October 20, 2009

World War II veteran Herbert T. Zimmer receives Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award

(MADISON) – In a ceremony during the October 16th meeting of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs at Brookfield Suites Hotel & Convention Center in Brookfield, Herbert “Herb” T. Zimmer of Rice Lake was presented the Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award for October 2009.

Zimmer, born in Bear Lake, WI in 1922, spent his childhood in Rice Lake. He enlisted in the United States Army in March of 1942 at Wausau, took basic training and advanced training with the 5th Armored Division at Camp Cooke, California, and was assigned to its Troop D, 85th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squad Mechanized. 

Zimmer participated with the 5th Division in pre-deployment desert training at Camp Cooke, California and maneuvers with the Second Army in Tennessee, followed by supporting the pre-invasion training of other units at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania and debarkation preparations at Pine Camp, New York. He deployed with the 5th Division to the United Kingdom in February, 1944 and landed in France in July, 1944. As a Quad 50 Halftrack driver, he served with the 5th Division in campaigns in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and Central Europe. On December 17, 1944 he was wounded in Belgium while engaged with the enemy during the “Battle of the Bulge”, and after four days in the hospital, he returned to duty with his unit; and he returned to the United States with the 5th Division, where it was inactivated at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on October 11, 1945.

He was honorably discharged with the rank of Technician 5 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois on October 24, 1945 and his military decorations include the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Europe-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one Silver Battle Star, three Overseas Service Bars, and one Service Stripe. He has two brothers who are Korean War Purple Heart recipients and his nephew is currently serving with the U.S. Army in Iraq.

After the war, Zimmer became a United States Rural Route Carrier, serving the citizens of Rice Lake for 37 years, and is a member of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. He was an active member of the Rice Lake Elks Lodge 1441 for 47 years. He served as Volunteer Coordinator and oversaw the solicitation of donations for veterans at the Tomah VA Medical Center and, as a member of the Rice Lake Golden “K” Kiwanis Club, he routinely volunteers his time to beautify the community by planting hundreds of flowers and by weeding and watering the community gardens.

Zimmer is serving in his 31st year as Chair of the Barron County Veterans Service Committee and is always “at the ready” to provide Veteran Aid Funds to needy veterans and to support the work of the Barron County Veterans Service Office. He is a staunch supporter of veterans’ issues and programs in northwestern Wisconsin and regularly solicits donations and delivers donated goods to the homeless veterans at the Veterans Assistance Program (VAP) in Chippewa Falls.

He is a life member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans and has been an active member of each of these organizations for nearly a half century. He served as Commander of VFW Post 2204 for two years and as its Quartermaster for 27 years, and he was the Chief of Staff for the Department of Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars for one year.

The Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes living veterans who have compiled a record of exemplary service as a military service member, a veteran, and a citizen during the veteran’s lifetime. Zimmer is the eleventh recipient of the Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Board, through a subcommittee consisting of three board members, appointed by the Board Chair, selects the recipients. Nominations are accepted from any Wisconsin resident and the Board especially encourages submissions from Wisconsin veterans, veterans service organizations, county veterans service officers and other veterans groups.

There are up to six annual awards. Nominations may be submitted at any time during the year, but no later than the 15th of the month preceding the month of a Board meeting at which the presentation is to be made. For more information about the award, to include previous recipients, go to www.WisVets.com/BoardAward or call WDVA toll free 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).