Operation Insight

Ella Mateja was eight years old when she began selling lemonade as a way to raise funds for our brave veterans and first responders. She was inspired by her grandpa Ken and his brothers, all of whom served in the military. Ella has dedicated herself to running the lemonade stand every year until she graduates. In the last seven years, Ella's little lemonade stand has helped raise funds for the Mis...

Bill had a belief that serving your country was important. After briefly considering joining the Marines and amidst strong opposition from family, Bill settled on the Air Force. Bill was stationed at Pease AFB for five months after joining. While there, Bill volunteered for Sentry Dog School. Bill became good friends with a guy at the base who accompanied him to Sentry Dog School. Bill said, “We k...

Paul “Bud” Haedike was a sixteen-year-old when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. Like other young men, Paul was eager to join the military, but had to wait until he was eighteen. Paul got his draft notice on his eighteenth birthday and reported to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. In the inductee line, Bud's card was stamped “NAVY", but Bud had other ideas. He pleaded, and they finally changed his...

Welcome to the Dog Tag, Episode 2 of our inaugural season. This week’s show features exciting stories of local veterans told by two of the founding members of the museum. We will walk you through some of the exhibits and stories, starting with World War I through the present day. These are real stories of local heroes who served our country. Renee and Jim explain the rich history of the county. As...

Welcome to The Dog Tag, a podcast by the St. Charles County Veterans Museum!   Our museum began with one man’s dream to honor veterans. Private Ralph Barrale, a World War II veteran who fought at the Battle of the Bulge and was among the first troops to enter the Dachau Concentration Camp. Ralph felt it was important to honor veterans of all wars and share their stories. Ralph believed, “No one is...