Ashland Sons of Legions remodels war artifact, honors veterans

ASHLAND, WI. (Northern News Now) - A non-profit organization on the South Shore is honoring those who served in the military with a refurbishing project,

The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 90 members, including Vice Commander Walter Gurske, decided to restore the town’s historic Howitzer. The inspiration for the project came from a photo of Gurske’s grandfather.

“They did a simple paint job on it back in the 90′s,” Gurske said. “When he died and that photograph came up, it just gave me an idea that it would be a great way to honor my grandfather and also through the organization, to honor and preserve the memory of our veterans and ancestors that served.”

When the members announced the repair project on Memorial Day 2022, the community reacted with support.

“A large number of the community came forward with financial donations, businesses, individuals, you name it, we were quite blown away,” Gurske said. “We budgeted for two years of fundraising and by the end of the summer, we were ready to get moving.”

The refurbished Howitzer debuted on July 4, 2023.

“To see it all together in less than a year, it’s pretty amazing,” Commander Julian DePlacito said. “That definitely gives us a little boost in our confidence as a group to see we can do something like this.”

Gurske is hopeful the project will last another century.

“Hopefully it can keep this history and this memory alive for future generations as well, so we can remember everyone that’s gone overseas, fought, bled, and died for everything we have today,” Gurske said.

The Legion will be having a re-dedication ceremony on 9/11 to honor the day and veterans. For more information about the group or the event, click here.

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