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| True Son Al Lang (center) with Cmdr. Randy Novak (left) and Br. Paul Stache. |
Several years ago Alvin received a True Son certificate and was added to the membership roles of Old Abe Camp 8. Recently he had suffered from the affects of diabetes. Though his health did not allow him to attend regular meetings, he is said to have looked forward to receiving the Camp’s newsletter, and pointing out his membership certificate and his fathers’ military history record to anyone who visited his room. A couple of years ago Alvin did come to Oshkosh, and with Commander Randy Novak, spoke at a city council meeting on behalf of adding an additional veterans monument to the downtown Oshkosh area.
He graduated from Goodrich High School (Fond du Lac) in 1926. He went on to receive a bachelors degree from Lawrence College in Appleton in 1930. After graduation from college, he went to work for the George Banta Company where he stayed until his retirement in 1973. He married his wife Emma (Newby) of Appleton in 1936. They were residents of Menasha until 1992, when they moved to the assisted care facility of St. Paul Manor in Kaukauna.
Throughout his life he was active in his church, First Presbyterian in Neenah, where he served as Deacon and Elder. He was also active in his college fraternity (Beta Theta Pi), the Elks Club, the Neenah Club, the Rotary, and the Boy Scouts. He and his wife volunteered for the local Meals on Wheels program. He served as officer in several capacities of the Banta Credit Union. He volunteered as the editor of the newsletter for the Mosquito Hill Nature Center in New London. He was very active with the Lawrence Alumni Association, having served as it’s President.
He is remembered as a man who was kind, gentle, and generous. He lived a long and productive life. His keen mind, quick wit, sense of humor, and remarkable spirit remained with him his entire life.
The Forty-eighth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Washburn, Milwaukee, WI, during February and March, 1865. Eight companies left the state on March 22, proceeding to Sedalia, MO, then terminus of the railway. From thence the regiment marched to Paola, KS, where the several companies were assigned to duty at different points thereabouts, Companies I and K were left at Milwaukee and reached the regiment about the about the last of April. The several companies were continued on duty in various districts until the latter part of August, when the regiment was assembled at Lawrence, KS, and was sent into the western part of that state, involving a march of 250 miles on the frontier. From this point the several companies were assigned to different points in the western part of Kansas, and two companies to Ft. Lyon, Colorado Territory, where the several companies continued in the performance of their respective duties until the latter part of December, when the Forty-eighth was ordered to assemble at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, and it was mustered out of the service of the United States on the 30th of December, 1865, marched thence to St. Louis, MO, where the regiment took the train for Madison, WI, reaching there on the 3rd day of January, 1866, and was shortly thereafter disbanded.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again...
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
- an Irish Blessing
Commander Randy K. Novak
Old Abe Camp #8