Many smiles Tuesday morning in Crandon as Richard Ackley, Sr. was presented with a citation from the Wisconsin legislature as he celebrated his 92 birthday. The citation was given to Ackley by state Representative Jeff Mursau who worked the honor through the legislature to say thank you for Ackley's military service.
Ackley earned three Bronze Stars in engineering and construction after the Normandy invasion during World War II. He retired from the military in 1952. His son, Richard Jr. says when his father was born in 1923, Native Americans were not afforded the rights they have now. Congress changed that in 1934....
"...in 1934, the Americans in our country became legitimate U.S. citizens...."
Richard Ackley Sr. spent 10 years in the military and he says he spent many birthdays in various places around the world while in service...
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"....pretty good, that's great. I've had a lot of birthdays all over, ya know..."
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Richard Ackley, Jr. made arrangements for his father to join the Never Forgotten Honor Flight, leaving in April for Washington, D.C. The flights take World War II and Korean War veterans free of charge to the nation's capitol to see those war memorials.
