News: Neillsville - American Legion (Honors Veterans’ - 2017)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Filitz, Seefeldt, Hopfer, Dunlap, Ladd, Hopfer, Kuhn, Chadwick, Fields

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/17/2017

American Legion (Honors Veterans’ – May 2017)

American Legion Honors Veterans; Sets Memorial Day Program

At the Neillsville American Legion Post 73 meeting May 1, Jim Filitz and Jim Seefeldt were honored for their military service with approximately 60 Legion members, family and friends attending.

The Legion gave Ray Dunlap Volunteer Quarterly Awards for the second third quarters to Dale Ladd and Robert Hopfer. The Legion currently has 210 members.

The Legion, with the help of the Boy Scouts, will place American flags on veterans’ graves at the Neillsville City Cemetery Saturday, May 20. Anyone wishing to help should be at the cemetery at 11 a.m.

Commander Wendell Kuhn, and County Commander/Post Secretary Chip Chadwick recently attended the 7th District Spring Conference at Onalaska.

The Neillsville American Legion endorsed the program of placing the American flag at all Clark County cemeteries. Also endorsed was the program of a 94-year-old gentleman who is painting portraits of fallen soldiers. So far, he has painted 123 portraits, two of which are portraits of soldiers from Loyal who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At a post banquet in Watertown, Bob Ladd of the Neillsville Post was presented with a Quilt of Valor as a WWII Veteran. His daugher sent in his name to receive the honor. Quilts were made by “Quilters on the Rock.”

Memorial Day activities sponsored by Post 73 will be held Monday, May 29. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the O’Neill Creek Bridge on Hewett Street.

The Color Guard and the Neillsville High School Band will participate and a wreath will be tossed in the water to represent those lost at sea.

The program will proceed to the cemetery, where the Color Guard will present the colors and fire a gun salute.

The guest speaker will be Army National Guard Captain Dave Fields. Following the activities, there will be a freewill donation lunch at the Legion. Members of the community are invited to all events.

Post 73 will be buying 10 tickets for chicken dinners to be given to the veterans at King for the Annual American Legion King Pilgrimage June 18. The Ladies Auxiliary will also be paying for 10 dinners.

May 26 is National Poppy Day. Proceeds from poppy sales are given to the American Legion for programs that support veterans and their families.

The red poppy came to symbolize the blood shed during battle. The red poppy became a symbol following the poem, “In Flanders Fields.”