Thanks to your generosity, our “Freedom Is Not Always Free” fundraiser at Corporate raised $879 to support Stars and Stripes Honor Flights for military veterans. The group’s mission is to fly World War II veterans and terminally ill veterans of other wars to Washington, D.C., so they can see their war’s memorial up close and in person.

Flights cost $500 per veteran. As such, the bank kicked in a few extra dollars to raise our total to $1,000, to send two veterans on a future flight.

We also asked employees who served in the military to let us know they were veterans, so we could enter them in a drawing for a restaurant gift certificate. Mortgage Loan Underwriter Terry Rice won. Terry served in the Wisconsin National Guard from 1971 to 1977 and left as an E-5 with honorable discharge. Thank you to Terry and to all the rest of you who have devoted time and energy to protecting our country!

Last of all, we asked you to share dedications to our service members. Here are the words you shared in honor and in memory of our soldiers:

“I will be making a donation in memory of my grandfather, William G. Baccash. Here is a brief note: My grandfather was a WWII veteran who served for two years in France and Belgium. My dad has said that he didn’t share too many details over the years because it was always hard for him to talk about, but the one thing he always said was how proud he was to be an American and what a privilege it was to serve and protect his country. My grandfather passed away when I was a little girl, but I still have very fond and vivid memories of him and I’m very thankful for that. I think his most profound characteristic was that he was a very noble and selfless man. He always put others before himself, and I believe his patriotism and the love he had for his country demonstrated just that. He is one of the most wonderful men I have and will ever have known, and I still miss him every day. God bless all of our WWII veterans and their families!” —Melissa Baccash, customer assistance rep

“I am really happy to make a donation to this cause. My donation is in memory of my father (George Lepic) and my father-in-law (Raymond Mullins), quiet heroes who served their country when it was needed the most.” —Nancy Lepic, VP/controller

“I am contributing to honor my family who have served in the military: my uncle James Olmsted, who served in the Army and was killed in action in France during World War II, when he was only 19 years old; my dad, Erv Altmeier, who served in the Navy during the Korean War; and my son, Daniel Dunn, who served 20 years in the Army.” —Sharon Link, research and special payments specialist

“It is with love and honor we remember my father, Eugene F. Molinaro, who honorably served during WWII in the U.S. Navy as a seaman first class on the USS New Jersey. He was awarded the Victory Metal, the Asiatic Pacific American Area and the Philippine Liberation.” —Maribeth (Molinaro) Osmundsen, loan funding rep team leader

“I will be wearing red, white and blue in honor of my grandmother, Mary Kostrewa. She was a Marine in WWII. She was the staff sergeant and had 40 women under her command. She is a strong woman and I am so proud of her. She is my hero and my mentor. She will be turning 90 this year and is still going strong.” —Nicole Simonson, loan funding rep

“I am proud to participate in the fundraiser and wear red, white and blue in honor and memory of my father-in-law, Valerian Roman Wisneski, who served as a private first class in the U.S. Army in WWII.  He was in an Army artillery unit, both in Germany and the Philippines, during the war.” —Barb Wisneski, commercial loan closing manager