Abstract: Operation Namesake ensures that each American Legion post honors the service member it is named after by preserving and sharing their story. The initiative involves researching, documenting, and presenting these legacies through multimedia to post members, communities, schools, and civic groups in Wisconsin. The mission is to remember the namesake as a life and legacy, not just a name, fulfilling a duty to keep their stories alive. Tim Yauck, Hubertus Post 522, was the recipient of the 2024/25 Martha Marlowe Historian of the Year Award. This award is for exceptional historical activity.
Tim developed “Project Namesake.” His mission statement:
“Operation namesake exists to ensure that every American Legion post’s namesake, that is the service member whose name the post carries, is remembered not only as a name on a wall, but as a life, a story, and a legacy. Our mission is simple in concept, but profound in impact. Every Legion post will research, document, and share the complete story of their namesake through multimedia presentations that will be shared with post members, communities, schools, and civic groups throughout Wisconsin.
We research their lives. We present their stories to the community. We keep their stories alive and fulfill our sacred duty.”