[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14723-14724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LADIES AUXILIARY OF CLEARY-KRECH POST #1707, 
                                  VFW

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. TAMMY BALDWIN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 6, 2004

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Ladies Auxiliary 
of Cleary-Krech Post #1707, Veterans of Foreign Wars, from Portage, 
Wisconsin, who recently celebrated their 70th anniversary. This group, 
comprised of wives, widows, mothers, grandmothers, daughters, and 
sisters of those who were eligible for membership in the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars, came into existence thanks to the tireless efforts of 
Ella Johnson and Dorothy Krech.
  From its inception, the dedicated women of the Ladies Auxiliary have 
held fundraisers, including bake sales, card parties, pot-luck dinners, 
bingo, old time dances, and WLS amateur shows at the armory. Those 
efforts raised money for the National Home in Eaton Rapids, Michigan 
and a banner for the Auxiliary. In 1937, the Auxiliary began sponsoring 
the National Essay Contest, giving cash prizes to the three winning 
essays from high school students.
  In anticipation of the district conference, the Auxiliary formed 
their now famous kitchen band in order to provide entertainment. This 
band created music using instruments such as brooms, a wash tub, 
rolling pins, clothes pins, and a skillet. At several special 
occasions, the band performed their musical talents, including the 
Portage Harvest Festival. In 1948, 28 members went to the Veterans 
Hospital in Tomah where they entertained over 350 veterans.
  When the Veterans held their Midwinter Conference in Portage in 
January of 1950, the attendees had to stay in private homes as the 
hotels were filled. Two national leaders and five hundred 
representatives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars attended the 
conference, making it the largest event ever hosted by the Cleary-Krech 
Post #1707. In anticipation of this large crowd, the vacated police 
station was purchased from the city and remodeled so that it could 
house the participants of the conference.
  Currently, the auxiliary offers services to local schools, such as 
the Patriot Pen Award for the best student essay about democracy. They 
also provide rehabilitation services to veterans and their families, 
senior citizens, and at-risk homeless veterans. Today, I join the City 
of Portage in celebrating the Ladies Auxiliary for seventy years of 
outstanding service to the community and the nation.

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