Veterans honored at downtown parade | News

“I’m here to support him and all the other guys,” he said. “I’m proud of them.”

Marching bands from local high schools offered patriotic music selections for the audience.

Colleen Dygert of Hastings said the parade is a great way to combine her support of the military with that of local student mucisians performing.

“I love parades, and I love bands,” she said.

Scott and Sarah Snell of Hastings brought their son, Gabriel, out for the parade.

Sarah said they have family members in the military.

“We wanted to bring our son to be a part of it and show respect to veterans,” she said. “We have a lot of pride in our veterans and think people should support them.”

Scott said his father was a chaplain in the U.S. Navy and he grew up in a military family.

“I understand the sacrifices our service members make as part of the military lifestyle,” he said. “It warms my heart to see people come out to support our military veterans.”

Started in 2005, the annual parade is sponsored by the Hastings Freemasons and Hastings Area Chamber of Commerce.

Grand marshals for the parade this year included Army Capt. John W. Wood, Marine Corps Sgt. Larry Smith, Navy Petty Officer 3 Kenneth Robinson and Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kent Rothfuss.

Capt. John “Woody” Wood of Hastings participated in the ROTC program in North Dakota and graduated from North Dakota State University in December 1966 before joining the U.S. Army.

Wood trained to pilot helicopters and served as a medevac pilot through the jungles of Vietnam in 1968-1969. Wood flew 605 hours over 757 missions and carried 1,763 injured soldiers to safety. He qualified for a belated Purple Heart after a bullet penetrated the cabin and struck his knee during one mission.

After Vietnam, Wood served in Grafenwöhr, Germany, where he was assigned to patrol the demilitarized zone for escapees from East Germany and transporting injured soldiers injured during military battlefield maneuvers until his enlistment ended in 1970.

Wood has been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1971 and became a life member of the local Amateur Radio Association of Nebraska in the mid-1990s. Woody held a number of positions within the club including member, trustee, and board of directors. Holding an Amateur Extra class license, his call sign is KCØWA.

He worked as an instructor for the Truck Driving Program at Central Community College from 2000-09, when he retired.

Sgt. Larry Smith of Hastings was raised on a farm near Lexington and graduated from Lexington High School in 1957. He joined the U.S. Marines Corps in January 1958.

Smith received his basic training at Camp Pendleton, California, and received an expert marksmanship medal after achieving 245 of 250 possible points with the M1 rifle.

Smith was assigned to a communications battalion with the First Marine Division stationed at Camp Pendleton where Smith taught computer classes to officers.

He was in charge of checking out communication and radio equipment for landings and held security clearances for sending communications when using a teletype machine.

His unit served as part of a blockade of Cuba in October 1962 after Soviet missile bases were discovered on the island. In December 1962, Smith received his honorable discharge.

Smith returned to Lexington and became a master electrician.

In 1983, he and his wife, Toni, joined the church mission field and served with the Lutheran Church in America in Liberia, West Africa, for two years. While there, Smith worked with engineers to build a hospital.

After retiring, he and Toni moved to Superior for a short time before transferring to Good Samaritan Village in Hastings. The couple has two daughters, nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Tech. Sgt. Kent Rothfuss of Hastings was born and raised in Hastings. He graduated from Hastings High School in 1980 and joined the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 11, 1980.

He attended basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. After graduating basic training, Kent was assigned to Accounting and Finance.

During his 20 years of military service, Kent was stationed in Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland, Kelly Field in Texas, Thule Air Base in Greenland, Lajes Field in Azores, Portugal, and Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.

Returning to Hastings after his service, Rothfuss joined Elks Lodge No. 59 and currently serves as head of the Elks Lodge Veterans Programs. He manages a suicide prevention program and is adding a new program to work with disabled veterans to make flies for fly fishing.

He and his wife, Julie, have seven children and 13 grandchildren.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Kenneth Robinson of Hastings was born in 1944 and raised in Ayr, where his family farmed. He graduated from high school in Blue Hill and joined the U.S. Navy in January 1964. He went to basic training in California before he was sent to a Seabee unit and then on to Vietnam.

Robinson served with the Mobile Construction Battalion 9, Advance Party, in 1965 building a base in Da Nang, Vietnam.

While in Da Nang, the unit constructed the air base, roads, water system, outside fence and steel work.

The unit also worked with a Marine Air Group and helped build a Navy and Marine Hospital. In December 1968, Robinson returned to the United States and received an honorable discharge.

After his service, Robinson attended Central Community College before moving to Imperial. He worked as a well driller for a number of years before moving to the school system.

Since retiring and moving back to Hastings, Rothfuss volunteers at Good Samaritan Village and Senior Action Services.

He drives people to doctor’s appointments and helps with the North Shore Church Ministry in Motion at Christmas.

He and his wife, Vikki, have four children and nine grandchildren.