They joined the Wisconsin Proud Boys looking for brotherhood. They found racism, bullying and antisemitism.
![Portrait of Will Carless](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2020/11/10/USAT/df50c085-0242-4d73-ad8b-dc24916e72b7-Carless_Will.jpg?crop=1764,1764,x0,y514&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
KENOSHA, Wis. – Daniel Berry said he was searching for camaraderie.
The 40-year-old Army veteran yearned to forge the sort of bonds he had in the military: a brotherhood of like-minded men watching one another’s backs, holding one another up, united in a common goal.
Last year, Berry said, he remembered a guy at the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall asking him if he had heard of the Proud Boys. The group was vocal in its support for then-President Donald Trump, whom Berry had voted for. Members called themselves "Western chauvinists" and said they welcomed true men. That sounded about right for Berry, who considers himself a dyed-in-the-wool patriot.
He did some internet searches and sent off an email. Almost immediately, he received a link to an encrypted chatroom.