The 394th weekly Walworth County Support Our Troops Rally will be held at 11 a.m. on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3 at the Park Stage on the Walworth County Fairgrounds, 411 E. Court St., Elkhorn.
Every Monday morning since Nov. 29, 2004, a rally has been held at the Government Center in Elkhorn. As part of the rally, special recognition will be made of the 88,000 POW/MIAs unaccounted for from previous wars.
Bob Miller, commander of the Walworth County Council of the American Legion, stated that the Council and the Support Our Troops Committee appreciated the opportunity to hold their weekly troop rally in front of a larger gathering again this year at the fair.
The weekly rallies recognize troops with ties to Walworth County who are serving in Afghanistan or other “hot spots” in the world and those who have served there and returned or moved on to a new duty station. The families of these personnel are also recognized.
Recent events in Afghanistan have caused the committee be even more concerned about the morale of troops serving.
Miller also announced that Wayne Jensen, recently elected to the high office of State Commander of the American Legion, has indicated that he was looking forward to attending the rally. Jensen will also be at the Park area at the fairgrounds at 10:30 a.m. on Labor Day to meet the public and especially veterans, Legionnaires and their families.
Jensen served in the Navy from January 1963 to 1973; the Coast Guard from October 1973 to 1980; the Air Force Reserve from 1980 to 1992 and retired as a master sergeant.
Jensen has held many offices at all levels of the American Legion of the Department of Wisconsin and served on National Committees. He is a member of the Past Commander’s Club, 40 et 8 and is President of the Badger Boys State Board of Directors. He is a retired lieutenant of the Milwaukee Police Department.
Over the past nearly eight years the Support Our Troops Committee has shipped over seven tons of goodies to troops in 1,593 care packages with a value exceeding $47,790.
Recently the group has shipped 30 brand name coffee makers with coffee cream/sugar, cups, etc., to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and also a Personal GPS to those who had a use for one.
The public is invited to attend the Labor Day rally at the fair as well as the weekly rallies held every Monday at 11 a.m. at the Government Center, 100 W. Walworth St., in Elkhorn. Any groups or individuals wishing to make a donation may do so by mail to: American Legion, P.O. Box 821, Elkhorn, WI 53121.
The committee maintains a website at www.supportwalcotroops.com.
The group is always looking for names of others with ties to Walworth County who they may not be aware of and are not included, and encourages people to call (262) 275-6587 with those names.
Facts
• Walworth Co. Council is made up of 10 Legion Posts
• 391 weekly rallies held since 2004
• Estimated total attendance to date: 10,834
• Boxes sent to overseas troops: 1,593 (est. value: $47,790.00)
• Phone Cards sent to troops: 435 (value: $5,433.72)
• Backpacks sent to school kids in Afghanistan: 160
• Small flags sent to troops: 217
• Holiday Cards sent to troops: 365
• Shipped: 2,305 Cool Ties, 235 Cool Dos, 113 Scarves, 27 Liners, 50 Quilts, 168 Baseball/Softball gloves w/balls, 5 phones/MJ, 30 Coffee Makers, 19 flash lights, 4 GPSs
• Black balloons released for Wisconsin KIA: 106
• Troops currently in Afghanistan/Other: eight
• Troops who have served and returned: 417
• Troops who have attended a rally: 112
• 8,152 Thank You cards for troops distributed
• 764 Get Well cards for wounded soldiers distributed
• 8,102 Support Our Troops Bracelets distributed
• Total weight of boxes of treats and supplies over seven tons
KILLED IN ACTION
• Justin Linden, June 4, 2004
• Keith Nurnberg, Sept. 5, 2007
• Matthew Hermanson, April 28, 2011
• David Johnson, Jan. 25, 2012
