Korean War, and his brother served in Vietnam.

“Like my family members, I felt compelled to serve my country in the United States Army,” Parker said. “I served as an MP and a working dog handler. Though I did not experience the full fury of battle, I never regretted the decision to serve because I believe that my time in the military was one of the most defining experiences of my life, and I would venture to say that many of the veterans here today will tell you the same thing.”

Parker noted that the Thursday before Memorial Day is when flags are set at the graves of veterans. He acknowledged the work done locally as he pointed out how the U.S. Army places flags at the graves of over 200,000 veterans buried at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia.

“Folks, look around you,” Parker said. “As you enter the cemetery today, you saw numerous flags at each veteran’s gravesite. Veterans Service Officer Nick Benzinger estimates there are 1,000 flags placed within this cemetery. What better way to show our community and our fallen men and women who have served our country that we care — and we will never forget.”

Shawano County Board Chairman Tom Kautza said that he was glad to see that there were a lot more people in the cemetery this year honoring fallen veterans. He noted that the coronavirus pandemic kept many at home last Memorial Day but felt it was important to come out and honor those who have died.

“I feel a little out of place here because I was never in the service,” Kautza said. “I can never fully understand the bond and the camaraderie that they have, but I do know that I hear a lot at the county board and other places about our rights — or my rights.”

Kautza said that it was important for everyone to get along, even when there’s a discussion about rights and liberties, because of the men and women who fought for that freedom and don’t get to enjoy it today.

“Look at what people pay for us to have our rights,” Kautza said. “Think about it, there are young men and women not much older than what you see over there in the (high school) band that never came back home. They never had a family. They never got to be a father, a mother, a grandfather — none of that. They gave that up for us, for our rights. Not my rights, all our rights.”

Shawano Mayor Bruce Milavitz told the crowd of more than 200 that this holiday was not just a “four-day weekend” but a time when citizens need to remember those who have fought and died in war.

“We are here to remember the many who served, the great men and women who never had the opportunity to take their uniform off,” Milavitz said. “They’re still wearing it today.”

Even though Memorial Day is to remember the heroes who have died, Milavitz expressed his appreciation for the men and women who have fought for freedom and were present for the ceremony.

“Let’s keep all of the families and these great men and women in our hearts and never forget the freedoms we have today because of them,” Milavitz said.

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com