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Welcome to Price County Wisconsin!
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Phillips Hometown Hero Banner Project
Supporting Our Local Veterans
This project allows our community to show our pride and appreciation to all local servicepeople who have served in the armed forces.
Hometown Hero Banners are displayed on 17 light poles along Lake Avenue (Highway 13) in Phillips. Each banner is two-sided 24”x48” (2x4) with a photo of the veteran, name and branch of military. Banners will be displayed from Memorial Day through Veterans Day.
Banner cost is $100.00 for each 24”x48” banner and includes the hardware and hanging of banners by the City of Phillips. Each honoree is be featured on the Phillips Area Chamber of Commerce website under the Hometown Heroes tab with the option of including a statement of service provided by the applicant. Donation/Sponsorship may be available for families wishing to take part in the Hometown Banner Project but cannot afford to pay the cost/full cost of the banner. Banners will be available for pick up by the applicant at the chamber office after they are taken down in November. Banners must be picked up at the office and will not be mailed. The chamber is not responsible for any damage to the banners once they have been displayed.
Veteran Criteria: Any honorably discharged veteran or ones who gave their life serving in the armed services, including those currently on active duty in the armed services. They must live or have lived in the Phillips Area (54555) or attended school in the School District of Phillips.
Applications: Applications will be available at the Phillips Area Chamber of Commerce Office and on the Chamber website. Applications will be accepted from February 15, 2024, to April 15, 2024, and will be processed in the order received. Each application must include the veteran’s name, military branch and era of service. Please submit a military photo with application or send a scanned photo to the email address listed below. (Photos will be returned). After the first 17 applications have been accepted the remaining submitted applications will have the option to be saved for use the following banner season.
2024 Phillips Hometown Hero Application
Cash, Check or Money Order for $100.00 made out to PACC Hometown Hero Project can be mailed or dropped off at:
Phillips Area Chamber of Commerce
ATTN: Hometown Hero Project
305 S Lake Avenue
Phillips, WI 54555
Signing the application and submitting a photo gives the Phillips Area Chamber of Commerce permission to use the photo.
Once the information is processed and is available for view in the computerized format a second approval will be required prior to the actual printing of the banner. No banner will be processed without completed information, payment in full and confirmation of information by the April 15, 2024 deadline.
Thank you for supporting our local hometown heroes. Please contact the Phillips Area Chamber of Commerce at 715-339-4100 or chamber@phillipswisconsin.net with any questions.
Phillips Hometown Heroes 2023
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Charles “Chuck” Ringersma, Jr.
Marine
Corporal
July 31, 1940 – February 4, 1946
William “Bill” Ringersma
U.S. Army
Private
May 29, 1967 – June 12, 1970
Cecil S. Russo
U.S. Army
Tech Sergeant
WWII
John Socha
Army
CPL (T)
1-30-52 – 1-20-54 Korean War
Frank Strok
Army
Private
WWII 1939 – 1945
Howard Strok
Army
Private
Korean War 1950 – 1953
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Samuel L. Taylor Jr.
U.S. Navy
HT3
4 years Active Duty, 2 years Reserves 1994 – 2000
Sam completed basic training Naval Bootcamp at Great Lakes, IL in 1994. After bootcamp he was given orders to report to the Supercarrier USS Carl Vincent CVN 70. The Supercarrier is part of the Pacific Fleet. The carrier resided in Alameda, California prior to relocating to Bremerton, Washington in 1997. During his time in the US Navy, Sam was a part of Operation Desert Strike in 1996. He served 4 years of active duty and 2 years of Naval Reserves. Sam was a Hull Technician. After moving to Washington, he was promoted to 3rd Class (HT3). His duty became Supply Officer for Repair 2 Division. Sam ordered and organized all equipment needed to do their job. This included sheet metal fabrication, pipe fitting, machine work as well as plumbing. Sam received an Honorable Discharge from the US Navy in 2000.
George Valiga
Army
Staff Sergeant
Nov 1952 – Nov 1954
John Paul Valiga
Navy
Ensign
1942 – 1946 WWII
Terry Wanish
Army Airborne Ranger
Sergeant
1969 – 1971 Vietnam
George Williams
U.S. Army
Tech 3
WWII Era
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Frank Dusek
U.S. Army
SP 4
3 years
Thomas W. Farley
Army
Private
1988 – 1991
John Hertlein
Army
2/11/1943 – 2/3/1946
Rudy Hlavacek
Army
PFC
Nov 3, 1942 – Nov 22, 1945
Auto Mechanic, awarded the Silver Star
John M. “Milt” Neuhauser
U.S. Army Air Corps
Staff Sergeant
1940 – 1945
John M. “Milt” Neuhauser served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in the South Pacific Theater of Operations from 1940 through late 1945. He was stationed on Oahu, Territory of Hawaii and was at Bellows Field on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor.
Milt recalled that Bellows Field was strafed by two, possibly three Japanese fighter planes that caused severe damage and several casualties. On December 8, 1941, his company recovered a Japanese mini sub that got hung up on the reef off the beach near Bellows Field, and in the process captured both the United States ‘first Prisoner of War of World War II’, the sub's commander Kazuo Sakamaki, and the sub itself. The mini sub was shipped back stateside and was hauled around the country to sell war bonds.
During his years in Hawaii he served at Bellows Field, Hilo Air Base, and Wheeler Field. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and served as Acting First Sgt. - Hilo Detachment 86th Reconnaissance Sqdn. (Bomber) A.A.F. July 1943 thru October 1943.
Decorations and Citations: Meritorious Unit Award, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Seven (7) Overseas Service Bars, One (1) Reenlistment Bar, and the WW2 Honorable Discharge ‘Ruptured Duck’ patch.
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2022 Honorees
Louis Benda - United States Army
Benjamin Terry Deda - United States Marine Corps
Joseph F. Foytik - United States Army
Raymond Hanoski - United States Army
Lawrence Andrew Kalina - United States Army
Martin Kalina - United States Army
Albert Paul Kalina - United States Army
George Joseph Kalina - United States Navy
Dale Gordon Meives - United States Army
Robert Philippon - United States Marine Corps
Richard E. Reese - United States Army
Richard H. Schoenborn - United States Army
Frank Soul - United States Army / United States National Guard
Henry Alan Thomas - United States Army
Donn Allen Williams - United States Army
2021 Honorees
Daniel Beck - United States Army
Leonard Collins - United States Army
Robert L. Cork - United States Navy
Robert Dunbar - United States Army
Joseph F. Foytek - United States Army
Carl E. Gengenbach - United States Navy
Ronald Heizler - United States Army
Donald O. Johnson - United States Army
Nolan Kopecky - United States Marine Corps
Edward Kosterman - United States Air Force
Daniel Petty - United States Marine Corps
James R. Pisca - United States Army
Clarence "Clink" Schilling - United States Army
John P. Spacek - United States Army
Charles Tingo - United States Army
Don Veverka - United States Army
John Zydzik - United States Marine Corps
2020 Honorees
Raymond W. Bolton - United States Army
Allen Brazelton - United States Air Force
Jon Brumet - United States Navy
Robert Foster - United States Army
Charles Golden - United States Army
Merton E. Gronlund - United States Army
Owen Hainy - United States Army
Lorry John Hanish - United States Air Force
Laddie W. Holoubek - United States Army
James Janak - United States Army
Roger Meier - United States Army
Craig A. Moore - United States Army
Karl T.A. Moravek - United States Air Force
Collin Precour - United States Navy
Kurth Prochnow - United States Navy / United States National Guard
Jerry Schmeiser - United States Marine Corps
Edwin M. Trzecinski - United States Marine Corps
Frank Zydzik Jr. - United States Army
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