WASHINGTON, D.C. (WSAU) — The woman who spent years working to have a Wisconsin soldier recognized for his heroism in the Civil War will be honored today.
Her name is Margaret Zerwekh from Delafield, and she worked for over thirty years to have Delafield native and Union Army Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing recognized with the Congressional Medal of Honor.
3rd District Congressman Ron Kind will present Zerwekh with a plaque during a ceremony beginning at 9:45 a.m. He says Margaret’s tireless advocacy on behalf of Lieutenant Cushing deserves our appreciation. “Margaret Zerwekh from Delafield notified Senator (William) Proxmire of this issue. I was interning for Prox at the time, and that’s how I got to know about it, and I kind of picked up the ball from there.”
Kind says without Margaret Zerwekh’s effort, many people would never know the name Alonzo Cushing or the heroism he displayed at the Battle of Gettysburg. “Historians were astounded that he was overlooked. You know, he literally held the center line during that fateful third day of Pickett’s Charge so that the Union lines didn’t break. The Union won the battle.”
Last November, President Obama awarded Lieutenant Cushing with a posthumous Medal of Honor at a ceremony at the White House. The medal’s permanent home is the West Point Military Acadamy, but is expected to be on display during today’s ceremony in Delafield.
