Between the years of 1861 and 1865, the Civil War tore apart the United States of America. More soldiers died in this war than any future US wars. In 1865, just one month before he was assassinated, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation establishing the National Home for Disabled Soldiers. This marked the nation's first effort to care for thousands of injured veterans returning from the Civil War. The Milwaukee Soldiers Home opened in 1867, as one of just three original soldier homes, in the country.
They are in the process of restoring many of the original buildings so that Veterans can use them. As you drive in you will see Woods National Cemetery, resting place of over 37,000 soldiers from the Civil War all the way up to the present. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I slowly walked through this area and thankful for all the men & women who have fought for our country. See Waypoint 2. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/national_cemeteries/wisconsin/Wood_National_Cemetery.html
Although not needed to log the cache, to fully appreciate the significance of this historical landmark, I HIGHLY recommend that you watch this short YouTube video before you go. It will give you a greater appreciation of the buildings and history, while logging this Virtual cache. YouTube clip of restoration https://youtu.be/Bo6bDXYBvsk
The best access to this cache is off of I-94 near the Milwaukee County Stadium. Follow the brown signage for exit 308A VA National Historic Landmark. Parking is very limited on the grounds, please park in at Waypoint 1.
GZ coordinates will take you to a large fountain. To log this Virtual Cache, carefully examine the 4 women in the fountain, one of them is missing something the other 3 have. Email the answer to me by clicking on my profile above, then log the cache. If there is a problem, I'll get back to you.
NOTE: Each member of a group must message the CO at the time of logging or the log will be deleted. One member message for the whole group will not be permitted. One message for each log.
If you want to explore the grounds more, download this free walking tour app https://www.mytoursapp.com/apps/milwaukees-soldiers-home/
Permission to place this cache was given by the VA Public Relations Officer
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018 This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.