Military Alumni

Military High School Alumni

Honoring Our Heroes

This area is dedicated to our alumni that have served or are serving in our armed forces!

Lost Class Rings

Have you lost your James Madison Memorial High School class ring? Have you found someone's class ring? Visit our Spartans lost class ring page to search for your class ring or post information about a found ring.

Honored Military Alumni

Don Niehus
Don Niehus
Class of 1975
Navy, 4 Years

Stationed on Uss Constellation Cv64. Deployed twice on 6 month tour overseas. In the Indian Ocean / Red Sea for a short time when Iran/Iraq war started
Eric Crownhart
Eric Crownhart
Class of 1982
Air Force, 19 Years

I was stationed in California for 9 Years, then went to England for 3, South Carolina for 3 and have been in Illinois since 2003.
Eric Rotzoll
Eric Rotzoll
Class of 1981
Army, 20+ Years

Enlisted 1982. Commissioned infantry from UW Army ROTC in 1984. Presently, a Lt. Colonel with Army Reserve. Served four years active duty in Germany. Did one tour in Bosnia and two tours in Afghanistan.
Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Class of 1968
Navy, 20+ Years

Enlisted in Madison in 1970. Basic Training in Bainbridge, MD. Dec. 1970-Mar.1971. Avionics Electronics A school and TD A school until Oct. 1971. NAS North Island CA. 1971-1974, NAS Pensacola FL (training device technician) 1974-1983. Recruit Company Commander, RTC Orlando, FL (boot camp) 1983-1986. Aviation Electronics Technician VAQ-33 Key West, FL until retirement Jan. 1991. Retired to Pensacola, FL with 20 years and one month service.
James Engeler
James Engeler
Class of 1990
Air Force, 18 Years

Still Active
Jeffrey Howards
Jeffrey Howards
Class of 1973
Marine Corps, 20 Years

Enlisted 1973, went into Boot Camp right after graduation. Air Traffic Control Radar Repairman. Got out in 77 and joined the Hawaii Army National Guard. Ended up in Hawaii for 10 years (darn) then moved to El Paso, TX and joined the New Mexico Army National Guard. Total of 14.5 years Active Marines and Guard, 6.5 years reserve time. Retired in Nov 1993 as a Captain.
Jesse Stoffel
Jesse Stoffel
Class of 1993
Navy, 16 Years

Submarine Officer
Jon Clausen
Jon Clausen
Class of 1972
Marine Corps, 20+ Years

11 years active duty, 10 in the reserves.
Julia Pearson (nee Wold)
Julia Pearson (nee Wold)
Class of 1995
Army, 10 Years

Adjutant General Officer in the US Army. Active duty from 2000-2005, reserves from 2005-2010. Served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to April 2004
Julia Wold
Julia Wold
Class of 1995
Army, 6 Years

Commissioned through ROTC as an AG Officer in 2000. Stationed at Fort Hood, TX. Deployed to Iraq/Kuwait for first year of OIF.
Keith Gander
Keith Gander
Class of 1971
Army, 20+ Years

Served from 1972 to 1974, and 1978 to 1998. Had multiple tours in Korea, Panama, Johnston Island, and Kuwait/Saudi Arabia (Desert Sheild/Storm). Jobs included Military Police, Helicopter Missile Systems Repairer, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), and Ammunition Storage/ Inspection Specialist. Top award: Bronze Star.
Kelly Ayala (Anderson)
Kelly Ayala (Anderson)
Class of 1998
Navy, 4 Years

Served four years as a Navy Nurse both in US and overseas during the beginning of OIF/OEF
Kenneth Mandley
Kenneth Mandley
Class of 1971
Air Force, 20+ Years

Staioned at McChord AFB WA, Randolph AFB, TX, AF ROTC Asst Prof at Michigan Technological University, eight years in Germany and the UK, retired 1998 as Lt Col
Kenneth Mandley
Kenneth Mandley
Class of 1971
Air Force, 20+ Years

Flew a desk, primarily as a personnel officer, 7.5 years in Europe, retired as Lt Colonel in 1998
Kevin Paskey
Kevin Paskey
Class of 1982
Air Force, 20+ Years

Joined the Marine Reserves while a Senior, then went active in the Air Force in '84. Did 10 years as a cop then flew for 12 as a Loadmaster on C-5's and C-130's. Retired in 2007 and am a defense contractor in Arkansas,
Louis Sather
Louis Sather
Class of 1985
Army, 5 Years

Intelligence Analyst - Military Intelligence
Nathaniel Capps
Nathaniel Capps
Class of 1998
Air Force, 10 Years

Intelligence Specialist and later Instructior.
Rick Kiesau
Rick Kiesau
Class of 1978
Navy, 21 Years

Retired Senior Chief (E-8) Tours onboard the USS Constellation, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Ranger. Completed my Naval career at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes in December 1998
Rick Kiesau
Rick Kiesau
Class of 1978
Navy, 21 Years

Retired Senior Chief (E-8) Tours onboard the USS Constellation, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Ranger. Completed my Naval career at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes in December 1998
Robert J Miller
Robert J Miller
Class of 1973
Marine Corps, 8 Years

4 years active, spent 3 years Africa, embassy duty and 4 years reserve while attending UW Madison (Electrical Engineer College). Vietnam vet and GI bill
TROY JOHNSON
TROY JOHNSON
Class of 1982
Army, 20+ Years

US Army Infantry First sergeant 22 years of active service.
William Banta
William Banta
Class of 1981
Marine Corps, 20+ Years

Enlisted in Feb 84. Military Policeman for 3 years. Recruiting duty for 3 years. Worked Imagery Intelligence for 13 years. Company First Sergeant for last two years until retirement in April 05. Spent 3 tours on Okinawa. Did a Med Float aboard the USS Guam in 92-93. Was stationed in Cherry Point, NC; Norfolk, VA; and Camp Lejeune, NC. Retired as a Master Sergeant (E-8). Semper Fi!

Classmates Spotlight

James Madison Memorial High School Classmates

Chris Reinsel
Class of '97

Alumni Stories

High School Alumni Stores

Read and submit stories about our classmates from James Madison Memorial High School, post achievements and news about our alumni, and post photos of our fellow Spartans.

School News

UPDATE : WYSO celebration to honor Tom Buchhauser

There has been a change of venue for this performance, which will no longer be held at the Overture Center. Instead, the...
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Our James Madison Memorial High School military alumni are some of the most outstanding people we know and this page recognizes them and everything they have done! Not everyone gets to come home for the holidays and we want our James Madison Memorial High School Military to know that they are loved and appreciated. All of us in Madison are proud of our military alumni and want to thank them for risking their lives to protect our country!