The Madison Wisconsin Veterans Museum is an iconic building Situated on Capitol Square Madison, Wisconsin, and is dedicated to all the soldiers from the State of Wisconsin who fought in various wars for the country. It was established way back in 1901 as the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall in Madison, the capital of the US state of Wisconsin.
But the museum has been in the news but for all the wrong reasons. Following the death of black George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in June, the country rose as one to disapprove of police brutality and racism. Protesters marched against police action, and in many places, widespread vandalism was reported.
Sadly, the Madison Wisconsin Veteran’s Museum became a target of the ire, graffiti-like “Black Lives Matter” and other similar slogans were sprayed on the outside walls of the building. Plywood decorated with works of art commissioned by the city of Madison and placed over the windows were not spared either and have had to be removed.
Understandably, several veterans’ groups were not pleased with this incident. The Museum has always been a symbol of the veterans’ courage and valor in various wars, there have been numerous calls to clean up the graffiti and have the walls restored to their former condition.
The State of Wisconsin leases the space for the Museum, which is run by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Foundation Board. The owner of the building is George Rice of Executive Management, Inc. He has already notified the State that the work to clean up the graffiti will start soon.
Various groups and the insurance company are being consulted on how to complete the work satisfactorily. The Department of Veteran Affairs has confirmed that various ways are being considered to clean the sensitive stone without any collateral damage to the building and that the work is slated to start this week. Veterans are now happy that a final decision has been arrived at.
The Madison Wisconsin Veterans Museum is an educational activity that falls under the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. Among other exhibits, it is famous for two award-winning galleries that record the history of the State’s citizens who served from the American Civil War to the Persian Gulf War.
