Herbert Hanneman: Prisoner of War in the Pacific
Herbert Hanneman National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day is observed on the third Friday in September, established in 1979. Herbert H. Hanneman from Madison, Wisconsin, was a prisoner of war during World War II. He served in the United States Army from 1941 to 1945. Since Hanneman had
Honoring Thomas J. Lucas on National Airborne Day
August 16, 2025, is National Airborne Day. In celebration, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum would like to honor the story of Thomas “Tom” J. Lucas, who served as a paratrooper in the United States Army in World War II and the Korean War, including participating in a combat jump on D-Day,
The Story of Millie and Clarence
Separated by war, their loving commitment endured after Clarence was taken prisoner by German troops. Twenty-one-year-old Clarence Beltmann of Milwaukee enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1942, one of the tens of thousands of young men caught in the swell of patriotism that followed the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Wisconsin Veteran Holiday Vignettes
The holiday season offers a unique opportunity to touch on a poignant topic for veterans, the holidays, and usually, we would provide you with a full context for each veteran who served. However, in this case, we would like to focus on short, stand-alone stories that provide a better sense
The Malmedy Massacre: the Survivor Story of Sergeant Henry “Roy” Zach
The Malmedy Massacre was a German war crime committed by soldiers of the Waffen-SS on 17 December 1944 at the Baugnez crossroads near the city of Malmedy, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945). Soldiers of Kampfgruppe Peiper shot and killed 84 unarmed
The Leyte Landing: Wisconsin Veterans on MacArthur’s Return
General MacArthur's return to the Philippines on Leyte, October 20, 1944. Public Domain: Gaetano Faillace. General Douglas MacArthur's Philippine landings brought with them confident images of dominance. MacArthur promised his return after the Japanese defeat of the Allied Forces in the Philippines: "I shall return." MacArthur's return marked a turning
Looking for Light
Looking for Light - in this blog, which is an extension of the article in the Winter 2023 issue of The Bugle, we’re sharing more background on the images featured in the magazine. The variations of light captured in these images vary from heavenly cloud formations to battle silhouettes. They
Betty M. Prieve: A Song for the Holiday
Betty Mae Whitney Prieve was a Merrill, Wisconsin, native. She joined the United States Navy in 1942. She trained as an airplane mechanic in Norman, Oklahoma, before transferring to Lakehurst, New Jersey. In 1944, shortly after the combat related death of her brother, she volunteered for duty at Pearl Harbor
Marcia Gates: Angel of Bataan in the Lost Battalion
The fall of the Philippines in 1942 left a deep scar on the lives of many Wisconsinites. In honor of International Nurses Day, we remember the nurses from our state who became prisoners of war following the 1942 fall of Bataan and capture of Corregidor. One especially tenacious servicemember who
Curator Conversations – Akira Toki and the Purple Heart Battalion
Tune in to this Curator Conversations and be inspired by the bravery of Japanese-Americans who served in the United States military during World War II. Many of the 20,000 Japanese-Americans who served, including a Madison, Wisconsin native named Akira Toki, did so as part of the 442nd Regimental Combat team. This unit was made up predominantly of Japanese-Americans who fought Nazis, prejudice, and questions