Badgers salute veterans, Guardsmen in pre-game ceremony

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. News:    Badgers salute veterans, Guardsmen in pre-game ceremony 09/06/2013 01:07 PM CDT Contact: Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office Office: 608-242-3050 or Cell: 608-516-1777 NEWS: Badgers salute veterans, Guardsmen in pre-game ceremony September 6, 2013 By 1st Lt. Joe Trovato Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 229th Engineer Company joined fellow Wisconsin veterans for the annual Badgers Football Salute to Veterans event Aug. 31 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis. The 229th, which returned in July from its tour in Afghanistan, took part in a pre-game ceremony alongside members of Wisconsin veterans organizations before the Wisconsin Badgers took on the UMass Minutemen to open the 2013 football season. Families and friends joined the 229th Soldiers in holding an oversized American flag during the National Anthem, and University of Wisconsin Athletic Director Barry Alvarez presented a game ball signed by Wisconsin football coach Gary Anderson to senior leaders of the Wisconsin National Guard in thanks for their service to the state and nation. "Camp Randall has a rich tradition, and it started as a training center during the Civil War," Michael Trepanier, the deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, said as he addressed veterans before the game. "It is just nice and touching that we get to be here in a place where people did actually serve. Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch joined Trepanier for the pre-game festivities to thank the assembled group of veterans for their service. "I am so honored and humbled to be here as I always am when I get the opportunity to say, 'Thank you,' in person," she said. "This is a state that continues to work hard for you, because you have sacrificed so much so that Wisconsin could offer all these great opportunities." Following the pre-game ceremony, the Guardsmen and the veterans that served before them took in the Badger game, where they watched Wisconsin kick off the 2013 season with a 45-0 victory over UMass. - 30 - Current News Releases and Media Galleries   This email was sent to mhamidlad.game@blogger.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of the State of Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, which includes the Wisconsin Air and Army National Guard, Wisconsin Emergency Management, and the Wisconsin State Emergency Operations Center • 2400 Wright Street • Madison, WI 53708-8111 • 800-335-5147. Visit us on the web at: http://dma.wi.gov