March 2, 2022 – West Bend, WI – A follow up to a story reported Tuesday, March 1, 2022, regarding a plaque gifted by the West Bend High School Class of 1940 honoring three alumni killed in action in World War II.
West Bend High School teacher Scott Mindel sent an email notification Tuesday morning, March 1, 2022.
Mindel said the plaque had been removed by school administration and was hoping one of the family members of veterans Gerald Bell, Raymond Puestow or Stewart Vincent would like to give it a home before it was “hidden away somewhere or worse, being discarded.”
Calls were placed to administration and several members of the West Bend School Board for more information. No response was received other than Superintendent Jen Wimmer who said the plaque had been removed but digitized.
“The high school administration greatly enhanced the whole wall to honor those who served and currently served,” she said. “They had a small plaque and tried to get it in the hands of family members.”
Wimmer submitted the above photo of the display. “It is all digital now,” she said.
Late Tuesday night Wimmer said she was following up with administrators Ralph Schlass and John Graf for some more official information.
“They (the 3 veterans and WBHS alumni killed in action in WWII) are honored; it is just digital,” said Wimmer. “There are five plaques now.”
Wimmer said, after the Class of 1940 plaque was removed “the intent was to get it into the hands of family members.”
Following the story, neighbors across West Bend and alumni weighed in on social media.
Washington County Veterans administrator Kurt Rusch said in an email, “Scott Mindel and I communicated this morning on the plaque and if you have questions about it you should contact him. I believe we are one of three organization willing to maintain the plaque and this appears well in hand.” Respectfully, Kurt
Calls had been placed to Scott Mindel but as of the publishing of this article had not been returned.
Commander John Kleinmaus with VFW Post 1393 in West Bend, Wi said his post would be honored to take the plaque and display it at the post on Park Avenue.
While eager to give the plaque a new home, Kleinmaus did wonder why it was removed. “I just can’t envision removing something like that, a memorial of students who went through the West Bend High School system killed in action… I don’t know why they would remove that… that doesn’t make sense to me.”
WWII veteran Allan Kieckhafer is a 1941 graduate of the West Bend High School. He served in the U.S. Navy and knew Raymond Puestow.
“Raymond was a year older than I was,” said Kieckhafer.
When initially informed about the veterans’ plaque being removed Kieckhafer said, “It ought to be replaced.”
“I think it should be put back up; these veterans served our country, and they should be honored,” he said.
This is a working story, and more information will be added when details become available.
Superintendent Wimmer said she would provide more information from the school principals. Those details will be posted when information becomes available.
Those people died in a time of great anguish in the world a world which was not digitized. Replace the the plaques please. You have a digital screen make in a moving screen and bring as many students who served we can find and get ther pictures uploaded to the screen and Should we find more students KIA let’s create a plaque in there honor not digitized
Sorry, it should be there along side the new “digitized” memorial. Removing it is just wrong.
Simple minded stupidity
Reading the whole article it sounds like there are now over 2000 WB grads that have served in the US Armed Forces, including the 3 WW2 vets who were initially named on the small plaque. The superintendent is quoted as saying the plaque was photographed(digitized) & is part of the digital display of ALL 2000+ WBHS students who have served. It’s nice to know that the district has created a place to HONOR ALL The WB ALUMNI that have served our country. Until now, I would assume the 2000+ who weren’t on the WW2 Plaque may well have felt less significant than the original 3 WW2 Vets. Kudos to WBHS FOR HONORING & PICTURING ALL WHO HAVE SERVED in a digitized manner, so future service members can also be honored in the same manner as their fellow brothers & sisters!