October 21, 2008

Veterans Day Program at King Veterans Home
“Generations of Thanks for Generations of Service”

(KING) - The Wisconsin Veterans Home at King will host their 2008 Veterans Day program on Tuesday, November 11th in the Marden Memorial Center at 10:30 a.m. Master of Ceremonies for the program will be Steve Stead of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King. The Waupaca High School Choir, under the direction of Kristen Sporakowski, will provide patriotic musical selections for the occasion. Waupaca High School Band students will sound Taps and echo. The Wisconsin Veterans Home is located at N2665 County Road QQ in King, just two miles south of the City of Waupaca, which is located just off U.S. Highway 10, midway between Stevens Point and Appleton.

Featured speaker for the occasion will be Mr. Marvin J. Freedman, Chair of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs.

Marv Freedman was elected Chair of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs in February 2008. He was originally appointed to the Board by Gov. Jim Doyle in June 2004 and has previously served as the Board’s Vice Chair and Secretary, as well as two terms as Chair of the Boards Legislative and Program Review Committee, Chair of the Finance Committee and Vice Chair of the Long Term Care Committee.

Marv graduated from the University of Michigan and attended the University of Wisconsin School of Law prior to enlisting in the United States Army in which he served from March 1969 through November 1970. In 1969, he was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with the 4th Training Brigade, U.S. Army Training Center (Armor). He then completed a tour of duty in Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division from January 1970 through November 1970. He is the recipient of The Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster and The Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, as well as a number of other medals, ribbons, and citations. In 2000, Marv was presented the United States Army Commanders Award for Public Service by Maj. Gen. James G. Blaney, the Wisconsin Adjutant General, for his exemplary dedication and lifelong work for veterans.

Marv headed up Government Affairs for Vietnam Veterans of America in Wisconsin from 1986-2004 and served as its Legislative Director from the time the position was created until September 2004. From 1996-1998, Marv served in Washington, D.C. as VVA National Government Affairs Chair. Marv is a Founding and Life Member of Dane County VVA Chapter 220. He is also a Life Member of Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a member of the Vietnam Veteran Association of Australia and Sons & Daughters In Touch, and is an advisor to Wisconsin Lao Veterans of America.

He has served as Chair of U.S. Senator Herb Kohl's Veterans Policy Advisory Committee since Sen. Kohl was first elected in 1988. He has also served on U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold's Veterans Advisory Committee since 1993.

Marv resides in Middleton and has two stepdaughters, Stephanie and Shanna, and three grandchildren, Nina, Amara and Mason.

Additional information on this program is available by contacting the Wisconsin Veterans Home at (715) 258-5586. For more information about Veterans Day and ceremonies taking place throughout the state, go to www.WisVets.com/VeteransDay/, see WDVA Events website at www.WisVets.com/Events or call 1-800-WIS-VETS (947-8387).