December 30, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Tunisia: Politics: State Government: Military: Christmas: The Capital Times: With so many men and women from Wisconsin now serving overseas in the military, Gov. Jim Doyle says the holidays have taken on a deeper meaning for him
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Tunisia:
Special Report: RPCV Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin:
Special Report: Governor and Tunisa RPCV Jim Doyle:
December 30, 2005: Headlines: Figures: COS - Tunisia: Politics: State Government: Military: Christmas: The Capital Times: With so many men and women from Wisconsin now serving overseas in the military, Gov. Jim Doyle says the holidays have taken on a deeper meaning for him
With so many men and women from Wisconsin now serving overseas in the military, Gov. Jim Doyle says the holidays have taken on a deeper meaning for him
Doyle, who is not a veteran, has sought little public attention for his efforts to help support military families, including during his attendance at military funerals. "That's the most impressive thing about it," said Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, director of public affairs for the Wisconsin National Guard. "Most people aren't even aware that he's there, except for the families. He's not there to be noticed, but to give his personal support to these wonderful families." Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and his wife served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Tunisia in the 1960's.
With so many men and women from Wisconsin now serving overseas in the military, Gov. Jim Doyle says the holidays have taken on a deeper meaning for him
The soldiers' governor
Doyle has attended 43 of 52 military funerals
By David Callender
December 30, 2005
Gov. Jim Doyle shares a field meal with a Wisconsin Guardsman training for urban warfare at Fort McCoy in June 2004.
Gov. Jim Doyle shares a field meal with a Wisconsin Guardsman training for urban warfare at Fort McCoy in June 2004. (Photo by Kirk Wagner/Associated Press)
With so many men and women from Wisconsin now serving overseas in the military, Gov. Jim Doyle says the holidays have taken on a deeper meaning for him.
Doyle, who has attended 43 of the 52 funerals for Wisconsin servicemen and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, said in recent weeks he and his wife Jessica have tried to reconcile the joyousness of the holiday season with the loss of young lives.
"I know that for me, Jessica and for my family, that we intend to celebrate the lives of these men and women, particularly those who have been killed or badly injured, as well as to remember the men and women who are serving in dangerous parts of the world," Doyle said in an interview.
"It isn't the kind of celebration where you are lighting off fireworks and laughing and toasting. It's a deeper celebration of their lives and the sacrifice of their lives," he said.
Doyle, who is not a veteran, has sought little public attention for his efforts to help support military families, including during his attendance at military funerals.
Advertisement:
"That's the most impressive thing about it," said Lt. Col. Tim Donovan, director of public affairs for the Wisconsin National Guard.
"Most people aren't even aware that he's there, except for the families. He's not there to be noticed, but to give his personal support to these wonderful families."
Donovan, a veteran of more than 30 years' service in the National Guard, added that after talking with his counterparts in other states, Doyle appears to be unique in his commitment.
Some governors haven't gone to any funerals, while others have attended only services for members of their states' National Guard units.
"But Gov. Doyle makes no distinction between the Guard, the Reserve, or active duty," Donovan said. "I don't think any other governor has done that."
Doyle said that he believes it's important to recognize the sacrifices of all those who serve, especially those who pay with their lives.
"I certainly believe that I, as governor, and everybody in the state owe them a debt," he said.
And that, he said, should apply regardless of one's political position on the war.
Although Doyle has had to miss nine funerals, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton has gone in his place to every one of them, Donovan said.
Both the governor and lieutenant governor have been at many of the send-offs and homecomings for Wisconsin troops, and in a few cases, Doyle met some of the soldiers whose funerals he later attended.
Doyle said that as he has come to know the families, "it's been an incredible inspiration to me to watch them reach out to one another in their grief, to see them laugh and exchange jokes with one another in the midst of these terribly difficult times."
The experience has also helped Doyle put his own struggles in perspective.
"I know I have a job that's kind of like being coach of the Green Bay Packers, where everybody's got an idea of how I can do it better," he said.
"Then I think about these families and what they're going through and how they're responding with such incredible grace.
"For the things I care so deeply about - making sure that our children are well-educated, making sure that the quality of life in Wisconsin is second to none - I can go through the little hassles that I have."
E-mail: dcallender@madison.com
When this story was posted in January 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
 | Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger
When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject. |
 | PC establishes awards for top Volunteers
Gaddi H. Vasquez has established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers, two returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and two Peace Corps staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers will be based on a demonstration of impact, sustainability, creativity, and catalytic effect. Submit your nominations by December 9. |
 | Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years
Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now. |
 | 'Celebration of Service' a major success
The Peace Corps Fund's 'Celebration of Service' on September 29 in New York City was a major success raising approximately $100,000 for third goal activities. In the photo are Maureen Orth (Colombia); John Coyne (Ethiopia) Co-founder of the Peace Corps Fund; Caroline Kennedy; Barbara Anne Ferris (Morocco) Co-founder; Former Senator Harris Wofford, member of the Advisory Board. Read the story here. |
 | PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident"
The District Commissioner for the Kasama District in Zambia issued a statement banning Peace Corps activities for ‘grave’ social misconduct and unruly behavior for an incident that occurred on September 24 involving 13 PCVs. Peace Corps said that some of the information put out about the incident was "inflammatory and false." On October 12, Country Director Davy Morris met with community leaders and apologized for the incident. All PCVs involved have been reprimanded, three are returning home, and a ban in the district has since been lifted. |
 | The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today. |
 | Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong
170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community. |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: The Capital Times
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Tunisia; Politics; State Government; Military; Christmas
PCOL24178
89
