Lawrence Ben Lademan, 90, was a happy man on Friday, and so was Congressman Rich Nugent. Nugent was able to deliver several medals to commemorate Lademan’s World War II service in the U.S. Army’s 146th Combat Regiment, and Nugent obviously relished that task.
Members of the audience shook the Congressman’s hand and congratulated Nugent on his re-election to the House of Representatives. Nugent was quick to thank them, but said “today is not about the election or about me — it is about honoring this brave Army veteran, Larry Lademan.”
Adding to the pageantry was the Honor Guard from the Belleview VFW Post 8083, which presented the colors under the direction of Commander Bob Seguin. Rick Flack sang a rousing a cappella National Anthem, to which audience members chimed in.
“All of us would not be here today, living in freedom, if it wasn’t for brave American servicemen and women like Larry Lademan,” Nugent said. “We thank you for your service, and we are all grateful for our World War II military forces — those who survived and those who died — to preserve America as a free nation. Your medals are here, Sir — from a grateful nation,” Nugent said, as he awarded four medals, mounted on a white poster board, to Lademan.
“You have here the Good Conduct Medal; a Presidential Unit Citation; the Europe/Africa/Middle East Campaign Medal, and a World War II Victory Medal.” An emotional Larry Lademan smiled during a standing ovation and said softly into the microphone: “There are no words to tell you how grateful I feel today. Thank you, Sir. Thank you everyone.”
Larry Lademan’s wife, Joyce, a Freedom Pointe resident, was surprised and happy Rep. Nugent was able to deliver the medals in person. She was also grateful so many of their Freedom Pointe and other area friends came out to the luncheon to honor her husband. “My husband enlisted in the Army at age 18, and it was on April Fool’s Day,” Joyce related. “He will turn 91 in December. He has always been very patriotic and proud to be an American,” she said.
Larry’s stepson from Ohio, Marvin Katke, himself a retired 24-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, was elected by his mother to speak to the group, which included many American veterans. Skatke served two tours in Korea and was deployed up through the Vietnam era.
“His was a great generation,” Katke said of his stepfather. “World War II veterans are responsible for the whole future of the United States — for the lives everybody in this room can live. They were very close to the atomic bomb and other super weapons. If they had not acted as they did” Katke said to applause, “we all would be speaking a different language.”
Katke spoke of Lademan’s anti-tank deployment at Omaha Beach. “Not a lot of those folks made it back from that beach — my stepdad was very fortunate to have survived. I just want to give a little perspective on his war experiences. He did his boot camp in England with the 146th combat regiment. He was not attached to any one unit all the time — he wound up fighting with multiple units. After the Battle of the Bulge and D-Day, he wound up in Czechoslovakia at the time of the Armistice.”
“My stepdad was always a very industrious man,” Katke continued. “He had paper routes back in Michigan as a young man, and did anything and everything he could to bring money home to his family during the great depression. The family lived in a basement apartment in Detroit and were new parents at the time. Larry and his brother-in-law bought a gas station, but after a while decided that was not the business they wanted to be in. They began selling insurance door-to-door, and with Larry’s gift of gab, he did well. Housewives trusted him.
They wound up owning the largest insurance agency in Michigan, dealing in policies from 27 major companies, including Lloyds of London. He has come a long way in his endeavors. He also was very actively involved in my early life. He taught me to try to be ‘something a little different,’ and helped me to integrate back into civilian society after I left the military.”
“No man should have to see what my stepfather saw or do what my stepfather had to do,” Katke said. “We are just all very proud of him, and thankful to Congressman Nugent.”
