thedrifter
08-25-07, 07:25 AM
Posted August 25, 2007
Brat fry does double duty as farewell for Marine and United Way fundraiser
By Janet Ortegon
Sheboygan Press staff
Whatever else Ryan Kuhn takes with him when he ships out for Iraq next month, the 23-year-old Marine reservist will also carry the memory of his Associated Bank co-workers line-dancing to Village People songs.
Kuhn, of Sheboygan, has been a part-time teller at the Taylor Drive branch for about a year while attending classes at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan. When he got word earlier this year that his unit, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines out of Madison, was being mobilized to Iraq — for Kuhn's second tour — his employers decided to honor him with a going-away party.
Coincidentally, Kuhn's news dovetailed with the end of the bank's United Way Pacesetter campaign, so the resulting shindig Friday was a combination send-off and celebration that included hijinks from the staff and two of the Klement's Famous Racing Sausages who compete at Milwaukee Brewers' games.
The two things might not seem to have much to do with each other, but Kuhn donated to the United Way last year during the campaign, allowing a portion of his paycheck to go to a United Way-supported agency.
"I was a Boy Scout growing up, and the United Way supports the Bay-Lakes Council so it's kind of nice," Kuhn said. "I've done the payroll (deduction) in the past. They ask what charity you want it to go to — I always send it straight to Boy Scouts. They supported me growing up, so I'll send it back to them."
And although he won't be earning a paycheck or contributing financially to the United Way this time around, his service in the military counts too, said Nancy Jusky of the Sheboygan & Plymouth Area United Way.
"His sacrifice for his country is probably the greatest thing anyone can give to the United Way," Jusky said.
Kuhn, who joined the Marines at 17, is just months away from ending his six-year commitment to the corps.
His first tour in Iraq was in 2004-05.
"The main part of our job is to provide security for the towns, kind of like police," Kuhn said. "We would patrol through the cities, make sure that the shops are safe. …We also do a lot of work looking for the roadside bombs. It's OK, we can find them from generally pretty far off, and we make sure we're at a safe distance, then we call in like a bomb squad and they come in and take care of it for us."
Kuhn said that although he knew it was possible that his unit would get recalled, it was still a bit of a shock.
"Yeah, life was kind of in order, falling into place, and then you pack up and go," he said. "But you always have to prepare in the back of your mind for it. We had ample notice to get ourselves mentally prepared."
Kuhn will ship out next month for California for training. Sometime after that, they'll leave for the Middle East.
Kuhn's mother, Shelly Kuhn, was at the bank Friday for the celebration, posing for pictures with her uniformed Marine and the sausages.
"I think it's awesome he serves his country," she said, although she acknowledged she wasn't crazy about the idea of her son enlisting. "I wouldn't say I was behind it originally. We had a lot of talking back and forth for several months, and as I say, the Marine Corps won that battle.'"
Kristin Sievers, teller supervisor at Associated Bank, said although he's only a part-time employee, Kuhn is a standout.
"It's very rare to have an employee that makes you say, 'Wow," Sievers said. "He's a lot of fun. He's smart — oh my goodness, is he smart."
Standing next to an American flag and a sheet cake decorated in patriotic colors, Kuhn said he was grateful what his co-workers were doing for him.
"I appreciate the send-off," he said. "I guess I try not to make too big of a deal out of myself because it's for the United Way. I don't see it so much as for me."
Reach Janet Ortegon at 453-5121 or jortegon@sheboygan-press.com.
Ellie
Brat fry does double duty as farewell for Marine and United Way fundraiser
By Janet Ortegon
Sheboygan Press staff
Whatever else Ryan Kuhn takes with him when he ships out for Iraq next month, the 23-year-old Marine reservist will also carry the memory of his Associated Bank co-workers line-dancing to Village People songs.
Kuhn, of Sheboygan, has been a part-time teller at the Taylor Drive branch for about a year while attending classes at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan. When he got word earlier this year that his unit, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines out of Madison, was being mobilized to Iraq — for Kuhn's second tour — his employers decided to honor him with a going-away party.
Coincidentally, Kuhn's news dovetailed with the end of the bank's United Way Pacesetter campaign, so the resulting shindig Friday was a combination send-off and celebration that included hijinks from the staff and two of the Klement's Famous Racing Sausages who compete at Milwaukee Brewers' games.
The two things might not seem to have much to do with each other, but Kuhn donated to the United Way last year during the campaign, allowing a portion of his paycheck to go to a United Way-supported agency.
"I was a Boy Scout growing up, and the United Way supports the Bay-Lakes Council so it's kind of nice," Kuhn said. "I've done the payroll (deduction) in the past. They ask what charity you want it to go to — I always send it straight to Boy Scouts. They supported me growing up, so I'll send it back to them."
And although he won't be earning a paycheck or contributing financially to the United Way this time around, his service in the military counts too, said Nancy Jusky of the Sheboygan & Plymouth Area United Way.
"His sacrifice for his country is probably the greatest thing anyone can give to the United Way," Jusky said.
Kuhn, who joined the Marines at 17, is just months away from ending his six-year commitment to the corps.
His first tour in Iraq was in 2004-05.
"The main part of our job is to provide security for the towns, kind of like police," Kuhn said. "We would patrol through the cities, make sure that the shops are safe. …We also do a lot of work looking for the roadside bombs. It's OK, we can find them from generally pretty far off, and we make sure we're at a safe distance, then we call in like a bomb squad and they come in and take care of it for us."
Kuhn said that although he knew it was possible that his unit would get recalled, it was still a bit of a shock.
"Yeah, life was kind of in order, falling into place, and then you pack up and go," he said. "But you always have to prepare in the back of your mind for it. We had ample notice to get ourselves mentally prepared."
Kuhn will ship out next month for California for training. Sometime after that, they'll leave for the Middle East.
Kuhn's mother, Shelly Kuhn, was at the bank Friday for the celebration, posing for pictures with her uniformed Marine and the sausages.
"I think it's awesome he serves his country," she said, although she acknowledged she wasn't crazy about the idea of her son enlisting. "I wouldn't say I was behind it originally. We had a lot of talking back and forth for several months, and as I say, the Marine Corps won that battle.'"
Kristin Sievers, teller supervisor at Associated Bank, said although he's only a part-time employee, Kuhn is a standout.
"It's very rare to have an employee that makes you say, 'Wow," Sievers said. "He's a lot of fun. He's smart — oh my goodness, is he smart."
Standing next to an American flag and a sheet cake decorated in patriotic colors, Kuhn said he was grateful what his co-workers were doing for him.
"I appreciate the send-off," he said. "I guess I try not to make too big of a deal out of myself because it's for the United Way. I don't see it so much as for me."
Reach Janet Ortegon at 453-5121 or jortegon@sheboygan-press.com.
Ellie