Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs
Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award

Past Award Recipient
October 2008

PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, Gary L. Mader was born January 11, 1944 in Appleton, WI and joined the U.S. Navy on January 13, 1965; and

WHEREAS, he completed U.S. Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Training School in San Diego, CA and was assigned as a Cargo Handler at Da Nang, Vietnam from September 1965 to August 1966 and on the USS Bon Homme Richard CVA-31, an aircraft carrier on combat duty in the Gulf of Tonkin until January 1969. He was honorably discharged at San Diego, CA on 10 January 1969; and

WHEREAS, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in April 1976 and served as a Food Service Specialist at Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Jackson, and Fort Rucker and was honorably discharged as a Specialist 4th Class at Fort Rucker in October 1978; he served the U.S. Naval Reserve in Green Bay, WI until 1988, advancing to the rank of E5; and

WHEREAS, his decorations include the Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Navy Reserve Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation; and

WHEREAS, he was a thirty-two year employee of the Kimberly Clark Paper Company, retiring as a machine maintenance worker in December 2001; during his working years, he and his wife raised three children. He served his community as a 300 pint donation contributor to, and a volunteer blood transporter for, the local blood bank. He served his church as a twenty year Eucharistic Minister and as a 4th Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus; and

WHEREAS, he is a forty year life member of the American Legion, and has been Commander at Post 258 (Little Chute, Wisconsin), Post 265 (Darboy, Wisconsin), and Post 161 (King, Wisconsin); and has served the Legion as State Sergeant-At-Arms, State Headquarters Building Committee Member, State Vice Commander, Assistant National Sergeant-At-Arms, and the Deputy Hospital Representative at the King Home; and

WHEREAS, he is an eighteen year member of the Sons of the American Legion, serving as Commander of the Princeton, WI Post; a twenty-two year member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, serving as the past Chaplain of Post 10544 (Combined Locks, WI) and as the current Commander of Post 1464 (King, WI); a member and current Commander of AMVETS Post 1887 (King, WI); and a member and current Trustee of Disabled American Veterans Post 54, also at King; and

WHEREAS, he has been a resident at the Veterans Home at King since December 15, 2005; and, employing quiet and unassuming leadership, he has focused on enhancing the members’ quality of life. In so doing, he has chaired the Member Council, served on the Food Committee, the Culture Change Committee, the Tunnel Transportation Safety Committee, and initiated the New Member Mentoring Program. With a deep commitment to volunteerism, he has volunteered over 1,200 hours of his time at the Home to such diverse activities as Work Therapy support in the library computer area and the Kingfisher Bait Shop, campus chapel service support and chapel clean-up, calling BINGO, baking cookies for special events, and monthly treat cart mate at Ainsworth and Stordock Halls. As a comrade, he is a member of the King Honor Guard, serving as Fire Detail Commander at member funerals, and on Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day Programs, and at memorial services, such as the one held in June 2008 for the late Veterans Affairs Secretary, John Moses.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Marvin J. Freedman, Chair of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs, proclaim Gary L. Mader as the recipient of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs Veteran Lifetime Achievement Award on this 17th day of October 2008.

MARVIN J. FREEDMAN, Board Chair