Memorial

More information

Pfc Hans Kotilainen enlisted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 4 November 1942.

In 1925 he came to Milwaukee from Finland with his family. He was a very meritorious painter who won several prizes. He was a member of the Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors and the Milwaukee Printmakers. His paintings have been shown at many locations such as the International Water Color show in Chicago, the New York World's Fair, the Renaissance Society of the University of Chicago, three one-man shows at the Layton Art Gallery, the Wisconsin Salon of Art in Madison and the 1943 Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors show at the Milwaukee Art Institute. Many Wisconsin cities have had expositions of his work. His work has also been exhibited in England and northern Ireland. While on maneuvers in the Arizona desert, Pfc Kotilainen painted 70 water colors of the desert. He used his helmet as a water bucket and his trench shovel as a palette.