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WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR CONLEY MEDIA JULY 2023 3 By Gay Greisbach Special to the Daily News On July 26 the Washing- ton County Fair will open to a celebration of Military Day. All active military duty personnel or veterans and a guest will be admitted free. Former VFW 1393 Post Commander and member of the Military Day Commit- tee John Kleinmaus said the day will begin with a flag raising outside the West Bend Mutual Insur- ance Pavilion. Both the flag raising and evening retirement cere- monies will be conducted by Washington County Color Guard units. At noon there will be a flag folding demonstration and a reading of the names of all Washington County service men and women killed in action from World War I to the present at the Ziegler Family Expo Build- ing Stage. A program titled, "Stars and Stripes" will begin at 1:30 p.m. and afterward, Washington County Veter- ans Service Officer Kurt Rusch will give a briefing the PACT Act. Signed into law in August last year, the act expands and extends eligi- bility for Veteran's Affairs health care for those that served during the Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras. The PACT Act expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. "This legislation adds numerous illnesses; can- cers, respiratory illnesses, reproductive illnesses and expands VA Healthcare access for Veterans 1990- through today. Further, the PACT act includes new exposure areas for Vietnam era Veterans to include places like Guam and Thai- land that were not part of the exposure risk areas before," Rusch said. Rusch said it is the largest expansion of bene- fits since the Agent Orange litigation and subsequent presumptive list of the early 1990s pertaining to toxic exposure illnesses from the Vietnam War. Rusch said the Act also impacts surviving spouses that also may have benefits that should be applied for or reapplied for based on this legislative change. At 2:15 p.m., there will be a presentation on the histo- ry of the military branches. "I guarantee it will be inter- esting," Kleinmaus said. "Six Seconds to Live," the story of two Marines who held their ground as a suicide truck bomber bar- reled toward a gate they were guarding will be pre- sented at 3:15 p.m. on the Expo Stage. According to militarytimes.com, the inci- dent is based on a true story, and though the young men lost their lives, they saved the lives of the Marines and Iraqi police in the security station they were protecting. July 26 Military Day Activities Sponsored by Delta Defense Ziegler Family Expo Build- ing Stage 9 a.m. Flag Raising Opening Ceremony - outside WBMI Pavilion Noon - 12:30 p.m. Fallen Soldiers/Flag Folding 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Stars and Stripes 1:30 - 2 p.m. PACT Act briefing by Kurt Rusch 2:15 - 3 p.m. Military Branch History Presentation 3:15 - 4 p.m. Marines with Six Seconds to Live 4 - 5 p.m. Silverbrook Dance Team 7:15 p.m. River City Irregulars - Ziegler Stage. At 8:15 p.m. there will be a break in the music for the flag retirement ceremony. Admission to the fair on July 26 is free for military and one guest, $7 for adults age 13 and over, $5 for sen- iors age 60 and over, $4 for youth age 7-12. Military Day File photo Tim Yauck, Marine Corps Veteran and commander of American Legion Post 522 in Hubertus, presents "Wisconsin's Forgotten Hero" as part of Military Day at Washington County Fair in 2022. This year Military Day will be on Wednesday, July 26.

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