The Green Bay Packers provided a $5,000 NFL Charities National Partnership Fund Grant to the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) for its new Medal of Honor memorial. The grant was presented by Packers alumni Bill Ferrario, Johnnie Gray and Bill Schroeder on Friday, Nov. 16, at an unveiling ceremony for the monument, located at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King, Wis.
This is the first major monument that has been built in Wisconsin to honor the 62 Medal of Honor award recipients with Wisconsin ties, and the grant from the Packers and the NFL was used to help fund the project.
"Our state is home to many men and women who stood up for our freedom and served this country with distinction," WDVA secretary John Scocos said. "This monument is one way for us to remember and honor the shared sacrifices of our Medal of Honor recipients."
The Medal of Honor was established by Congress in 1861 and is the highest military award for bravery and supreme valor that may be conferred upon a member of the Armed Forces of the United States.
The NFL Charities National Partnership Fund Grant provides NFL teams with the resources to expand upon breast cancer and military grassroots programming outside of the game-day/stadium experience. By connecting clubs with organizations focused on these two important initiatives, NFL Charities helps foster lasting relationships that allow for meaningful programming and events. More on NFL Charities can be found at http://www.nflcharities.org/.
Wisconsin's surviving Medal of Honor recipients include Einar Ingman Jr., Robert J. Modrzejewksi, Kenneth Stumpf and Gary G. Wetzel. For a full list of Wisconsin's Medal of Honor recipients and for more information on the WDVA, visit its website here.
