Our main reason for forming this foundation is to give back to our brave Veterans.  Our Recipient Committee members meet, review, and discuss recommendations. We look to God to guide us in this process.

 

The definition of Veteran, as defined by the government, is complicated, full of red tape, and is quite
the bureaucracy. Many Veterans fall through the cracks and qualify for little or no benefits at all. That
is where OAG comes in. Working with Wisconsin Veterans Network, we find out what is needed for a
Veteran and we follow through with helping in any way we can.

This story may sound familiar as you’ve heard it before. But for Veteran Lee, it was very unfamiliar. Lee has been going through some hard times due to duty overseas in the Army. Some men and women come back just fine, but others have trouble adjusting. Lee is in the latter group. He never thought he’d be out of a job, behind in rent facing eviction, and have no money to support himself. The flip side of this ugly coin is that Lee found the help he needed with counseling and a job but now needs a hand up with back rent, some gas cards, and some grocery cards. OAG has helped him climb out of this hole, and Lee knows he will never go back. He just didn’t know where to turn but that’s all behind him now.

 

OAG has helped Veteran Lee with his back rent, took care of his January rent and purchased enough food and gas for at least 1 month. That’s enough to get him back on his feet as paychecks are now coming in. We are so honored that we can help out this Veteran who again, just needed a hand up after serving his country proudly. I do not know what he witnessed or what he had to do while in the Army, but it has kept him down for a while. No longer and along with others, OAG was there to help him get quite a weight off his shoulders.

 

Thank you all for your donations in order to be able to help out Veterans like Lee who are in need.

 

 

I was at a Christmas party and was approached by a lady wondering if we could help out with the purchase of a disability ramp needed for her daughter, Michelle, who will be moving back to Wisconsin from Florida into her home. She has quite a few health issues due to the time she spent in the military. I was happy to let her know that we certainly would help. She was beyond grateful. She said that she had put so much of her own money into remodeling the kitchen and bathroom to accommodate her daughter that it was just overwhelming her bank account. I gave her a few other financial outlets that help Veterans to contact so she hopefully will not have to spend her own money any longer. Thanks again OAG members. We took some weight off this mother of a Veterans shoulders and put a smile on her face. Priceless. Thank you all for your donations in order to be able to help out our Veterans in need as we do, and we thank Veteran Michelle for her service to our country.

 

 

A few weeks ago, OAG was asked if we could donate some money to help purchase grocery gift cards for some Veterans that could not afford a Thanksgiving dinner for themselves and their families. These gift cards were given out last Wednesday 11/15 leaving plenty of time for these families to purchase all they need to make it a very Happy Thanksgiving. We were told we purchased enough food for 10 Veterans and their families. Everything from Applesauce – Zucchini.

 

OAG members, you surely made this Thanksgiving a memorable one for some men and women that sacrificed a lot for us. I know they appreciate it so much. Thank you. I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!  

 

 

Christmas with the Vets is hosted by Jeff (Doc) Dentice (Vietnam Army Medic & hero, although he will say no) and his crew held at the VA Medical Center 12/16/23. "Here" is a short video from last year as Doc and his crew unload his trailer. OAG is honored to have donated to this great event. This is their 36th annual Christmas program for our brave Veterans and we can’t thank them enough for doing this. We were able donate enough money to help out with purchasing hooded sweatshirts, flannel shirts, sweat socks, winter gloves, and other necessities like toothpaste, shampoo, etc. It is the little stuff that OAG does that means so much for these Veterans. It humbles us to be able to do what we do. Thanks to all of you who make this all possible. Wishing all our brave Veterans a very Merry Christmas and may God bless you today and always.

 

Today OAG helped out a US Army Veteran Keith. Keith was stationed in Erglanen, Germany for 2.5 years. He served as a Cavalry Scout, assisting in reconnaissance, security and other combat operations. He was part of the first Bosnian hostage rescue. He retired with an honorable discharge as a PFC. He is low on funds due to ongoing issues that he is now finally getting help with. He has a job now that he looks forward to going to each day and found an apartment but needs help with his security deposit. We are happy to help with that so he gets off on the right foot. Thank you all for your donations!

I do not have a lot of information on Veteran Lawrence. He needed a lot of help because of PTSD and he recently received it and is turning the corner. He found housing and a job and needed gas cards, steel toed boots, jeans and t-shirts. OAG helped him out with all of those items, and we are very proud to do so. Thank you OAG members for making this happen!

 

 

Veteran Jason served in the US Army for 4 years and was one of the 400 soldiers sent to Turkey (date?) with 2 batteries of patriot missiles to prevent Syria from launching missiles on Turkey. I do not have any more details but this sure sounds like dangerous duty.

 

Jason is 40 years old and has 2 teenage girls. He is now divorced and has full custody of his children. In May of this year, he had to have knee surgery and was out of work for 3 months due to complications. He used up what savings he had and needed help with rent and utilities. He received this through United Way with a program for those Veterans who have minor children. Well, in early August he was hit by a car as he was walking across the street. He ended up in the hospital with a concussion and a shoulder that needed to be reconstructed and will be out of work until late December doing rehab. It was a hit and run scenario and the person was not apprehended, so recovering expenses does not come into play. United Way will not help this time (not sure why). He has no current income so OAG was contacted to see if we could help out, along with other charities.

 

OAG will pay 2 months rent and 2 months of utilities (September and October) and 2 other charities agreed to pay the other 2 months. Like so many other stories, this Veteran spends 4 years in the military without a scratch, thank God, returns home and BAM. Everything goes south. Thank you Veteran Jason for your service to our country and may you stay safe for all years to come.

 

Thank you, OAG members, for your continued donations. We all are helping our Veterans and their families with the smaller things that mean so much to them.

 

Veteran Michal recently passed away due to cancer from exposure to burn pits during his Gulf War deployments. Michal was 52 years old. He served 4 years in the Army as a Fire Specialist. His duties were to plan, brief, and conduct fire missions as well as intelligence activities including target processing in fire brigades, cannon battalions, and artillery and maneuver brigades. I am not sure what all this means but he certainly knew his stuff.

 

He separated from the Army with the following decorations: Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, and Southwest Asia Service Medal. Sounds like he was quite active and willing to do what it takes.

 

His wife and family asked for support with all the bills that are coming in, and having ½ of their income disappear will be difficult at best. OAG got together with some other Veterans charities and helped this Veterans family. We wish them all the best and share our condolences for their loss.

 

 

Veteran Bernard served 7 years in the US Army and was a supply chain soldier. He was a Corporal when he exited the military.

 

Veteran Bernard, another Veteran that has never asked for anything, contacted Vets Net after the house he was renting went up in flames. The only items he escaped his home with were his wallet, the clothes on his back, and his dog.

 

With the VA, they located housing for Bernard but it will not be available until June 15.  The Red Cross provided him hotel stay for three nights and Vets Net currently has him in the hotel for 2 nights. They asked if OAG could put Bernard up for 10 nights in a hotel. We did that and got him socks, underwear, and a couple pairs of jeans and T shirts. Veteran Bernard lives on Social Security disability income so he will depend on some charities to help out for a while. We are glad we can be one of them. We wish Veteran Bernard all the best in the future.

 

 

I received a letter from Vets Net today and I thought I’d share it with all of you, seeing without you, OAG would not exist. Veteran Frank needed so much help I just cut them a check and said do what you can with it in order to help. Other charities are pitching in so a lot of the financial pain will be reduced but the challenges ahead of this family are just mind boggling to me.

 

Hello Craig,

This letter is to thank you for your recent donation to VetsNet and let you know about the veteran that is being helped by your organization’s generosity.

 

Frank L. is a 7 year Army veteran. He loved his time in the Army. He was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Fort Lee, Virginia, Fort Polk Louisiana, and (his favorite duty station) Frankfurt, West Germany. There he served as a combat engineer and comptroller, responsible for equipment inventory and ordering. He was also an expert in fixing guns. His travels in Europe stand out as being a major career highlight. He especially loved the German culture and people that he met there. He still keeps in contact with friends there today.

 

Frank and his wife are currently facing many life challenges. With a 5 month old baby and another one on the way, he also has 2 daughters with severe autism. One of them was diagnosed in 2019 with a brain tumor and lymphoma. Because of his own health conditions, he is currently unable to work, and is waiting on a response from refiling a disability claim for injuries sustained while he served. Medical expenses are making it hard family to keep up with their bills. Frank has never asked for any help before but contacted VetsNet because he just can’t do this by himself any longer. We are helping him work with authorities and feel confident that his disability claim will come through in order for him to see some light at the end of the tunnel regarding his many challenges.

 

Thanks again so much for your continued support!

 

 

Veteran Elisha excelled in auto mechanics in high school and helped many of his fellow students and teachers, troubleshoot all sorts of mechanical problems. After high school he enrolled in the Army and his main job, after 23 weeks of training, was to maintain Bradley fighting vehicles for approximately 3 years. Since returning to Wisconsin, he has had some pit falls. Nothing major but he just needed a hand up as he was laid off for a few months. OAG paid for 2 months rent and gave him some Kwik Trip gas cards to also help him out. He was very grateful and said he’d pay us back in the future. I told him “That was totally unnecessary. We are honored to help you out of a jam. It’s what we do. Thank you for your service!”

 

 

I met Veteran Frank, and his lovely wife Lynn, at the Oak Creek Community Center while I was attending one of the many Veterans events they put together each year. Frank spent 25 years in the military serving our country. Since then, he has dedicated his life to helping Veterans through the Lions Club, which he and Lynn are very active members in, and by personally giving back to our Veterans. Making outdoor benches with the American Flag painted on it is Frank’s specialty. They are simply beautiful. He gives them to charities who raffle them off to help our Veterans. Making crafts that bring a smile to our Veterans faces, baking, taking Veterans where they need to go, collecting clothing, are just a few things Frank and Lynn do for our Veterans.

OAG thought it would be nice to help defer some of the costs that Frank and Lynn have so graciously been giving year after year after year to our Veterans. So we cut them a check to help out for a little while. I know they will be very grateful and use the money, not for themselves, but for our Veterans in need. It’s just what they do!

 

Thank you, OAG members, for your continued donations so we all can help our Veterans, and others helping Veterans, with the smaller things that mean so much to them.

 

Recently I as contacted by VetsNet who was working with a 54 year old veteran named Gerald, who is currently employed but struggling. Gerald served in the Navy for 4 years as an F-14 Aviation Structural Mechanic / Structural Airman Recruit. He was stationed in Dallas, TX and his specialty was rigging aircraft flap systems, which was a tedious task, sometimes taking hours of making tiny adjustments in order to get the flight controls to operate correctly. Gerald has fond memories of his service years and the friendships that he made.

During the pandemic, Gerald and his wife were both diagnosed with cancer. Gerald is currently in remission and able to work, but his wife is not. She is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for her lymphoma but is looking forward to returning to her job in public service working as a counselor for children. They were needing help bridging their income gap for a month or two as their savings is gone due to medical expenses and regular bills (Car payment, insurance, phone, and internet bills). OAG and another charity took care of their bills for a few months, and we are honored to do so.

 

We thank Gerald for his service, and we wish Gerald and his wife a cancer free life, full of happiness. Thank you, OAG members, for your continued donations so we all can help our Veterans with the smaller things that mean so much to them.

 

I was contacted regarding Army Veteran David who was recently let go from his job due to cutbacks. While he was looking for a job, which he now has found, his reserves were depleted and he was in need of some financial assistance for back bills.

 

David is a bright young man who served in the Army (Ft. Riley) for two years as a transportation specialist. In that two year period, he was deployed to Korea for a 9 month combat mission where he transported critical materials. He then served another two years in the Army National Guard.

 

OAG got him current with his bills and gave him a little extra just in case his math was off. Thanks Veteran David for your service and may your future be bright.