Wisconsin post provides proper send-off to deploying commander

Since becoming commander of Paul Herrick Post 21 in Kenosha, Wis., last summer, 37-year-old Matt Christiansen has made it a point to stress the family side of The American Legion. But recently, Christiansen was shown firsthand the strength of that Legion Family bond.

A 12-year member of and captain in the Army National Guard, Christiansen recently found out he was going to be deployed to the Horn of Africa for a tour of approximately six months, serving as a chief engineer. But before he departs, members of Post 21’s Legion Family made sure he got a proper sendoff – and an assurance his family he’s leaving behind will not be alone.

The post staged a going away event for Christiansen on Feb. 12 that was attended by members of the post’s Legion Family, Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian, two state representatives and State Sen. Robert Wirch, a member of Post 21.

“It felt great. I felt honored,” said Christiansen, who serves as a project manager at Milwaukee VA Medical Center and is married with one daughter and three stepdaughters. “I’m so blessed to have all these people around me. And I felt very overwhelmed because there were so many people there. I thought we’d get the same 20-ish, 30-ish people who show up at meetings. But the next thing I know, people who don’t come to meetings were showing up, and they’ve got their families with them. It was great.”

It's the family aspect of The American Legion that is a focus for Christiansen. “I’ve tried pushing the American Legion Family. I honest to God believe in that,” he said. “I invite our Auxiliary president to every meeting we have. I invite our Sons (of The American Legion) commander. This is a team effort.”

Christiansen said that past Post 21 and current Kenosha County Commander Tom Visintainer first approached him about the send-off. Visintainer served in the U.S. Army Reserves and was given a similar goodbye by the post 12 years ago when he was placed on active duty and deployed.

“I was in Afghanistan for 2011 and 2012. That’s why we do this for our people,” Visintainer told the Kenosha News. “I know what we went through, what my wife went through and all that and it’s why I wanted to make sure we did this for him.

“When he comes back, we’re going to have a party like we did when I came back. We just want to make sure that they know we’re family, that his wife is taken care of, like when I was gone. And we want to make sure it continues.”

Christiansen said it’s a relief to both he and his wife, Maria, to know that Post 21’s Legion Family has his family’s back for the next six months. “To have that support from Tom and all the people at the post – I’m telling you, everyone there offered (to Maria), ‘If you need anything, you let me know,’” he said. “It was very reassuring to Maria. I loved that.”