Karl served during World War II with Battery B, 485th AAA (AW) Battalion in the Philippines and on Okinawa.  He was inducted into the Army in January 1943 and discharged January 1946.  Karl said he served three years and eight days.  There is more I could talk about Karls’s time in service, but I want to write about his time in the VFW.

VFW Post 1318 is 101 years old and Karl was a member for 79 years. Can you imagine belonging to an organization for 79 years?  I have been a member of VFW Post 1318 since 1997.  Since that time Karl has always been present as the Post Guard.  I don’t know when he started as the Guard, but I am thinking that he was our Guard for quite a few decades.  Yes, in the last five years or so, Karl was not at every meeting, but he came when we would pick him up and then take him back home.  We have kept him on our roster as our Guard.  Karl and his late wife, MaryAnne, volunteered at the VA Hospital in Madison for 26 years.  Every Thursday Karl was pushing patients around until he was in his 90’s.  Once he was in his 90’s he went down to one day a month until COVID hit and he was not allowed to volunteer.  After COVID he was never able to go back as a volunteer.  

Karl was part of the Post Honor Guard.  During my time he and George Flatmann (WW II) would show up for every Memorial Day and Veterans Day services to post the colors.  Karl would carry the US Flag and George would carry the Post colors.  On Memorial Day, they did three ceremonies at Forest Hill Cemetery and then went to the Capitol to participate in that ceremony as well.  They did this until around 2010 or so.  Plus, Karl and MaryAnne would always participate in the Rose Ceremony at the Capitol.  The Rose ceremony honors those who had passed away.  Karl will be missed by all who knew him.  

Rest in peace my friend, we have the watch.