MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Gov. Tony Evers signed two bills on Monday — one dedicating a portion of a highway to a late Parkview High School graduate and one dedicated to the Ho-Chunk Nation House of Wellness.
Gov. Evers alongside local elected leaders and stakeholders hosted the first signing in Orfordville to sign Senate Bill 223. This designated a portion of State Trunk Highway 11 as the “Corporal Benjamin H. Neal Memorial Highway.”
“A decorated war hero, Corporal Benjamin H. Neal exemplified the very best of us—showing courage in the face of danger and unwavering commitment to the well-being and safety of our nation,” Gov. Evers said in a statement.
Corporal Benjamin H. Neal was a graduate of Parkview High School and a member of the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. He died from injuries caused by a homemade bomb in Afghanistan.
The second signing was in Baraboo where Gov. Evers signed Senate Bill 633 designating the “Ho-Chunk World War II Code Talkers Memorial Highway.”
“This is a significant moment not only for the 14 Ho-Chunk code talkers we are recognizing today but for future generations to learn more about what these exceptional individuals did to influence the course of history using the language we have worked so hard to preserve,” Ho-Chunk President Greendeer said in a statement.
The U.S. Department of Defense has recognized and listed 14 veterans from the Ho-Chunk Nation who served as code talkers, making it one of the most recognized Native Nations for its code talkers.
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Gov. Evers signs bills designating highways to veteran, Ho-Chunk code talkers
