The Kealy's Kafe folks have been working away at quite a local franchise.  They have the small flagship restaurant off Memorial Bridge in Janesville.  They also tried to operate an eatery one in Newville, but stepped back from that one.  But the location we need to talk about tonight is the Kealy's Airport Kafe.  I have driven by the airport a hundred times in the last couple years and noticed the sign hawking a fish fry.  

    They set up shop in the Rock County Airport main building.  I have had the place in the back of my mind for a while because my father-in-law is a pilot.  Heide and I finally made it out there last week on a whim.   The first thing you will be greeted with at the entrance to the building is the Rock County Veteran's Memorial.  It is a thoughtful presentation. 

    To my pleasant surprise, the restaurant has a dandy view of the air fields.  The building is 1950s vintage brick and windows.  But for an eatery at an airport, the building is perfect.  You feel like you are right on the tarmac.  Not too many planes flew in the night we were there, but we got the timbre of the place anyway.  

    They have a good bit of room to work and there is plenty of seating.  Some airplane murals adorn one wall.  The ceiling fans are designed like propellers.  I got the feeling of a quiet and personal setting.

    Heide started out with a bowl of clam chowder.  I gave the chilli a try.  We both went for the two-piece Deep Fried Cod with baked potatoes.  Rolls and butter came with the deal.  The Cod was great and prepared like my favorite church style fish fry - crispy on the outside and mouth watering tender on the inside and steaming hot. They fix up a tangy cole slaw. 

    This is one of those places you need to get to for a couple of reasons.  With the economy the way it is you need to see the airport before someone comes along and slashes budgets.  The Meigs Field airport in Chicago comes to mind; to the disappointment of many people, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley turned turned that well known aviation landmark into a park in 2003.  But the main reason you need to get out to our airport is to try the chow at Kealy's. They have long hours accommodating the pilot crowd.  Once you're in the nursing home it will be too late to visit unique places like this.

    Kealy's Airport Kafe is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at 1716 West Airport Road, at the Rock County Airport on the south side of Janesville, Wisconsin. Call (608) 754  -  9039  for more information.

                        Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
    (each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)

    Marine Reserve Corporal Richard Joseph Nelson, 23, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, died on Monday, April 14, 2008 in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was killed during combat operations. Nelson was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserves out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was one of two Marines killed during combat operations in Habbaniya, Iraq. The Website journaltimes.com noted Nelson was killed by a roadside bomb attack. They also mentioned Richard was formally from Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, and was known as "Ricky." As a unit, Fox Company was on its second tour to Iraq. Nelson had attended Kenosha's Christian Life School. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Reserves in 2004. Corporal Nelson was on his second deployment to Iraq, spending several months there in 2005. This time around he arrived in January of 2008. He would have come back to the States in approximately September of 2008. Nelson was married in April of 2007 to his wife Kristen. The journaltimes.com went on to mention Nelson was a vehicle driver in his Marine unit. 
    The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Nelson graduated from Christian Life School in Kenosha in 2004. He played percussion in the school band. The school is also where he met his future wife and the two were due to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. The Journal Sentinel noted that Nelson was a mortar man during his first tour in Iraq and was a driver on the current assignment there. They went on to say Richard was born on September 4, 1984, in Kenosha. He had five brothers and a sister. His interests included hunting and fishing. In civilian life he did remodeling work, and worked as a carpenter for Cornerstone Construction in Kenosha. 
    The Website iraq.pigsty.net mentioned Richard intended to go back to college and become an elementary school teacher after his Marine commitment. 
    The Website marinechat.com notes Corporal Nelson was friends with fellow Marine Lance Corporal Dean Opicka who was also killed in the incident. Nelson's father had served in the Army during Vietnam. The Website went on to mention Nelson and his wife had their wedding at her parent's backyard in April, 2007, his brother Dave, a pastor, presided over the ceremony. 
    At the time of his death Corporal Richard Nelson was survived by his wife Kristen; parents Lennie and Susan Nelson; five brothers, Scott, Dave, Todd, Mark, James; and, one sister, Katie. Marine Corporal Richard Nelson was the 89th Wisconsin military service person to die in Iraq since the spring of 2003.

         As of this blog entry's posting date:

    0 American casualties to-date in Libyan "Operation Odyssey Dawn" since March 2011

    100,029 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
    
    9,830 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    4,442 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    1505 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    864 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    32,051 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003. 

    10,622 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001. 

    104 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    28 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

    146 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.

    21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.

Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org;  Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf; and, icasualties.org.

 

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