Send Syd & Leah to Margraten
Donation protected
Syd Clark and Leah Woods were toddlers when their father, Wayne Clark, was drafted into the U.S. Army in May, 1944.
Wayne fought in the 89th Division of the Third Army under Lt. Gen. George Patton. When his unit attacked a machine gun on April 9, 1945, outside of Crawinkel, Germany, Wayne was shot and killed by a sniper. He was buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery near Margraten.
I'm Keith Uhlig, a reporter for the Wausau Daily Herald newspaper in central Wisconsin. I started writing about Wayne Clark and the impact his death had on his family after a man named Jo Winkens called me. More than a decade ago, Winkens, a Dutch customs officer, "adopted" Clark's grave as a way to honor the soldier. He knew little about Clark, and wanted to find living members of Clark's family. A story I wrote in May, 2015, helped connect Leah and Syd with Jo Winkens via email and phone.
I'm hoping to raise travel expenses so that Leah and Syd can got to Margraten for Memorial Day ceremonies and to meet Jo Winkens in person.
Wayne Clark sacrificed his life in World War II; Syd and Leah lost their father and have lived with that sorrow ever since. Sending them to Margraten is a way to acknowledge their sacrifice as well. Visiting his father's grave, Syd said, "would provide some closure."
Read the whole story:
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/life/2016/02/18/wisconsin-gs-death-wwii-still-echoes/79890626/
Wayne fought in the 89th Division of the Third Army under Lt. Gen. George Patton. When his unit attacked a machine gun on April 9, 1945, outside of Crawinkel, Germany, Wayne was shot and killed by a sniper. He was buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery near Margraten.
I'm Keith Uhlig, a reporter for the Wausau Daily Herald newspaper in central Wisconsin. I started writing about Wayne Clark and the impact his death had on his family after a man named Jo Winkens called me. More than a decade ago, Winkens, a Dutch customs officer, "adopted" Clark's grave as a way to honor the soldier. He knew little about Clark, and wanted to find living members of Clark's family. A story I wrote in May, 2015, helped connect Leah and Syd with Jo Winkens via email and phone.
I'm hoping to raise travel expenses so that Leah and Syd can got to Margraten for Memorial Day ceremonies and to meet Jo Winkens in person.
Wayne Clark sacrificed his life in World War II; Syd and Leah lost their father and have lived with that sorrow ever since. Sending them to Margraten is a way to acknowledge their sacrifice as well. Visiting his father's grave, Syd said, "would provide some closure."
Read the whole story:
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/life/2016/02/18/wisconsin-gs-death-wwii-still-echoes/79890626/
Organizer and beneficiary
Keith Uhlig
Organizer
Wausau, WI
Leah Woods
Beneficiary
