Woodrow Wilson:  A Biography

Thursday, March 11, 2010 – 7:00 p.m.

Lecture and book signing

John Milton Cooper, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Join Dr. Cooper, one of the country’s foremost Wilson scholars, as he presents passages from his new book, the first major Wilson biography in nearly three decades. Cooper reminds us of Wilson’s myriad accomplishments, while also reshaping our view of a man often seen as a “dour Puritan.” This is a long overdue, revelatory portrait of one of our most important presidents—particularly resonant now, as another president seeks to change the way government relates to the people and regulates the economy.

A 2010 Dr. Richard Zeitlin Distinguished Lecture Series Event
Presented in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Department of History, the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE), the Grand Strategy Program, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA)

The Harlem Hell Fighters:  Jazz on the Battlefield during World War I

Friday, March 12, 2010 – Noon

Lecture and discussion

Dave Gilbert, Lecturer and Ph.D. Candidate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Unable to fight for the segregated American Expeditionary Forces during World War I, the all-black 15th Infantry from New York – The Harlem Hell Fighters – became part of the French 369th Infantry, and eventually became the most-decorated American unit of the entire war. The 369th also contained James Reese Europe’s famous marching band that won renown throughout France, introducing the modern sounds of American jazz to war-torn local audiences and helping establish the French love affair with American culture that endured throughout the twentieth century.

Women’s History Month Lecture – Women in the Navy

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 – Noon

Lecture and discussion

Captain Mary M. Kolar, USN (Ret)

Join us for this special Women’s History Month lecture as we highlight the role of women in the US Navy with CPT Mary Kolar (Retired). CPT Kolar holds a Master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and a qualified Joint Specialty Officer, and has earned numerous service medals, including the Legion of Merit with gold star.

LeMay:  The Life and Wars of Curtis LeMay

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 – 7:00 p.m.

Lecture and book signing

Warren Kozak, Author

Seen by some as belligerent and remorseless and by others as a patriot of the highest order, Air Force General Curtis LeMay remains one of the most enigmatic and charismatic figures in American military history. Former NPR reporter Warren Kozak, author of LeMay, will discuss LeMay’s military career, from his role in creating the Air Force and Strategic Air Corps, to his role in forming early Vietnam policy; his troubling turn as George Wallace’s running mate in 1968; and his reevaluation of LeMay’s legacy some twenty years after his death.

A 2010 Dr. Richard Zeitlin Distinguished Lecture Series Event
Presented in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Department of History, the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE), the Grand Strategy Program, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA)

Country Music Goes to War

Friday, April 9, 2010 – Noon

Lecture and performance

Bill C. Malone, Country Music Historian and Radio Host

Join renowned country music scholar and local radio host Bill C. Malone as he discusses country music’s response to the “Red Scare” of the 1950s, the Korean War, and the anti-Vietnam War movement. Malone will perform several selections and play several tracks that highlight the works of Ernest Tubb, the Louvin Brothers, and Merle Haggard, among others.

The Battle of An Loc, 1972

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 – 7:00 p.m.

Lecture and discussion

James H. Willbanks, PhD, Director, Department of Military History, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

Noted Vietnam authority Douglas Pike described the battle of An Loc during the North Vietnamese Spring Offensive of 1972 as “the single most important battle in the war.” During the course of the battle, a besieged South Vietnamese defense held out against a sustained and protracted North Vietnamese attack of an intensity seldom seen in the Vietnam War. The nearly three-month siege resulted in horrendous losses on both sides and culminated in the blocking of the North Vietnamese thrust toward Saigon. This was the last major battle in which U.S. support, primarily advisers and air support, was available to South Vietnamese forces.

A 2010 Dr. Richard Zeitlin Distinguished Lecture Series Event
Presented in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Department of History, the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE), the Grand Strategy Program, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA)

Landon’s Odyssey

Thursday, April 22, 2010 – Noon

Lecture and book signing

Joseph Gasperetti, Author and Vietnam veteran

While trying to acclimate to civilian life, Gil Landon, a returning Wisconsin Vietnam veteran, goes on a personal journey through his past to improve his future. Through his journey to hand deliver letters from comrades, Landon discovers old friends, old enemies, and a glimmer of hope. Painted over a broad national and international canvas, Landon's Odyssey is truly an epic journey. It is a unique and relevant tale for a generation, one still coming to grips with the tumultuous times it experienced. For the uninitiated, it will improve their understanding of an age that still echoes loudly across the contemporary landscape.

2010 Annual Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation Gala
         “A Special Evening with Professor Jeremi Suri”

Thursday, May 6, 2010 – 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Keynote Speaker:  Jeremi Suri, E. Gordon Fox Professor of History, University of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Veterans Museum and Madison Concourse Hotel

The Annual Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation Fundraising Gala starts with an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Veterans Museum of selected notable collections which are not on display in museum. Also hear the history and interesting facts of these collections that you otherwise would not hear. After the exclusive tour the Gala will move to the Madison Concourse Hotel for cocktails and dinner. Completing this exceptional evening will be the keynote presentation "What is the role for the military in a democracy?" Our keynote presenter is prize-winning researcher and teacher, author, lecturer, and speaker Jeremi Suri; the E. Gordon Fox Professor of History, the Director of the European Union Center of Excellence, and the Director of the Grand Strategy Program at the University of Wisconsin.

Proceeds of the Annual Gala will support new exhibits and programming at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Donations to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation are tax deductible.

Limited Seating for this Not to be Missed Event
Reserve Your Seat Now!
Registration Form     Register Online

Be a Sponsor or Prize Donor
Limited opportunities to sponsor this event with 100% of your sponsorship helping to underwrite this event to support the development of new exhibits and programming at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.
Sponsorship Form     Online Form

For additional information or to discuss your sponsorship and donation options and proposals, email or call Jennifer Carlson (608) 264-6086.

Sponsors of specific museum foundation events are also honored in promotional materials related to those events.

The Sixth Annual Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation Golf Outing

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

The Sixth Annual Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation Golf Outing is a great opportunity to meet and network with veterans from across the state while supporting educational programs and exhibits at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Come enjoy a day on the beautiful course at The Oaks, with golfers of all levels for camaderie, contests, prize opportunities, the delicious awards cememony dinner following the event, and fun, fun, fun!

Don't Miss Out Register Today
Downloadable Form  |  Online Form

The fee for individual golfers is $125.00. Foursomes with at least three first-time golfers to this event, can golf for $100 each. Price includes green fees, cart with GPS, range balls, lunch, dinner, tee gifts, and prize opportunties. Hole-in-one prizes include a Capital City Harley Davidson motorcycle! Registrations are limited so reserve spots for you and your friends and colleagues today!

Registration available online or by download

Be a Sponsor!

Become a sponsor - for the event, as an associate, a hole sponsor (only 18 available - first come first serve), sponsor a foursome or golfer, or sponsor a hero, or make a prize donation while showing your support for veterans and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. For additional information or to sign up as a sponsor, donor, or golfer see the outing form or online registration, or to discuss your donation options and proposals, call or email Jennifer Carlson (608) 264-6086.

Sponsors of specific museum foundation events are also honored in promotional materials related to those events.

Special Events Notes:

Books for all signings will be available in the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Gift Shop before and after each author event.

All programs will be held in the 2nd Floor Education Center at 30 W. Mifflin St. unless otherwise specified. For your convenience, the education center includes a state-of-the-art rear-screen projection system and modern sound system.

Temporary Exhibits

Faces in the Sand

Now through July 2010

The Faces in the Sand exhibit enables learning about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the service and sacrifice of Wisconsin veterans through firsthand interviews, rare artifacts, and battlefield souvenirs.

The Good Gray Nurse: Walt Whitman and the Civil War

An exhibit by Madison artist Michael Hecht

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 through Sunday, June 12, 2010

Already a published poet and writer by the outbreak of the Civil War, Walt Whitman, profoundly moved by his southern travels to find his soldier brother in 1862, became a volunteer nurse in Washington, DC treating wounded Union combatants. Using the Whitman’s poems about the Civil War as inspiration, Michael Hecht has created another unforgettable exhibit, layering his own knife drawings of soldiers’ silhouettes over stark images from the battlefield.

Ongoing Exhibits

A Tribute to Freedom

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is dedicated to the citizen-soldiers of our state. Employing exhibits, displays, and presentations, the museum's main galleries tell the story of Wisconsin men and women who served in America's conflicts from the Civil War to the Persian Gulf War.

Wisconsin National Guard Gallery

The Wisconsin National Guard Gallery features an exhibit that highlights the history of the Wisconsin National Guard. The exhibit highlights the chronology of the State Militia and its dual mission. Moreover, this exhibit illuminates the tenacity and valor of the 32nd Division during both the Great War and World War II. The exhibit highlights both the Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard as they served and continue to serve the State of Wisconsin, and when called upon, the Nation.