After I was laid off from the feed mill in the spring of 1980, I hopped on my 1975 Kawasaki 500 and headed out to Ohio and then out to Colorado to see a couple of old Army buddies respectively. I made brief mention of the journey on the posting "Twelfth Job of Bob - Part I." While in Ohio, I attended Ol' Herb's wedding. Herb had been in 'Nam. I of course, met him in Germany were we were both stationed in Nuremberg. He was an eclectic guy. Herb loved music and claimed he once worked at a radio station - he knew all the latest tunes. He was only a couple years older than me. Herb had a motorcycle as well. While in prep for his wedding, one day he, myself, and some of his buddies headed out on our motorcycles.
Columbus was in those days a large, small town. Of course, like Wisconsin, the culture was all alcohol - all the time. We ran some errands, and in between the stops there were many pubs, taverns, and clubs. I remember vividly to this day, trying to keep up with the guys, sailing down a road that paralleled a railroad tack. Those guys all knew Columbus. I did not know the nuances of its blue-collar, working-town streets. Suddenly they all disappeared under a bridge as the road took an abrupt right-angle turn under the track. At God only knows how fast, I found my self face to face with a one-way underpass at a right angle. I starred straight into a concrete wall. To this day I do not know why I was able to make the corner. Not being a motor-cross rider I did my best to negotiate the curve. My old motorcycle was however a racing bike. I remember my right knee jean material brushing the pavement as I crammed the tight curve. Why I came back up-right again I can not say. I caught up with my friends up the street. The cycles were already lined up outside the door at one of Herb's favorite strip clubs.
This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Lance Corporal Travis M. Wichlacz, 22, from West Bend died when a bomb was detonated while he was on patrol in a convoy in Babil Province, a region southwest of Baghdad, Iraq. Travis died on February 5, 2005. Wichlacz was a 2002 graduate of West Bend West High School. He was a member of the Milwaukee-based Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Travis had married nine months prior to his death to Angela Coakley, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Lance Corporal Wichlacz was the 34th member of the military from Wisconsin to die in Iraq since spring, 2003.
3,887 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
464 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
28,629 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1,806 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
82 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
6 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
124 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
14 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
