2024 Recipients

100% of your donation is on its way to a Veteran.
We thank all of these Veterans for their service.

OAG sent another Veteran, Richard, to the Missouri National Veterans Memorial in Perryville, MO. OAG does this for any Veteran, and a companion, who would like to see this beautiful memorial honoring all Veterans. Just contact us for details and we’ll get you started. Veteran Richard is back now and said he thoroughly enjoyed the 4 hours spent there and will return down the road as MNVM is always expanding. Below is a short summary of Richard’s time in the Navy.

Spent my 18th birthday at Great Lakes boot camp in October 1962.  The Cuban missile crisis was all the news.  After boot camp, went to Millington, TN for “A” school (A School, or Accession training, is where sailors go to receive technical training in their selected military occupational specialty (MOS) field) early 1963.  From Tennessee, I went to Navy Pensacola where I was assigned to Engine Build Up.  In 1964, I was assigned to Sherman Field where my duties consisted of caring for transit aircraft.  Did cursory maintenance on aircraft of all sorts. Planning on discharge in October 1965, I was involuntarily extended due to the Vietnam conflict.  This extension resulted in my honorable discharge in February, 1966, as an ADRAN (Aviation Machinist's Mate (Reciprocating Engine Mechanic) Airman).  I loved every day of my Navy experience.

We thank Veteran Richard for his service to our country and OAG is honored to be able to introduce him to the MNVM.

Veteran Robert is a 67 year old Army and Air Force Veteran who served post Vietnam. He is disabled and just lost part of his Social Security Disability income because he was rated for disability with the VA. Nonetheless, his low income and loss of SS put him in a spot where he can’t make the payment this month on his handicap equipped van. Robert is married and his wife is also disabled (MS) so they’re just trying to make ends meet while the VA reviews his rating for a possible future increase. He has a County Veteran Service Officer working for him with the VA so that is a good thing.

 OAG paid for 2 payments on his handicap van and also gave him enough money to pay his utility bills for a month. Ya, I think we all brightened his day a little. Hopefully his SS will be straightened soon. Thanks to all who donate to OAG on a regular basis so we can help our Veterans in need like Veteran Robert.

Veteran Don is a 74 year old Vietnam Veteran who served in the U.S. Army. His rank was E-4 Specialist (Corporal) and his duties included Guard duty and delivering gas to gas depots. What he remembers most about Vietnam was the heat and the bugs. “It was terrible”. He made three good friends, but sadly they have all passed away. He also remembers the shootings and explosions. To this day, he doesn’t do well on the 4^th of July with all the fireworks.

Veteran Don still lives in his own home but has a fulltime caretaker and is on a limited income. For a while now, all his drains in the house have been slow at best so he had a company come over to figure out the problem. Turns out they needed to blast the roots that had grown into his drain leading to the street. Don needed $600.00 to get the job done, but just didn’t have it. OAG took care of that and gave him some Pick & Save gift cards to help him with his groceries for a while.  

Now Don has a huge burden lifted off his shoulders. He can run water and flush the toilet without wondering if it is all going to disappear. Kind of important. Thanks to all who donate to OAG on a regular basis so we can help our Veterans in need like Veteran Don.

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.

Being exposed to IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices) and car bombs of every kind was a way of life for Veteran Carter. He was on the EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) detail in Iraq. Yes, his unit’s mission was to clear roads of IED’s, and if they came upon a weapons stockpile hidden away somewhere, they were responsible for blowing it up. And I get irritated when traffic slows down and I am late for an appointment!

Upon his return to Wisconsin, where he grew up, he was a mess. Real short, he felt he didn’t fit in any longer and turned to drugs and alcohol. Suffering from PTSD, it took him a long time to finally look for help. Once help was found, it took him even longer to make the treatment he was getting, stick.

Recently, after some schooling, he started a small home inspection business. He isn’t looking back and is grateful for the help. He pays it forward as much as he can, but right now, he is still struggling with finances. OAG was asked to help out and of course we were willing and thankfully able. Owing a month back rent and needing a new computer for work, OAG stepped in and paid 2 month’s rent and was able to set him up with a nice laptop and printer from Milwaukee PC. Another charity donated some much needed money to keep him solvent while he was working on getting his business going. Carter was so grateful and said he will pay OAG back in time. I told him to just keep paying it forward the best he can and that we are honored to help out this Veteran that sacrificed so much for our country. He thanks all of you!

I thank you OAG members for your donations so we can help our Veterans in need like Veteran Carter. You definitely are the best!!

Veteran Hector served 4 years in the U.S. Army. He saw a lot of disturbing instances as he served 1 ½ years in Afghanistan. When he returned to Wisconsin, he wasn’t the same. It took awhile for him to get back into his new life, but he did. He later married, had a child, and life was good. Then his wife left him and his son, with no reason given, and life was upsetting again, to say the least.  

Now a single dad, Veteran Hector and his young son were forced to move out of their apartment immediately due to black mold. It started in the unit below them and went unreported until it crept into the upper unit of Veteran Hector. They needed to leave all their possessions behind, as they had been contaminated and could not be thoroughly cleaned. Veteran Hector found VetsNet online and with assistance from his local Community Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) and reached out for help. While the CVSO focused on finding an affordably priced apartment for Hector and his son, VetsNet was able to ask a few Veterans charities (OAG being one of them) to donate in order to help Hector and his son set up their new apartment. Then the Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative went into action and delivered furniture, food, and gift cards to supermarkets and stores. It was quite the group effort and OAG is so honored that we could be part of it. The most important aspect of restoring this family to safety and security, however, was presenting the little boy with new Batman sheets to replace the ones he was forced to abandon. Smiles all around for this family! 

We thank Hector for his service to our country. He and his son are doing fine now. Thank you OAG members for your donations so we can help our Veterans in need like Veteran Hector

We have given to Homes for our Troops for many years now and will always continue.  Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) is a publicly funded 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans, to enable them to rebuild their lives. Most of these Veterans have sustained injuries including multiple limb amputations, partial or full paralysis, and/or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). These homes restore some of the freedom and independence our Veterans sacrificed while defending our country, and enable them to focus on their family, recovery, and rebuilding their lives. Since its inception in 2004, nearly 90 cents out of every dollar spent has gone directly to our program services for Veterans. HFOT builds these homes where the Veteran chooses to live, and continues its relationship with the Veterans after home delivery to assist them with rebuilding their lives. To date HFOT has built 7 homes in Wisconsin! We thank them for all they do for our Veterans and OAG is proud to donate to this worthy cause. Thank you OAG members for your donations so we can help our Veterans in need.

OAG was called in to help assist a 31 year-old female Veteran, Nancy, who had served 5 years in the US Army and is a single mother to one daughter. They have been living on a fixed income of $620/month from VA disability for some time now. Thankfully that has recently changed. Nancy could use some help with some back rent and just everyday living expenses. Oh, and in December, their apartment was broken into and they destroyed two windows and a sliding glass door. OAG and a 3 other charities gave toward that cost but OAG was more concerned with Nancy’s well being so we donated some well needed gift certificates (Kwik Trip, Pick & Save, and Target) for gasoline, food, and clothing. We also paid 2 months back rent so she wouldn’t have to deal with eviction. Recently Nancy was able to secure a decent job so from here on out she should be ok financially but right now she is in dire need, so OAG did what we do best. Help out a Veteran in need.

Yes, she has made some mistakes in her life after leaving the military but has finally received the help she kept resisting and is in a good spot right now. We wish her all the best in the future, and we thank her for her 5 years of service to our country.

Thank you all for your continued donations. I can’t express to you how much it is appreciated by those receiving our help.

Thirty eight year old US Army Veteran Al, raising his teenage son, lost his job and was eventually evicted by his landlord. The two bounced between a few homeless shelters in Milwaukee while Al searched for work. One night, it happened that the shelters were full and the Veteran was told to contact VetsNet for help. VetsNet, with the help of OAG and 2 other charities, were able to provide the family with three nights in a hotel, food and well needed clothing. VetsNet then certified them as homeless and was able to qualify this family rapid re-housing through HUD. With this opportunity for stable housing, the Veteran was able to focus on his job search, has gained employment and will be able to pay his rent moving forward. OAG decided to pay for his first 2 months rent so he didn’t have to worry about that and help him get out in front of his bills.

We wish Veteran AL all the best in the future, and we thank him for his service to our country. OAG is so honored to help our Veterans in need.

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