RadioMilwaukee’s Soundboard

If you tune in to RadioMilwaukee this Memorial Day weekend, you’ll hear something a little different — members of the Milwaukee community, including 88Nine staff, saying “thank you.”

All this month, we’ve been collecting messages from people in the area honoring friends and family that have served or are currently serving in the US military. Some of the messages mourn the loss of beloved family members; others offer wishes of safe return to soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Below, a few of the messages we recorded that can be heard on-air this weekend.

Being There Reaching Out: Remembering the WI Fallen

Being There Reaching Out is an organization that assists the families of the Wisconsin military men and women who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was contacted by BTRO founder Judith Singer who asked if it would be possible to record a message containing the names of the 110 men and women from Wisconsin who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. This didn’t seem possible, as our plan had been to keep the messages to 90 seconds. Our solution was to create 23 separate pieces, each listing 5 of the Wisconsin fallen. To see the complete list of the Wisconsin Fallen, go to the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. Thanks to Judith and to BTRO co-founder Joe Campbell, vice-president Dorothy Moore, and to Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker for participating in the reading of the names.

Gold Star Wives: Lillian Teletzke

Gold Star Wives of America is an organization of women whose husbands died while on active duty in the US Armed Forces, or who died from a service-related disability. Lillian Teletzke, 90, recorded a message for her husband, one of the first US Navy Pilots to fly into France on D-Day.

Blue Star Mothers: Sue Gourdoux

Blue Star Mothers is an support organization for moms with sons and daughters currently serving in all branches of the US Armed Forces. Sue Gourdoux recorded a message for her son, Sgt. Joe Gourdoux, who has served two tours in Iraq.

440th Airlift Wing Air Force Reserve: Master Sgt. Mark Aragon

The 440th, which was based at General Mitchell in Milwaukee until January of this year, has since moved to Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, but several members of the unit still live in and around Milwaukee. I got a chance to speak with a couple members of the unit before they flew out for a recent training weekend. Master Sergeant Mark Aragon recorded a message for his dad, who served in Vietnam and his son who is currently serving in Iraq.

A Memorial Day Poem: Laura Haberstroh

In 1991, James B. Bates, a WWII and Korea War veteran, wrote a poem in honor of Memorial Day. His daughter, Laura Haberstroh of Waukesha, read the poem for us.