I've been seeing an ad lately in the weekly entertainment section of the local regional paper for a place called
Convoy's Bar & Grill in Edgerton. As far as my rough knowledge of local bar history goes, it was
Hanson's DNA Bar and Grill for a round five years (I did a couple of reviews on the place); and, I seem to remember it was once called the
Drift Inn back in the day.
The new owners have placed a military theme on their tavern's genre. The place has had a total face lift and a new coat of paint, albeit Army colors, but they are in a more pleasing tone than the consummate Army olive drab I remember from my own Army days. All the essentials are in the same place. They still retain the antique ceiling, the kitchen is up by the front window entrance, the rest rooms are toward the alley exit, and the bar runs almost the whole length of the place. It still retains its old narrow downtown Wisconsin tavern architecture.
One of the items highlighted on the newspaper ad was their fish fry. I tried their 4-piece fried Cod which came in lightly breaded tender chunks. For a side I choose the Au Gratins with jalapenos and red potatoes - a different twist as opposed to the usual fish fry baked potato. Heide went for her preference of a baked Cod selection. And she tried their potato pancakes which the waitress told us were not homemade. However, they tasted homemade to us.
The cole slaw had a thick creamy texture. The thick tarter sauce had the same theme as the cole slaw. Some marble bread accompanied our meals. Heide got her consummate Root Beer and I, my usual glass of Miller Lite.
The sandwich board out front mentioned they also offer Walleye and Jumbo Shrimp. Over all, I like the face lift of the place. It's a bit tighter and snappier than before. I know from other places with a military theme, there is a trick and challenges to making Army drab and camouflage look trendy.
Convoy's Bar & Grill is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them in downtown Edgerton at 112 West Fulton Street (the main drag). Call (608) 884 - 0498 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)
Army Sergeant First Class David James Hartman, 27, of Merced, California (his mother lives in Pardeeville, Wisconsin) died on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, in Timagara, Pakistan. His convoy was attacked by insurgents using an improvised explosive device. Hartman was assigned to Team 622 in Company B, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was one of three soldiers killed in the explosion which occurred in Timagara, Lower Dir district, North West Frontier province, Pakistan. They were traveling to attend a ceremony at a girls' school that had been renovated with U.S. assistance.
The Los Angeles Times quoted Hartman's mother Trea Bacon as explaining Sergeant Hartman had been originally trained in combat designations but retooled to civil affairs work. David was born in Merced, California in 1982 and lived with his father in Lathrop in the Modesto area until he was 12. He later lived with his mother and his stepfather who was serving in the Army and was stationed in Japan. Hartman enlisted at 17 years old after graduating from high school from Kadena High School in 2000 which he attended on a U.S. Air Force base in Okinawa. He had been a member of the ROTC program. David had been married to wife Cherise about four years and was an old high school friend. They had one son Michael, one year old, and before his deployment his wife became pregnant with their second child.
The Lake County News of California noted Kelseyville and the Clear Lake Riviera as a point of reference for Hartman's father Greg Hartman and stepmother Kate. The County News sited The United Kingdom's Telegraph newspaper as reporting that the three American deaths were believed to be the first US military deaths to occur in Pakistan. Sergeant First Class Hartman had been deployed to Afghanistan previously in 2002, and also to Iraq in 2004. Previous positions held by Hartman were as a Platoon Sergeant with Company C, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Battalion, 1st Infantry Division; and, several positions with the 50th Signal Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps including electronic maintenance shop foreman, forced entry switch section team chief and sergeant, senior electronic maintenance technician, and senior switch technician. Some of his military awards include the Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal; Army Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terror Expeditionary and Service medals; NCO Professional Development Ribbon; Overseas Service Medal; the Bronze Star; and, the Purple Heart.
Wisconsin television station WMTV 15 via their Website nbc15.com discusses Hartman's connections with Pardeeville, Wisconsin. David would often visit his mother Mikail "Trea" Bacon who lives there. The community put forward commemorations and the installation of a memorial in Hartman's honor.
The Website afghanistan.pigstye.net via information from The Press Democrat noted Hartman's father was a pastor as well as a contractor in California. The site quoted information from the New York Times that Hartman was among at least 60 to 100 members of a team that trains Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Corps in counter-insurgency techniques. The Times corroborates that the soldiers were on their way to attend a ceremony at a girls school that had been renovated with U.S. humanitarian assistance. Reports also have the soldiers wearing civilian cloths. The site mentioned Hartman's younger brother followed in his footsteps completing boot camp the day before Hartman’s death.
The Portage Daily Register and wiscnews.com out of Wisconsin noted the incident involved a suicide bomber ramming a car into Hartman's vehicle. Per information via the Associated Press, the description of the attack raising questions of whether the attacker had inside information. How the bomber knew the soldiers would be passing through Lower Dir and which vehicle to attack has raised concerns. Sergeant First Class Hartman was part of a little-publicized mission to train local Pakistani forces in the volatile northwest near the Afghan border. Along with Hartman and the two other soldiers, the explosion killed three girls at a nearby school and a Pakistani paramilitary soldier traveling with the Americans. Two more U.S. soldiers were wounded, along with approximately 100 other people, many from the school. The Daily Register went on to note Hartman's military schooling as including the Civil Affairs Qualification Course; Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course; Basic Airborne Course; Joint Network Node Operators Course; Unit Movement NCO Course; Equal Opportunity Leaders Course; Gryphon Group's Mobile Force Protection Course; and, Explosive Hazard Awareness Trainer's Course.
At the time of his death David Hartman was survived by his wife Cherise Sabio Hartman; son Michael; and another child on the way; his mother Mikail "Trea" Bacon; father Greg Hartman and stepmother Kate Hartman; three sisters; both paternal grandparents; and a younger brother. Sergeant First Class David Hartman was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. He was the the 18th Wisconsin military service person killed in the Afghanistan war since October of 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
101,106 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
10,009 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,457 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1604 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
318 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
897 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
1 American/Coalition casualty in Libyan "Operation Odyssey Dawn" since March, 2011
32,102 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
11,722 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
107 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
31 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
3 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in the U.S. related to "The War on Terror" since October, 2001.
148 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
5 journalists (regional and independents) have been killed in Libya since March, 2011.
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.
