For the Gazette

ALMOND — A local teacher is looking for help telling the story of a WWI service member who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Teacher Joseph Nowinski is researching the life of Private Sylvester Mushinski as part of the Memorializing the Fallen — a teacher professional development program from National History Day®. Sponsored by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission and the Pritzker Military Museum & Library, the program takes educators on the journey of a lifetime to rediscover the history of World War I and invigorate its teaching in America’s classrooms.

By researching the story of a Silent Hero®, an American service member who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I, program participants can be the voice of these Americans who died a century ago.

Nowinski teaches at Almond Bancroft School in Almond and will deliver a eulogy for Private Mushinski at the St. Mihiel American Cemetery in June. However, before he can do this, he needs help from those who may have connections to this Silent Hero. Private Mushinski was born in Wild Rose, Wisconsin and lived in Chicago, Illinois.

“Sylvester is the perfect example of the first generation American in the early America. His life was split between two places, his parent’s farm in Wild Rose, Wisconsin and the city of Chicago. He and his wife, Veronica, had three children. He joined the military in June 1917 and worked with the 52nd Coastal Artillery Corps, managing railway guns. He died in service to his country on October 22, 1918,” said Nowinski. “I would like to find out more about his family and life prior to service. I am looking for anyone who had contact with him, perhaps a surviving family member.”

If you have any information about Private Sylvester Mushinski, please contact Mr. Nowinski at [email protected].

About National History Day (NHD) NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels. The top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, and Southwest Airlines. For more information, visit nhd.org.

May 7, 2019

About National History Day in Wisconsin The Wisconsin Historical Society is the state’s sponsor institution for National History Day. The annual, year-long academic enrichment program helps more than 16,000 students in grades six through twelve learn about historical issues, ideas, people and events. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org/NHD.

About the Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.

About the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission The World War I Centennial Commission was created by Congress in 2013 to provide educational programs, public outreach, and commemorative events, regarding America’s involvement in World War I. Information on the Commission can be found here ww1cc.org.

About the Pritzker Military Museum and Library Founded in 2003, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, located in downtown Chicago, is a nonprofit center where citizens and soldiers come together to learn about military history and affairs. The Museum and Library feature an extensive collection of books, programs, artifacts, and rotating exhibits covering many eras and branches of the military. Programs include a lending library, the archives, recorded TV shows, podcasts and oral histories, and museum exhibits. To learn more about the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, visit www.pritzkermilitary.org or @PritzkerMilitaryLibrary on Facebook.