Veterans

“The essence of being a good dog musher is your love for dogs.”

I live in Mondovi, a city along the Buffalo River in western Wisconsin. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and often would listen to radio programs and watch television shows about dogs, like ‘Lassie’, ‘Rin Tin Tin’ and ‘Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.’ That kind of dovetailed into my dog sled racing interest. …

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Howard Thompson | Mondovi, WI

“Those little pieces of shrapnel had such a huge impact on my life.”

I was in Ramadi, Iraq, in 2006 with Bravo Company, First Battalion, 506th Infantry. I was a forward observer, positioned at Three South, which was a little sandbag bunker on top of a hill that we had to improvise because some insurgents were coming over the hill and shooting rocket-propelled grenades into the back of …

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Phil Schladweiler | Eau Claire, WI

“It’s a place where we can go and find peace and healing.”

I started singing on the drum when I returned from Vietnam.  One of my most memorable times singing was at the dedication of The Highground in 1988. The Highground is a memorial park that pays tribute to veterans. Photo courtesy Gary Kmiecik They were going to dedicate the “Fragments” statue—a Vietnam veterans’ tribute—and they asked …

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Gary Kmiecik | Lac du Flambeau, WI