Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs
Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award

Past Award Recipient
August 2008

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Mark A. Schaitel was born July 13, 1921 in Leon Valley, WI on a farm homesteaded by his grandfather in the late 1800’s. After joining the U.S. Navy on July 10, 1941, he was assigned to the USS Boggs, a Destroyer Minesweeper, from 1940 to 1944, advancing in rank on the Boggs from Seaman Second Class to First Class Signalman; and

WHEREAS, he was a member of the ship’s company on the morning of December 7, 1941 and was an eyewitness to history when the Boggs, returning from sea maneuvers and just entering Pearl Harbor’s waters, was flown over by the first wave of Japanese attack aircraft. The Boggs was initially ordered to sweep for aerial mines, and then to pick up survivors, and finally out for sea patrol as a follow-up Japanese land attack was expected. As the Boggs left Pearl Harbor for sea patrol, one of its mine-sweeping cables tangled with a Japanese min-submarine that was subsequently destroyed by a follow-on ship; and the Boggs continued operations in the South Pacific until July 1944; and

WHEREAS, in 1944 he was assigned to the USS Collingsworth, a brand new Troop Carrier, which carried 18 assault boats and a Marine assault force. The Collingsworth participated in the invasion of Okinawa in 1945 and then served as a carrier for homeward-bound troops after VJ Day; and

WHEREAS, during the Korean War, he was assigned to the USS Hanna, a Destroyer Escort, as a Chief Quartermaster from July 1952 to May 1953. The Hanna, while operating in the waters off of Wonson, North Korea, was severely damaged by a hostile shore battery attack in November 1952; and

WHEREAS, Mark Schaitel completed his military career as a Navy Recruiter in Milwaukee, WI. He retired from the Navy on August 1, 1960 as a Chief Quartermaster (E-7) just before the creation of super grades E-8 and E-9. His military decorations include the American Defense Service Medal with one star, Asian-Pacific Campaign Medal with three stars, American Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, China Service Medal, WWII Navy Occupation Medal, National Defense Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal with three stars, Korean Presidential Unit Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal with three stars; and

WHEREAS, he joined the Alonzo Cudworth American Legion Post 23 in 1961; and over the next 24 years he served tirelessly and with distinction as a record-setting membership chair, the first Vice Commander and the Commander, and as Commander escorted the Cudworth Choir to the National Championships. He was elected as a Director of the Wisconsin American Legion Bowling Association; he served as a volunteer at Camp American Legion for 23 years; and he was instrumental in the development of the American Legion Baseball All-Star Game, serving as the Chairman of the first game held at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1972; and

WHEREAS, in 1985, desiring to return to his birthplace and that of his cousin, Deke Slayton, an original Mercury Seven Astronaut, he moved back to Leon Valley and joined American Legion Post 100 in Sparta, WI. Serving as its Commander he re-energized the membership with the prospect of building the Post’s first home, he increased the Post’s membership to over 300 for the first time, and he led the construction of the Post building in 1988. He continues to serve on the Post Executive Committee, is a member of the Wisconsin and National American Legion Press Association, and is in his 16th year as Post Baseball Chairman; and

WHEREAS, he has served as Monroe County American Legion Commander and he has attended 32 state and 16 national American Legion Conventions. He returned to Pearl Harbor as a delegate to the 1978-79 National American Legion National Convention, and while there, he laid a wreath at the USS Arizona Memorial on behalf of a Wisconsin family who had lost a loved one on the Arizona during the attack.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Marvin J. Freedman, Chair of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs, proclaim MARK A. SCHAITEL as the recipient of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award on this 15th day of August 2008.

MARVIN J. FREEDMAN, Board Chair