1
The mission of The American Legion, Department of Wisconsin is to provide service to veterans, their families and their communities. Badger &“Wisconsin” &“Wisconsin” Official Publications of The Wisconsin American Legion Family www.wilegion.org “For God & Country” May 26, 2016 • Vol. 93, No. 5 1. Log onto wilegion.org and click on “Renew Online” 2. Enter your name and member ID number 3. Pay with MasterCard, Visa or Discover That’s it! You’re done. You will receive your new membership card in the mail. No more renewal notices. No more stamps. Printed using recycled newsprint IT’S AS EASY AS 1 2 3 ! PNVC Ervin F. Van Dyke of Little Chute passed away on Friday, May 13, 2016 at the age of 94. Erv was an Army veteran of World War II and served as Department Commander in 1978 – 1979 and a National Vice Com- mander in 1986 - 1987. He served as a Flight Radio Operator in the Air Transport Command of the Army Air Force, assigned to the North Atlantic Wing, and was on special assignment in the Pacific to move the 11th Airborne into Tokyo for the Army of Occupa- tion in August of 1945. Prior to retirement in 1984, PNVC Van Dyke was manager of Sylvester & Nielsen, Inc., of Ap- pleton, a division of Emmons Sta- tionery & Office Supply Company of Stevens Point. A member of Urban Klister Post No. 436 of Wrightstown, he joined The American Legion in 1947 and has been active on all levels – Post, County, District, Department and National. Van Dyke’s Legion activities have been diverse but with the greatest emphasis on membership. His abilities in that field have been recognized by the Department and eight Department Commanders in the past had appointed him Chair- man of the Department Membership Committee. He was a member of many oth- er organizations. Erv was pre- ceded in death by his wife, the former Jane Weyenberg, with whom he was able to celebrate 59 years of wonderful marriage. He is survived by his son, Dan Van Dyke of Wrightstown, and his daughter Barbara Mollen of Kaukauna. In Memoriam ERVIN F. VAN DYKE Past National Vice Commander 1922 – 2016 On April 18th the Annual Warriors Ride, held in rural Douglas County, raised over $20,000. The proceeds were presented to the Bong-Hofstedt Post No. 409 in Poplar for disburse- ment to support Veterans causes and needy Veterans in the region. In the past these funds have been used to: build a wheelchair ramp for a dis- abled Veteran; purchase a bed and bedding for a needy Veteran; repair the domestic water well for a Vet- eran; support the construction of the Veteran’s retreat in Dairyland, WI; and infuse funds into the St. Vincent DePaul Howard Profit Veteran’s fund that provides emergency funds to Veterans in need. Post No. 409 Commander Walter Olson stated that “the funds we receive allow us to be able to help fellow Veterans and Veteran causes in the area, in a way that we could never do out of our own limited resources. It is a real pleasure to be able to provide this assistance when there is a Veteran in need. As Veter- ans ourselves, it’s great that we’re able to continue our service to our state and Nation in this manner.” The lead orga- nizers of the Warriors Ride include Mike, Karen, and Cassie Nevin, as well as Paul & Jessie Meter- aud. Additionally, there are many people that volunteer their time and effort to support this annual event, as well as the businesses that pro- vide sponsorships and host the ride at the various establishments during the actual ride. “We are grateful for all of the sponsors and participants that help make this fundraising effort such a success every year. The community support that has been shown to the Warriors Ride has been extremely overwhelming and we are so thank- ful for each and every person that has assisted us in our journey of helping out our local veterans and currently serving military mem- bers.” said organizer Karen Nevin. Warriors Ride and Poplar Post No. 409 Support Local Veterans
