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Veterans services: monument dedications, endowment, and local guitar therapy program continue
Summary
The county’s veterans services update noted upcoming monument dedications, a privately funded endowment supporting annual flag programs, changes in burial trends, and a local continuation of the Guitars for Vets therapy program after the national organizer paused operations.
Kurt, presenting the veterans services quarterly report on June 25, told the Health & Human Services committee the county’s long-running veteran monuments project is nearing completion and that several dedications are scheduled this summer and fall.
Kurt said dedications are set for July 18 at Holy Trinity and Saint Lucas in Kewaskum (colocated cemeteries) and for Sept. 6 at Van Vecten Cemetery in Kewaskum. He said the 12-year private fundraising effort supporting the monument project has raised “well over $100,000” in private dollars, and that an endowment held at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation now supports annual program costs from investment returns.
Kurt reported that the Memorial Day program went smoothly; among about 6,000 veteran graves tracked, there was one reported call that a flag wasn’t placed and the office corrected it. He also said purchasing patterns have shifted slightly as more families choose cremation and delay burial of veteran cremains, producing a smaller near-term demand for flags and markers.
On programming, Kurt said a national pause in the Guitars for Vets program led local organizers to create a privately funded, local “Guitar Therapy Program” so veterans on a waiting list (currently eight veterans) can continue receiving instruction and services. Kurt said the local committee is fundraising and expects to resume full programming either under the national Guitars for Vets when it restarts or through the local program.
Supervisors praised the program’s use of private endowment funds and asked about data collection for appointments versus walk-ins. Kurt said the office is tracking services but that existing data are not yet showing clear trends; he said the office will reassess in three to six months and hopes to analyze seasonal patterns such as lower appointment counts in September (back-to-school months).
Why it matters: The veterans services update shows continuing private support for ceremonial and memorial activities, modest operational changes tied to burial trends, and a local response to sustain a popular therapeutic program for veterans.
Looking ahead: Kurt said staff will continue to monitor appointment and walk-in patterns and will report back after further data collection.
