Racine Sun

Rep. Bryan Steil and Mayor Cory Mason made time this Veterans Day to salute armed force members everywhere, with Steil presenting Burlington resident Bob Boulden with the First District’s 2021 Veteran of the Year award.   

“Bob has dedicated his life to serving our country and continues to serve our veteran community,” Steil posted on Twitter of the Korean War veteran. “Congratulations to each of our nominees. Thank you for your service.”

Mason also joined in extending praise, posting on Facebook, “Thucydides once said, ‘The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.’ That is what our military service members do for us each and every day. Today we should all take time to thank and honor our veterans for their service to all of us.”

Boulden first joined the Marine Corps in 1948, when he was just 18 years old. He was known for traveling with a small box camera and documenting his early experiences in Hell Fire Alley and journey out of North Korea. He famously fought in The Battle of Chosin Reservoir in 1950, a time when he was wounded and the Marines, encircled by the Chinese amid frigid temperatures and massive casualties, had to battle their way out.

To this day, the 91-year-old Boulden proudly wears the title of Chosin Few – a name given to the survivors of the pivotal battle.

“Robert’s commitment to service, excellence and dedication was clear in our nomination process,” Steil said in a statement. “His distinguished career in the military and commitment to service in our veterans community is a shining example of leadership for all Americans. I remain committed to shining a light on heroes in our community working day in and day out to support our veterans.”

Since officially leaving the military, for the last 50-plus years Boulden has volunteered his time to various veterans’ organizations, including the Marine Corps League, VFW and Korean War Veterans Association. He is also a lifetime member of the American Legion Post 79 in Burlington, Chosen Few, Rifle Squad for Military Funerals, Lifetime Member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corps League and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Anderson Murphy Post 2823.

In 2016, Boulden was featured in a Netflix documentary about The Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. In one scene, he shares “I wanted to let people know what really happened. In 18 days, we lost 900 Marines and 2,000 Army brothers. It was so cold that your eyelids would freeze shut if you didn’t keep blinking.”

Across the state, adults having served in the military account for more than 7% of the overall population, according to analysis by the website 24/7 Wall St. In all, Census Bureau data shows the number of veterans in Wisconsin top 326,000.

First known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day originated in November 1919, or the first anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution calling for an annual observance, and in 1938 that date becoming recognized as a national holiday.  

With the day commemorating veterans of all wars, in 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day.