Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, speaks during a dedication ceremony Aug. 22 for a new Gold Star memorial marker at the state capitol in Madison, Wis. The Wisconsin Garden Club Federation worked with state officials to dedicate the Gold Star memorial marker in honor of Wisconsin’s Gold Star Families. The marker is the first of its kind on the grounds of a state capitol in the United States. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Capt. Joe Trovato
Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, and articulated the importance of honoring Gold Star families, their service and sacrifice.
Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, speaks during a dedication ceremony Aug. 22 for a new Gold Star memorial marker at the state capitol in Madison, Wis. The Wisconsin Garden Club Federation worked with state officials to dedicate the Gold Star memorial marker in honor of Wisconsin’s Gold Star Families. The marker is the first of its kind on the grounds of a state capitol in the United States. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Capt. Joe Trovato
Patti Smith, the president of America’s Gold Star Families, unveils a new Gold Star memorial marker with the help of Gold Star children Aug. 22 at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis. The Wisconsin Garden Club Federation worked with state officials to dedicate the Gold Star memorial marker in honor of Wisconsin’s Gold Star Families. The marker is the first of its kind on the grounds of a state capitol in the United States. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Capt. Joe Trovato
The Wisconsin Garden Club Federation worked with the Wisconsin Department of Administration to garner approval last year from the state capitol and Executive Residence Board (SCERB) to install the memorial marker in front of the existing Gold Star Memorial Garden. The gold star of flowers in the North Hamilton section of the Capitol grounds near Wisconsin Avenue dates to World War I.
A new Gold Star memorial marker adorns the state capitol grounds in Madison, Wis., Aug. 22 after a formal dedication ceremony. The Wisconsin Garden Club Federation worked with state officials to dedicate the Gold Star memorial marker in honor of Wisconsin’s Gold Star Families. The marker is the first of its kind on the grounds of a state capitol in the United States. Wisconsin National Guard photo by Capt. Joe Trovato
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Daniel Zimmerman echoed that sentiment.
“The families of our fallen comrades have made a great sacrifice for this country,” Zimmerman said. “This tribute is one small token of our appreciation. With this new marker, we now have a reminder to all who pass by that freedom isn’t free.”