1. Joe Campbell works for war veterans
Joe Campbell, 62, Wauwatosa,is much more than a successfulbusiness owner in West Allis. He means many
things to many people and organizations, especially those organized by and for veterans of wars in which United
States military have fought overseas. But first of all, this obviously energetic man is a loving father of five adult
children, each successfulin his or her own right, and all residing in the greater Milwaukee area.
Beyond this, it would be impossible to minimize Campbell’s interest in veterans. He has proven to be a dynamic
person, an ardent supporter of veterans’ causes,a creator of organizations for veterans and/or their families and
a tireless worker at aiding the veterans to again be happy, healthy and productive citizens.
Because Joe Campbell is who he is, he puts aside any desire for personal prominence to be a recognized leader,
who paraphrasing a Vietnam Veterans of America principle, “Never again shall one generation of veterans
abandon another.” He has heart. It shows.
Campbell, the owner of Machinery & Welder Corporation, acquired the now 78 year old company, which was
then headquartered in St. Louis, MO, in 1993. There are 15 employees and Joe’s cheerful hands-on management
skills are seen among the smiles, cheerful greetings and friendly verbal exchanges with employees.
It is obvious that Joe Campbell believes in reaching out. He’s more than willing to talk, to walk, to be silent, to
listen, to share stories and information, as well as and give those who may be in need of it, a good pat on the
back. Perhaps these traits, along with his non-conventional style of leadership, have brought to him such honors
over the years as being Chairman of the Veterans Board of Directors of Milwaukee County, President of the
Milwaukee County Allied Veterans Council, Co-founder of “Being There – Reaching Out” which serves
families of fallen military in Wisconsin, President of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Milwaukee Chapter 324
(their chaplain, also), Chaplain of the Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Chapter One,Board of Trustees of the War
Memorial Corporation of Milwaukee County, Board member of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs,
Co-chair of the POW/MIA Memorial Remembrance Ceremony, Advisory board member of the Veterans’
Center in Milwaukee, National Director of the Lao-Hmong American Coalition and volunteer at the Milwaukee
VA in the Drug and Alcohol Outreach Program.
As though Joe Campbell’s above involvement wouldn’t be sufficient to know that the likeable guy is a proven
winner, he has been saluted five times in the last six years as the Vietnam Veterans of America Wisconsin
Vietnam Veteran of the Year,recipient of the Outstanding Achievement award of the Wisconsin Vietnam
Veterans of America, Ambassador of the Year of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs,2006 and 2007
Milwaukee County Veteran of the Year and just this year as Wisconsin American Legion Small Employer of
Veterans Award Winner.

2. But how did the modest Joe Campbell ever qualify for all these honors? Campbell, wearing a wide grin, said,
“That’s a good question?”
The following leads to the conclusion of his worthiness.
You might say that Campbell jumped right into the military after he graduated from high school at the Marmion
Military Academy in Aurora, IL in 1965. He served on active duty until January, 1969.
Joe enlisted to fight in Vietnam so he was shocked when he was assigned to the 8th Infantry Division located
then in Bad Kreuznach in Germany. He then served two tours of duty there (1966 and 1968). He applied
immediately upon arrival in Germany for duty in Vietnam. Perhaps he got a lot more than he bargained for as he
served 13 months there (February 1967-February 1968) as a Specialist Fifth Class (E5). His duties when not
carrying a rifle were as a member of a six man maintenance contact team with the 1st Logistical Command
attached to the 25th Infantry Division in Cu Chi, later in Phouc Vinh and in Dian for the final two months of his
duty.
Campbell’s tour of duty found him north of Saigon as the bloody Tet Offensive began in January 1968. The
carnage he witnessed gripped his mind. He now admits that after his return from Vietnam, even before, “…sort
of a wall went up. I didn’t want talk about it at all. No Way!”
Serving alongside gun toting troops, Campbell’s duties were,among others, to be certain the 155 and 175 mm
howitzers kept firing.
Arriving home as an honorably discharged veteran, Campbell was at first shocked when he was met with the too
often outright disdain, sarcasm and shouts of “baby killers” that were almost everywhere being heaped upon the
returning Vietnam veterans not deserving of such nightmarish treatment. The average American just didn’t
understand. Some still don’t to this day.
Despite the derision, Campbell would marry, raise a family and build a successfulbusiness, and still as he says,
“particularly in the still of night not able to really find my way home from Vietnam.”
There were some tough years before Campbell felt he was again at home, and that’s why he tells every veteran
he sees even to this day, “Welcome home.” He knows in his own heart that the distances veterans travelare in
their hearts and minds and these distances can be vast.
He described the “wall” before, but now it grew thicker, darker and more terrifying. He would not talk of the
war even with his brother, who had also served in Vietnam and had his own problems recovering from that
service time.
Joe started drinking heavily at night and after years of being shut out of his life, Campbell’s wife filed for
divorce. The torment that was Vietnam continued to rage in his heart. It had driven him to alcoholism and ruined
his marriage. But 30 years later, he was still afraid, miserable and lonely. It was time to seek help.
As a proud man almost broken in spirit and definitely suffering with post trauma stress disorder, Joe contacted a
priest he knew of as an Army chaplain. He counseled Joe and helped him realize his problems were not his
alone. Campbell, after a time, went to a Veterans Administration Alcoholics Anonymous Chapter meeting at the
urging of the priest. That was in December 1997, he’s been sober since. His service time now is a source of
pride and comfort. No longer does he fight those demons of fear and shame.
In fact,Campbell goes to church services at the VA every Sunday morning and then, an hour later, he presides
at the weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meeting there. Who attends? “About 30 veterans; a lot of them just like I
was,” Campbell says sympathetically. Yes,you, too, are invited.
Among Joe Campbell’s other feats,we’d rather refer to them as acts of mercy, he and Judith Singer, a woman he
met at a traveling Vietnam Wall exhibit as she searched for the name of her killed-in-action high school

3. sweetheart,have helped widows and children of men killed in Afghanistan and Iraq any way they can. But this
duo has done much more with Singer as the founder and Campbell as co-founder, they have organized “Being
There-Reaching Out” to honor fallen loved ones.
On Nov. 7, 2009, this group will assemble at the corner of 4th and Wells in downtown Milwaukee to be a part of
the annual Veterans’ Day Parade at 10 a.m. Afterwards,a “Wall of Honor” will be unveiled at the Safe House in
honor of Wisconsin heroes.
People are encouraged to attend the “Being There-Reaching Out” gathering.
Other planned “Being There-Reaching Out” events include the third annual weekend retreat at KalahariResort
in Wisconsin Dells April 9-10, 2010 and the third annual Run for the Fallen August 21, 2010 in Milwaukee.
An unsung and mostly unknown group of heroes during the Vietnam War were the Lao-Hmong. Thousands
(Some estimate as high as 20,000) of them lost their lives assisting American troops in Laos. Their efforts were
called “The Secret War.”
It was April 30, 1975 that thousands – many who since have come to the United States,moved to refugee camps
in Thailand as the Communists shot at their backs. Although they have local and national organizations, many
struggle to make their way and accept American ways and language. Campbell has led, and continues to do so,
efforts to help these almost forgotten and neglected people to at least wade in, if not reach the mainstream of
American life.
This is the life of Joe Campbell. Is it any wonder that Milwaukee War Memorial Executive David Drent says of
Campbell, “He definitely is the hardest worker for veterans and their needs that I ever have met.”
Our thanks go to Clayton Chipman, an Iwo Jima marine and former Milwaukee school teacher and
administrator, who, when consulted about a person to interview for a veterans’ story, put Joe Campbell at the
top of the list. He said, “I thought about whom to suggest all night long and the name Joe Campbell just kept
coming back.”
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