Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
----Surnames: Trewyn, Hayes
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark, Co) 11/01/2017
American Legion Honors Trewyn and Hayes (Military Service – 6 November 2017)
American Legion Honors Volunteers
By Todd Schmidt
Pastor John Trewyn Joined the U. S. Army in 1970. He was honorably discharged in August 1973, and then spent several years in the Army National Guard. He will be recognized for his military service during a program Monday, Nov. 6, at Neillsville American Legion Post #73. (contributed photo)
Neillsville American Legion Post #73 will be honoring Pastor John Trewyn and Jim E. Hayes for their military service Monday, Nov. 6. Social hour begins at 4:30 p.m., with a potluck meal following at 5:30 p.m. Members of the community are encouraged to attend.
Trewyn’s family moved a lot when he was younger, so he attended many different schools, graduating from Milton High School in 1970.
Trewyn enlisted in the U. S. Army as a senior in high school, so he needed permission from his parents.
He reported to basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. He transferred to Ft. Deven, MA, where he was trained in the Manuel Morse Intercept School. He requested assignment in Vietnam on what they called the “dream sheet,” but the Army sent him to Tori Station on Okinawa, near the Air Force Base at Kadena.
He was there for 18 months, intercepting messages from the Viet Cong.
“I know I saved many lives, but, even though it doesn’t make any sense to me, I couldn’t save them all,” Trewyn said. “This still is with me.”
Trewyn served his last six months at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida. He was honorably discharged in August 1973, and was in the Army National Guard for a few years.
After his term of service, he moved to Whitewater and worked for a fertilizer plant until it closed.
He moved to Cable, where he worked for Truss Works, cutting trusses, and doing other jobs related to the lumber industry.
Trewyn was off work for five years due to health issues. In 1990. He and his wife Debbie prayed, and after encouragement from members of their church in Cable he decided to go to school to become a pastor.
He began his education at Northland College in Ashland, WI, for one year, and then transferred to Concordia College in St. Paul, MN, for two years.
“One of my professors encouraged me to apply to the Seminary (which is a graduate school for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod),” he said. “I applied and was accepted.”
Trewyn studied Hebrew and Greek in the summer and began classes in 1994. In 1997-1998, he did his vicarage in Knierim, IA.
Trewyn said during a vicarage assignment, students go out and serve a year in a congregation to learn what pastors do and what the ministry is like. Most students serve in a church with a pastor and learn from him, while other students go to a church without a pastor and serve that congregation with a supervising pastor from another congregation nearby.
Trewyn returned to school, graduating in 1998 with a Masters of Divinity degree. He returned to Iowa to serve the church where he served his vicarage. While there, he started a prison ministry to accent his church ministry.
In 2001, Trewyn received a call and moved to Granton to serve the Lutheran churches in Granton and Chili. He served those two churches until 2010.
Trewyn then accepted a call to Phillips, where he continues to serve a church there, and a church in Kennan. He is also the Head Law Enforcement Chaplain for Price County, serving law enforcement, emergency services, and fire departments.
Trewyn married Debbie in 1975. They have four children, Amanda, Stephanie, John II, and Matt. They have five grandchildren.
Trewyn loves to hunt, fish, read, and travel. He also enjoys hiking, does that often. He enjoys meeting and helping people.
He is a member of AMVETS Post #50 in Phillips, and a member of Post #73 in Neillsville.
James E. Hayes joined the U. S. Army in 1962. He was honorably discharged in December 1965. He will be recognized for his military service during a program Monday, Nov. 6, at Neillsville American Legion Post #73. (contributed photo)
James E. Hayes was born in Muskego, WI. He attended many grade schools and graduated from St. Mary’s Grade School in Elm Grove. He attended several high schools, graduating from Union Grove High School in 1959.
Hayes then worked at Oster Manufacturing in Racine, and later at the Koehring Company in Milwaukee.
Hayes enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1962. He took basic training at Ft. Knox, KY, and military police (MP) school at Ft. Gordon, GA.
He transferred to Lackland AF Base for Dog Handling School. He then was assigned to Ft. Sam Houston, and worked as MP patrol on post. He requested overseas duty.
Hayes was shipped out on the USSWA Roberts troop transport. They stopped at Hawaii and Yokohama, Japan on the way to Okinawa, where he was assigned to the 19th MP group.
After working for two months on post patrol, he was promoted to Armed Forces Police E-4 and worked with the Japanese Police Partner (RASP) unit.
In 1963, Hayes began a tour of duty in Saigon, Vietnam. He received his security clearance and transported an Army maximum security prisoner from Okinawa Stockade to Saigon for a court martial trial, for attempted murder of a commanding officer.
Hayes returned to Okinawa and worked with the Armed Forces Police until his tour was complete. He was then assigned to Ft. Sheridan and worked at the AWOL Chase Unit in Milwaukee.
In the spring of 1965, he was transferred to Ft. Carson, CO to beef up post duties. H also performed guard duty at Cheyenne Mountain, CO for high level security meetings. This assignment lasted six months.
Hayes was discharged from active duty in December 1965. He returned to Wisconsin, and worked at the Allis Chalmers proving grounds.
He was then hired as a police officer in Brookfield. While there, he received two letters of commendation.
In April 1977, Hayes was hired as Chief of Police in Stanley. Two years later, he moved to Florida, where he received more police training and worked for the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department.
In 1981, Hayes moved to Neillsville to work for the Clark County Sheriff’s Department as a dispatcher and road patrolman. He “retired” in September 1986.
Hayes then moved and worked as a road patrolman for the Montesano, WA Police Department. After a short time, he moved back to Neillsville, and worked as a semi driver for Roehl Transport.
In 1991, he worked as a State Probation and Parole Agent in Milwaukee, and later in Door County. He “retired” again in 2000.
Hayes then worked part-time as a security guard at Waukesha Memorial Hospital.
“I retired for good in August 2014,” Hayes said.
Hayes married Christine in 1996. He has five children from a previous marriage, Jennifer, James, John, Joel, and Jesse. He has 15 grandchildren.
His son James lives in Neillsville, and he is in the Air Force Reserve. He is an E-7 and is a crew chief on the C-130.
Hayes lives in Sussex and enjoys hunting, fishing, and working on cars.
“My family moved a lot and I moved a lot, and had many jobs,” he said. “I truly appreciate this honor from the Legion.”
