History and Vintage Photographs

Read about our history, adapted and abridged from our citation
in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places

Lest We Forget Project

Soldiers Home Seeks Stories of Veterans Buried at Wood National Cemetery

Wood National Cemetery , on the grounds of the Milwaukee Veterans Administration Complex, is eternal home to over 33,800 veterans. VA Milwaukee would like to bring life to the marble headstones for generations of future visitors through a commemorative archive of stories and photos.

For listing of Grave Listings at Wood National Cemetery Click Here.

The Soldiers Home Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Civil War era buildings and grounds, has begun to collect the stories of the military and personal lives of veterans interred at Wood National Cemetery . This is the first project of its kind in a VA National Cemetery.

Use the submission form on this site [PDF] or contact the Soldiers Home Foundation, Inc., at (414) 383-1867 or by writing the Soldiers Home Foundation, P.O. Box 139 , Milwaukee , WI 53295 .

Soldiers Home GAR History

The Grand Army of the Republic organized three posts at the Milwaukee's National Soldiers Home:

In 1869, Yates Post #84 was organized at the Soldiers Home. At the time, there were 181 inmates, but few belonged to the GAR. The post's namesake, Cpt. Theodore Yates, was commandant of the home at the time. The post was reorganized and renamed Veterans Post #8 the following year.

Veterans Post #8 was chartered April 26, 1870 and met on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. In 1904, it still had 66 members. W.W. Botkin was serving as post Commander and Michael Delaney was serving as post secretary.

General John Sedgwick Post #12 was chartered September 16, 1875 and held its meetings for a brief period at the Soldiers Home after which it was disbanded and its members either joined Veterans Post #8 or left the order entirely.

With the increase of Civil War veterans at the Home and the growing popularity of the GAR, a second GAR post was organized. Old Guard Post #211 was chartered May 17, 1898 and met on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.

In 1904, it still had 63 members. William H. Hassinger was serving as post commander and Alfred Denny, as post secretary.

Both Post #8 and Post #211 operated concurrently.

Members of Veterans Post #8 were featured in the Post Sketchbook in the VA Library. Despite there being hundreds of imates/patients being members of the Post #8 (and Post #211) over its 50-60 year life, these are the only records known to exist (and these are 1890 or later).