William D. (Bill) Redepenning

His Story

William Dennis “Bill” Redepenning Jr. was born May 12, 1953, in Madison, Wisconsin. He graduated from Monona Grove High School and, at just 17 years old, enlisted in the United States Air Force on March 14, 1971. Bill later recalled that he wanted to better himself and saw military service as an opportunity to do so.

After entering the Air Force in Milwaukee, Bill completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. He then attended technical school at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, where he trained as a Crash Rescue Firefighter. His first permanent assignment took him to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, where he spent approximately a year and a half working in fire protection and aircraft rescue.

Some of Bill’s most vivid memories of his Air Force years came from McConnell. His first structure fire involved the home of the base commander after gasoline from a lawn mower ignited beneath a carport and the fire spread to the house. Shortly before Bill left Kansas, a B-52 crashed at the end of a runway and caught fire. Bill’s rescue department responded and helped extinguish the blaze.

Bill was later transferred to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, where he spent approximately two years continuing his work in rescue firefighting. The firefighters worked 24-hour shifts, maintaining their trucks and equipment, studying emergency procedures, and standing ready for problems involving aircraft arriving at or departing the base.

His time at Clark placed him close to the human consequences of the Vietnam War. C-141 medical evacuation aircraft arrived carrying wounded military personnel, and the base fire department stood by to ensure those aboard were safely removed from the aircraft. Near the end of the conflict in 1975, Clark also became a processing point for Vietnamese evacuees. Bill recalled being placed on Red Alert during that period, ready to respond wherever needed.

Bill completed his Air Force service in 1975 and returned home at age 22. During his four years in the Air Force, he received the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

While still serving, Bill married his longtime girlfriend, Loreen “Lori” Sorum, in October 1972 while home on leave. They had known each other since their school years and later became parents to two children, Bill Jr. and Heather. Their son Bill Jr. was born while Bill was stationed in the Philippines.

After leaving the Air Force, Bill worked at a gas station before spending approximately ten years at Oscar Mayer. He later worked as an electric lineman in Deerfield for 13 years before joining Wisconsin Power and Light.

Bill’s commitment to veterans continued through his involvement with American Legion Post 59 in Stoughton. He served multiple terms as Post Commander, from 2002 through 2005 and again from 2007 through 2008.

His second period as Commander coincided with one of the most important transitions in the modern history of Post 59. In 2008, the Post moved into its new home at 803 North Page Street. Bill was Commander as Post 59 completed that move and celebrated the grand opening of the new facility in July 2008.

The move gave Post 59 a permanent home from which future generations could continue its mission of supporting veterans, their families, and the Stoughton community. Bill’s leadership during those years placed him at the center of an important chapter in the Post’s history.

From a 17-year-old Air Force recruit and crash rescue firefighter to the Commander who helped guide Post 59 into its present home, William Dennis “Bill” Redepenning Jr. has been part of both military service and the continuing story of American Legion Post 59.