MILWAUKEE — At Forest Home Cemetery and Arboretum, a Memorial Day event brought people from all over Milwaukee to honor our fallen heroes.
The nonprofit Team Rubicon helped run the event. They are a nonprofit providing relief to people across the country affected by disasters and crisis.
With over 150,000 volunteers nationwide, the organization is roughly 70% veterans, several of who were at the event.
After serving 10 years in the US Navy, Elaina March moved to Milwaukee to attend nursing school at Alverno College. She was handing out food with Team Rubicon Monday.
“When you move in the military, you always have a base that supports you, so moving across (the) country was different for me,” March said.
Without a base, she turned to Team Rubicon.
“That’s why I love Team Rubicon. We’re not trying to be the organization, but we’re out there partnering with so many other people,” March said.
The event included a memorial service and historian reenactments. Another veteran, Jerry Traughber, laid the wreath at the ceremony.
“I have to tell you I was a little choked up, that’s for sure,” Traughber said.
He just retired after 30 years in the military and has also volunteered with Team Rubicon
“I really appreciated the camaraderie in the military, and Team Rubicon gives me some of that camaraderie, so it’s one of the reasons I volunteer with them,” Traughber explained.
He’s helped on local projects in Milwaukee like Habitat for Humanity, as well as national projects, like rebuilding homes in Houston after Hurricane Harvey.
While the day brought people together to honor our fallen heroes, it also gave these veterans a chance to connect for a bigger purpose. Team Rubicon’s website says its goal is to provide veterans with community, purpose, and identity.
An employee with Team Rubicon said there are roughly 350 volunteers in Milwaukee and 3,500 in Wisconsin. While many of their volunteers are veterans, they say it’s open to anyone.
For more information, you can visit their website.
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