ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN 7 p.m. Dec. 10 WHERE Matousek Auditorium VA Hospital, First Floor Milwaukee, Wisconsin DIRECTIONS Located off of National Avenue off Interstate 94 right next to Miller Park stadium NOTES Comment less than 3 minutes Bring a copy of your comments Read more about the hearing. |
WRITE A LETTER Many concerned citizens have sent letters to President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush to appeal to them to help Wisconsin establish a national heritage site. Below is a sample letter to send. Either mail the letter below or write one of your own and send it to: President George W. Bush (or First Lady Laura Bush) The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 SAMPLE LETTER December 9, 2003 President of the United States George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: I am among many others who are contacting you with a plea to help save not only Wisconsin's war veteran heritage but also the veteran heritage of much of the United States. Under your administration, the United States Department of Veteran Affairs is seeking additional funds by placing up for commercial development specific VA properties, including irreplaceable historic buildings. Most alarming, is the proposed Enhanced-Use Lease regarding 37 acres of VA property on the Wisconsin Soldier's Home and grounds in Milwaukee. Property proposed for commercial development includes one of the three original soldier homes/hospitals in the United States, established by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864-65 at the request of Milwaukee Soldier's Aid Society advocate Ms. Cordelia Harvey, widow of Wisconsin Governor Lewis P. Harvey (who died on a Civil War soldier's aid mission). Hundreds of Civil War veterans are buried on the grounds, as are Buffalo Soldiers and thousands more from the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, The Korean War, The Vietnam War and additional battles and conflicts. Veterans' pensions paid for some of the state's first multi-denominational chapel, built on the grounds in 1889. A grass roots effort is now underway in Wisconsin to challenge the VA's action (which we are assuming is proceeding pursuant to your approval) and to preserve the site's historic buildings and legacy. This opposition, however, includes an alternative vision for a broader use of the property and buildings centered on historic preservation, with the cooperation of an appropriate developer. This property should be used to establish an educational and historic preservation campus, commemorating the veterans of the Civil War and all subsequent wars, and created in a style similar to Williamsburg and Gettysburg. The humble aim of our vision is to nourish America's patriotic soul, beginning right here in Milwaukee. We realize that you may not be aware that the Department of Veterans Affairs, through its bureaucracy, may be trampling America's most precious historic assets, the buildings that stand for the sacrifices of men and women who protected and preserved our freedom. As Cordelia Harvey appealed to her President in 1864 to protect America's veterans then, we are appealing to our President to help us protect those veterans today. Very Truly Yours, Please Respond To (my address): |
ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN 7 p.m. Dec. 10 WHERE Matousek Auditorium VA Hospital, First Floor Milwaukee, Wisconsin DIRECTIONS Located off of National Avenue off Interstate 94 right next to Miller Park stadium NOTES Comment less than 3 minutes Bring a copy of your comments Read more about the hearing. |
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