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‘Tailspin’ chronicles Moran’s incredible WWII story of survival

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‘Tailspin’ chronicles Moran’s incredible WWII story of survival, author Armbruster to present in community event Nov. 5

Four UW-Stout Polytechnic alums share their ‘Service in a Word’ and how they serve their communities

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 3, 2026
 

Menomonie, Wis. – As University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic prepares to honor service members, veteran students and alumni this Veterans Day, the community is invited to join Wisconsin author John Armbruster as he shares the remarkable true story behind “Tailspin: An Incredible True Story of Survival.”
 
The book chronicles World War II tail gunner Gene Moran, a native of southwest Wisconsin, who survived a four-mile fall without a parachute after his Flying Fortress bomber was shot down, only to be captured and held as a German prisoner of war.
 
The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. The event is hosted by Veteran Services and is free and open to the public. Copies of “Tailspin” will be available for purchase, with a signing by the author following the presentation. A historical display will feature artifacts and headlines from Moran’s WWII experience.
The community can also help to honor the brave service members who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty by supporting the replacement of the dedication plaque outside the university’s Memorial Student Center.
Service in a Word

From small acts of community kindness to the greatest sacrifice, four Stout alums – an active service member, a veteran, and two who work with veterans at their organizations – shared what service means to them. Their answers speak to their compassion, drive and deeply rooted respect for those around them.

‘Humanitarianism’

A senior field-grade military officer with two decades of corporate and government IT, security and cyber operations experience, Lt. Col. Brian Morgan (’07) is the director of Cyber Coordination for the Department of Military Affairs in Minnesota.

In August 2025, Morgan played a central role in coordinating the Minnesota National Guard’s cyber response to a large-scale cyberattack on St. Paul.

“Humanitarianism is the belief that human life and dignity should be protected, and that people have a moral duty to help others in crisis. My role in military service inspires me with purpose, knowing that I can make an impact, no matter how small, and make tomorrow better than today,” said Morgan, who received a state Medal of Merit for his work and a Visionary Leadership Award from the Cyber Security Summit. He is an applied mathematics and computer science alum with an MBA from University of Saint Thomas in Minnesota.

‘Discipline’

Discipline has always been important to Wisconsin Army National Guard veteran Tonisha Hora (’18), a program and policy analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. She also serves as the Anti-Human Trafficking coordinator, working with programs that serve youth who have been trafficked, have been in the foster care system, runaway and homeless youth, and more.

Discipline is likely one of the reasons Hora was drawn to join the military. She enjoys pushing herself to do difficult things. She served six years in the Guard, from 2014 to 2020.

“Discipline means holding yourself to a higher standard, even when no one is watching. It is the ability to stay focused, follow through on commitments or responsibilities, and push past something difficult. It is about accountability and the strength and perseverance to always commit to becoming a better version of yourself,” said Hora, who is a human development and family studies alum and recently earned her master’s in clinical social work from UW-Milwaukee.

‘Relationships’

Chelsea Van Gundy (’13) is a licensed clinical social worker and community engagement and partnership coordinator with the Suicide Prevention team at the Tomah VA Medical Center.

Van Gundy implements public health strategies for veteran suicide prevention, including building partnerships with community stakeholders, developing local coalitions and implementing evidence-informed initiatives to support veterans outside of traditional clinical settings. Previously, she spent 11 years as a clinical social worker, including nine years with the Veterans Health Administration.

“Building trusting relationships is the cornerstone of all clinical and community-level work. The best way to talk about difficult topics, such as suicide, is by listening nonjudgmentally and making sure people feel safe, heard and understood. The only way to make progress on the biggest and toughest issues is through connection and working together,” said Van Gundy, an applied social science alum with a master’s in social work from UW-Madison.

‘Stability’

Bobby Taylor (’16) is a Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) case manager with the Center for Veterans Issues, supporting veterans across multiple counties and VA service regions in Wisconsin. Through SSVF, Taylor focuses on housing stability, helping veterans facing crisis secure safe housing and rebuild a foundation for long-term success. Through SSG Fox, he provides mental health and suicide prevention support, while connecting veterans to VA and community resources that help stabilize and support them long term.
 

“Service in one word is ‘stability.’ Stability means helping veterans regain control during the most uncertain points in their lives. Whether someone is facing homelessness or a mental health crisis, it creates the foundation needed to rebuild. Stability allows individuals to access support, regain confidence, and move forward with purpose, direction and long-term resilience,” he said.
 
Taylor has dual degrees in vocational rehabilitation and criminal justice and rehabilitation. His education at UW-Stout focused on psychiatric rehabilitation, behavioral health, and the systems that support individuals in rebuilding stability and independence.
 
UW-Stout Polytechnic is recognized as a Gold Status Military Friendly® School for 2026-27, as a Military Friendly Spouse School and was included on the 2026 Best for Vets College List. UW-Stout Polytechnic’s Veteran Services provides advice on veteran and military education benefits and assists with applying for benefits, and can be reached by calling 715-232-1659 or emailing veteranstudents@uwstout.edu.

 

UW-Stout Polytechnic offers more than 70 industry-aligned undergraduate and graduate degrees and 40 professional certificate programs. One of the 13 Universities of Wisconsin, UW-Stout Polytechnic is distinguished by applied learning and research, business and industry collaboration, and career-focused experiences to prepare students for success in engineering, technology, design, management and other fields.

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Photos

WWII veteran Gene Moran and John Armbruster, author of “Tailspin: An Incredible True Story of Survival.”

Lt. Col. Brian Morgan, director of Cyber Coordination for the Department of Military Affairs in Minnesota

Wisconsin Army National Guard veteran Tonisha Hora, a program and policy analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

Chelsea Van Gundy, licensed clinical social worker and community engagement and partnership coordinator with the Suicide Prevention team at the Tomah VA Medical Center

Bobby Taylor, Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) case manager with the Center for Veterans Issues

 

‘Tailspin’ chronicles Moran’s incredible WWII story of survival

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