2010 Launch Looked Like
A Battlefield The ceremonies were underway when the storm
hit. Balloons were quickly released but the rain pelted them to the ground. Doc(Center)
looks over the grounds while the rain kept coming down. A few minutes
later the rain stopped and the balloons started heading into the sky a few
at a time until all 5,000 were up and away... Some say it was our POW-MIA's
sending a message.
5,000 BALLOONS
READY TO BE RELEASED
Yes
the entire crew was ready to launch after the POW-MIA
prayer was read by Doc. That prayer was never
read, because the skys opened up with rain. The
balloons hit the ground hard, but a few minutes later, all 5,000 rose
up into the sky. The entire crowd of 2,000 were amazed.
Don Kordus - Dan Bogash - Doc Dentice - Chad
Tschan - Henry Zortman
Memorial Day At The Bunker DMZ/MC Welcomes All Riders To
Participate Registration is $10.00 All proceeds Go To the Union
Grove Veterans Home Staging At 9:30am - Ride Departs
At 10:30am All Riders Return To The Bunker Memorial Day Ceremonies At 2:45pm
THANK YOU
WMIL FM-106-Country
Radio
Karen-Scott-Radar
Launch broadcasted
live on week of May 22-28, 2010 - 6-10am Live Broadcast
on Memorial Day from the Todd Post Wisconsin
POW-MIA Launch airing live between 6 & 10am
THANKS WTMJ-TV
4 FOR THE NEWS BROADCAST
THANKS WDJT-TV
CBS 58 FOR THE LAUNCH COVERAGE
Keith Johnstone - Veterans Donation
To Launch
Veterans
Media Services Thanks Dave
Ryba & Photographers
"And The Waiting Goes On" Written By James Purtell-VietnamVet-Wisconsin Sung By Mark Brinkman-Wisconsin This Poster & Song Contact: James
Purtell
Images
On Rock By Jeanne Kordus One of a kind rock paintings-Your
pictures or design on rock
2009 Thank
You To Jeanne Kordus-Images
On Rock Wisconsin Bingo &
Supply Welders Supply Company
/ Pete Mueller George / Lori Klingspahn John Bohn & Son-Pictures
& Help Windlake Pirates Boat
Club VFW
Post 8343 Scott Fitzgerald-Don Kordus-Jim
Mount-Pat Jacobson-Wayne Cisewski Joe/Pat Razdik-Henry Zortman-Bill/Robin
THANKS TO THE
BUNKER/DMZ
FOR HOSTING THE 12th ANNUAL LAUNCH
Many Thanks to Dave Ryba
& his Crew VETERANS MEDIA SERVICE They had a 5 person filming
crew doing pictures at the Bunker/DMZ Their work will be seen
on this site in about a week They are putting together
the 2009 Launch video now for Cable News THANK YOU Dick & Jane
Glaser Dennis L Flancher
Bill-Jason-Doc & John Some of the 2009 POW-MIA Balloon Launch Crew Some came from Iowa & Minnesota Many from Oshkosh-Sheboygan-Racine-Kenosha-Janesville
and points beyond..
Wisconsin
National POW-MIA Balloon Launch-2008 11th
Annual Remembrance Goes On 1st
ever at the Bunker/DMZ BUNKER/DMZ
Jeff "Doc" Dentice has
put together the largest & longest running POW/MIA Balloon Launch in POW/MIA Freedom Fighter's
history and the Nation! Join him and the Crew
on Memorial Day 2011 for the 14th annual Wisconsin POW/MIA Balloon Launch!
Thanks goes to the Region
4 UAW Vets for being there to make the launch happen. Thanks to VFW Post 8343
members that helped out with the launch. It was 85 degrees and
humid when the crew started setup at 9am Temps in the chute were
reaching 120 degrees But by 2:30pm the launch
was ready to go.............
Doc and his Crew completed
the 10th Wisconsin National Launch on Milwaukee's lakefront in 2007 The Launch site has been
moved to the Bunker/DMZ in Rochester, Wisconsin
THANKS TO THE
BUNKER/DMZ
FOR HOSTING THE 13TH ANNUAL LAUNCH
Check out
the Wisconsin POW-MIA Balloon Launch Video
"FREEDOM IS NOT FREE"
THIS EAGLE WILL NEVER FLY FREE
UNTIL
ALL OUR POW-MIAS ARE ARE
BACK HOME!
You too can personally adopt a POW/MIA Click on the bracelet above to adopt a POW/MIA
Crowd responds to the ceremonies.......
WHEN ONE AMERICAN IS NOT
WORTH THE EFFORT TO BE FOUND, WE AS AMERICANS HAVE LOST! YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN HONOR AND SACRIFICE America, look into your
heart and ask yourself why. Why do you turn your back
on this "great" nation's lost warriors? How do you think this
nation became so great? They gave to you, what
they no longer have, FREEDOM! How can you continue to
ignore them, year after year? They are your brothers,
who have too long been left alone and forgotten! So, look into YOUR heart,
and ask yourself, WHY? If that were you, what
would you want your country to do?
From Jen &
the POW-MIA Freedom Fighters
The POW-MIA
National Balloon Launch Story _________________________________________________________________________
This was back in the early
days of the POW/MIA Freedom Fighters and we were trying to
come up with any kind of
idea toget folks inspired and keep the flame under the issue.
I had heard about a school
that did a balloon launch in memory
of Vets and thought we could
do one similar for POW/MIA's.
We were running a large POW/MIA
mailing list at that time with another organization and discussing
all this, when Col. Guy wrote
me privately, angrier than heck. We need to shake folks up!"
He had told me that he felt
certain there was a chance that if just 1 (one) balloon could get to a
living POW
and give them hope that they
were not forgotten and
we were doing something about
it, then anything we could do to make that happen would be worth it.
It was like, this was his
last big chance to be a
part of something that he
believed in 100% that could make a difference. "We're not going
to leave
them behind, Jen. We're
going to let them know
we are doing something.
Do it. Do it for all of them that want to come home.
Do it for all the families
still waiting for answers."
And I promised him I would.
And we did.
Our first few years were huge
successes. All over the world POW/MIA Freedom Fighters Balloon Launches
were held.
But as you know, without
committed people staying committed, some of the launches began falling
by the wayside.
But the story is geting out
and new launches are beginning.
However,
it's a whole other story for Wisconsin! Doc, with you and your family
and all your friends help and even Milwaukee itself,
your launches have most definately
been our greatest success story.
"Doc", you stayed stong!
You hung in there!
You put together a great
team, got the businesses involved, made it a citywide event.
It was wonderful! You
Launch Crew has continued to keep the flame burning,
continue to inspire, continue
to remind us all that
we have a job to do and it
isn't done until all our men and women are home.
When one thinks of the POW/MIA
Freedom Fighters Balloon Launch, they think of
Wisconsin, because you "Doc"
made it
happen and put the event
in the chronicles of history!
Wishing you all the best
at your New Launch location in Rochester, Wisconsin!
GOOD LUCK WITH THE 12th
ANNUAL LAUNCH IN 2009 Thank you for all you do
and continue to do Doc!
God Bless!
Jen
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL Memorial Day 2005 Doc Dentice & Crew
launched 20,000 balloons Largest Launch ever held
in the US The 10th Anniversary Launch
in 2007 25,000 balloons were released Largest ever in the USA Last Launch on Milwaukee's
lakefront
Did You Find
A POW-MIA Balloon? Please let
us know where!
Doc reading the POW-MIA prayer at the 2009
launch at the Bunker. Doc & the crew are set for Wisconsin's
13th Annual POW-MIA Balloon Launch! Memorial Day - May 31, 2010
CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VIEW THE LAUNCH
EVENT
WMIL FM-106-Country Radio
Karen-Scott-Radar
Live Broadcast for the Todd Post-92nd
Beloit Road-Milwaukee
Wisconsin POW-MIA Launch airing
live between 6:30-7am Central Time
Memorial Day
Doc will talk about the POW-MIA
Launch
Dear Doc,
A friend of mine from MI sent me your website
in reference to WI's POW/MIA Balloon Launching.
What a beautiful site this is!
I haven't even come close to viewing it in it's
entirety, but did view the pictures from the 2006 Balloon preparation and
launch.
Tears (are still) streaming down my cheeks as
I view them.
God Bless you in all your endeavors and especially
with the coming 2007 events.
Having graduated from high school in '68,
Vietnam was MY war and those who served, those who came home and especially
those who didn't will always have a special place
in my heart!
I want to thank you and all of your comrades for
your service! God Bless you one and all!
Judy Cherbonneau
Hillsboro, NH
May 19, 2007
ARMED FORCES DAY
Hi
Jeff Doc Dentice!
From
Jen & the POW-MIA Freedom Fighters
Jeff "Doc" Dentice has put together the longest
running POW/MIA Balloon Launch in POW/MIA Freedom Fighter's history
and the Nation! Join him and Wisconsin Memorial
Day 2007 for the next POW/MIA Balloon Launch!
25,000 Balloons
lifted off at the 10th
Anniversary
Wisconsin
POW-MIA
Balloon Launch X
Largest
and Longest running Launch in the Nation
Memorial
Day 2007
Please convey to the entire Launch Crew, our strong
support for their efforts to call attention to the need for answers,
the principles of accounting for those who serve
our country - past, present and future -
and the need to signal those now serving our
strong support for them.
Very best wishes,
Ann Mills Griffiths
Executive Director
National League of POW/MIA Families
1005 North Glebe Road, Suite 170
Arlington, VA 22201
MILWAUKEE
JOURNAL-SENTINEL NEWSPAPER
Largest
Launch ever held in the US
THANKS
TO THE JOURNAL-SENTINEL FOR THIS FANTASTIC PHOTO
Special Thanks to Aaron Tippon for
"The Stars & Stripes" song now playing!
Dont think he knew it would become
a POW-MIA Tribute song.
"Milwaukee's Lakefront"
War Memorial (North side)
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
25,000POW-MIA
Balloons
Largest
ever attempted in the USA
We encourage
you to place Doc's link on your webpages, in your e-mails,
everywhere,
to educate others
that
the POW/MIA issue is still very much alive.
http://www.war-veterans.org/Wlaunch.htm
____________________________________________________________________
THANK
YOU FROM DOC
JEFF DOC
DENTICE
WISCONSIN
POW-MIA LAUNCH FOUNDER SAYS
"LARGEST
LAUNCH IN THE NATION IS FANTASTIC SUCCESS"
TO ALL
OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS
FANTASTIC
AND WONDERFUL ENDEAVOR!
ONE EX-POW
FROM VIETNAM (COL.TED GUY)
HAD
A DREAM
AND I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE BEEN
ABLE
TO MAKE IT A REALITY FOR HIM.
Jeff
"Doc" Dentice
I HAVE
BEEN BLESSED WITH A GREAT CREW
HERE
IN WISCONSIN, WHO HAVE COME FROM
MANY
STATES TO HELP.
Jeff
"Doc" Dentice
(Founder)
Wisconsin POW-MIA Balloon Launch
Coordinator
Docs
Email
Hi
Jeff Doc Dentice!
From
Jen & the POW-MIA Freedom Fighters
The
POW-MIA National Balloon Launch Story
________________________________________________________________________________________________
This
was back in the early days of the POW/MIA Freedom Fighters and we were
trying to come up with any kind of idea to get
folks inspired and keep the flame under the issue. I had heard about
a school that did a balloon launch in memory of Vets and thought we could
do one similar for POW/MIA's. That first year, we got a lot
of flak from the enviromentalist poo-pooing the idea saying the balloons would
hurt the environment and that it killed the sea life and any wild life
that ate the balloons that landed. Some people wanted to let ff
butterflies, others doves, but we felt it just wouldn't send the kind of
message we needed to send for our POW/MIA's.
We
were running a large POW/MIA mailing list at that time with another organization
and discussing all this, when Col. Guy wrote me privately, angrier
than heck. I hadn't known he was gravely ill at this point, but was
hearing the murmurs of this doctor's appt and that. Anyway, he told
me, "To
hell with those idiot environmentalists that care more about the environment
than getting our guys home. We need to shake folks up!" He
had told
me that he felt certain there was a chance that if just 1 (one) balloon
could get to a living POW and give them hope that they were not forgotten
and we
were doing something about it, then anything we could do to make that happen
would be worth it. It was like, this was his last big chance
to be a part
of something that he believed in 100% that could make a difference.
"We're not going to leave them behind, Jen. We're going to let them
know we
are doing something. Don't listen to idiots. Do it. Do
it for all of them that want to come home. Do it for all the families
still waiting for answers." And
I promised him I would. And we did.
We
did research and found out that with the proper kind of balloon we could
keep the environmentalists happy as
these balloons disintergrate at the same rate as a leaf and thus, are biodegradable
and not bad for the environment. We
encouraged putting names of POW/MIA's, or links to
info about them on paper in the balloons, or on the balloons, anything
to inform the public that men and women are still waiting to come home and
families are still waiting for answers. We encouraged folks to let us know
when they found them. Some balloons traveled pretty darn far - one
from New Mexico was found in Maine! We sent out press releases, did
radio talk shows. Had some t.v. coverage.
Our
first few years were huge successes. All over the world POW/MIA Freedom
Fighters Balloon Launches were held. But
as you know, without committed people staying committed, some of the launches
began falling by the wayside.
However, it's a whole other story
for Milwaukee, Wisconsin! With you and your family and all
your friends help and even Milwaukee itself,
your launches have most definately
been our greatest success story.
"Doc", you stayed stong!
You hung in there.
You put together a great team,
got the businesses involved, made it a citywide event.
It was wonderful! You Launch
Crew has continued to keep the flame burning,
continue to inspire, continue to
remind us all that
we have a job to do and it isn't
done until all our men and women are home.
When one thinks of the POW/MIA
Freedom Fighters Balloon Launch, they think of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, because you
"Doc" made it
happen and put the event in the
chronicles of history!
Thank you for all you do and continue
to do Doc!
Glad your moving back to Wisconsin
in 2006
The Veterans community for sure
has missed your dedication & involvement
Its only fitting that you Coordinate
the 10th Anniversary Launch in 2007
God Bless!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
POW-MIA FREEDOM FIGHTERS
The Milwaukee, Wisconsin POW/MIA Balloon Launch
was exactly what
Col. Ted Guy, former (POW-MIA) had in mind when
he wanted this project done.
He is gone now, but you have made his dream become
a reality.
It gives me goosebumps looking at the pictures
and thinking of what these wonderful people have
accomplished in honor of our POW/MIA's!
Thank you "Doc" and Your Milwaukee
Crew!
Jen
Hi Doc,
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication
and keeping this project going.
I will post the info about your launch on the
message board.
I don't know if you remember Ex-POW Col. Ted Guy,
but back in 1998 when we first came up with the
idea of getting communities to do a POW/MIA Balloon
Launch,
we got a lot of heat from POW/MIA
activists balking at the idea. But Col. Guy told
me to hang in there
and to get this event going. He felt it
was a great way to keep this issue alive. With
the help of all of your
team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this
event has been one of our most successful in
reaching folks about the
issue and helping to keep the issue alive.
On behalf of the Executive Board and Membership
of the
POW/MIA Freedom Fighters, we would like to
present you "Doc" & Your Crew,with this Special
Recognition Award for
Exceptional and Continual Service Above and Beyond
on Behalf of our POW/MIA's.
Thanks to all of you that made this happen, the
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin POW/MIA Balloon Launch has
been one of our oldest POW/MIA events, having
participated
since day one in 1998, and has become
our Nations Largest Launch, reaching folks
that never knew about the issue.
We want to personally thank all of you that have
participated
since day one, and including those that
have participated in this last POW/MIA Balloon
Launch on Memorial Day 2003:
This award is not given lightly. In fact, as a
member of the
POW/MIA Freedom Fighters
you and your crew, are our very
First Recipients.
"FREEDOM IS NOT FREE"
THIS EAGLE WILL NEVER FLY FREE
UNTIL
ALL OUR POW-MIAS ARE ARE
BACK HOME!
Doc
Thanks so much for the awareness
you bring to our effort
It is greatly appreciated by those
of us still working hard for answers.
Please give my very best wishes
to your POW-MIA Launch Crew
Sincerely,
Ann Mills Griffiths
Executive Director
National League of POW/MIA Families
Fallen
Warriors Project For All Fallen Soldiers From All
Wars
Four Lakes Detachment of the Marine Corps
League in Madison, WI. Help them by purchasing one for your organization. Each Org. can honor their hometown area Fallen
Hero's by displaying this Tribute and placing their names on a Special
brass plate that come with the Statuette. This tribute is available for any State. Honor Family members from all Wars TELL THEM DOC DENTICE SENT YOU
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