Wisconsin has a proud heritage of serving veterans and their spouses dating back to 1887 with the founding of the Veterans Home at King, Wisconsin. Planning was initiated in the early 1990's by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) to develop the state's second veteran's home on the grounds of the Southern Wisconsin Center (SWC) near Union Grove. Approximately 40 percent of the state's nearly half-million veterans live in southeastern Wisconsin, within 50 miles of SWC.

In 1996 the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery opened on 105-acres of state-owned land next to the SWC campus. More than 600 veterans and/or spouses are buried at SWVMC each year. The cemetery, one of three state veteran's cemeteries in Wisconsin, is a fitting tribute to the sacrifices and achievements of Wisconsin veterans. The cemetery and Veterans Home host special events, including services at 11 on the Sunday before Memorial Day and at 3 on Veteran's Day, November 11th.

In April 1998, the Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee opened a community-based outpatient clinic in Wallace Hall on the grounds of SWC. The clinic had more than 2400-enrolled veterans in 2002. The clinic provides outpatient primary care services.

Vets Place - Southern Center is one of four Veterans Assistance Programs overseen by WDVA in the state. These facilities provide the services that homeless and at-risk veterans need to obtain employment and affordable housing.

Phase I of the Wisconsin Veterans Home - Union Grove began in the spring of 2000 with the renovation of Beck and Garner Halls. The two buildings were converted to community-based residential facilities (CBRFs) at a cost of $3.2 million. Fairchild and Shemanske Halls, as they are now known, are expected to reach capacity (40 members each) in the spring of 2003. A new residential care apartment complex (RCAC), Gates Hall, is currently under construction. When completed at a cost of $5.1 million in the late summer of 2003, Gates Hall will offer 42 apartment-like units with home-style amenities. A new 120-bed skilled nursing facility and the renovation of Cottage 17 into an activities and adult-day health care (ADHC) center is expected to start in the summer of 2003 with completion scheduled for early 2005.

Development of a chilled-water plant and a central kitchen using cook-chill technology are expected to be complete by early 2005. These facilities will support Phase I construction and are part of a WDVA initiative to upgrade campus infrastructure to better support the Veterans Home.


Content provided by: Greater Union Grove Area Chamber of Commerce