Carroll Laudenklos, 89, of Columbus, Nebraska, died Saturday, June 6, 2015, at the Columbus Community Hospital.
The funeral service will be Wednesday, June 10, 10:30 A.M. at Peace Lutheran Church with Rev. Michael Klatt and Rev. Ernest Smith officiating. Interment will be in the Columbus Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. at Gass Haney Funeral Home and on Wednesday from 9:30 – 10:30 A.M. at the church with a family prayer service at 10:15 A.M. Memorials may be sent to Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus for family choice.
Carroll was born March 16, 1926 on a farm south of Platte Center to Harry and Emma (Thayer) Laudenklos. He attended elementary country school, then high school in Platte Center before enlisting in the U.S. Army at age 18, where he made a long, successful career.
In April, 1945 he was injured by explosives near Dachau, Germany and was hospitalized for several weeks in Belgium. For this he was awarded his first Purple Heart.
Years later, while holding the rank of First Sergeant of an Airborne (paratrooper) unit in the Korean Conflict, his jeep drove over a land mine. His driver was killed and his commanding officer critically wounded. Carroll spent one month in a hospital and received a second Purple Heart.
Finally, in yet another combat arena in Vietnam, then Sgt. Major Laudenklos was wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round one day before he was to be shipped back to the States, earning an unprecedented third Purple Heart.
His wife, the former Mary Ann Ditter of Monroe, was his partner throughout his 27-year military career which took them all over the globe. Carroll died on their 66th wedding anniversary.
Carroll ended his storied career in 1970 while serving as the First Command Sergeant Major of the Aviation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. At that time, Carroll held the highest enlisted rank that could be attained in the U.S. Army. Then 18 years later, and by order of the Secretary of the Army, he was called to a ceremony in Hawaii and promoted to Honorary Sergeant Major of the 25th Aviation Regiment.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann of Columbus, brothers Duane (Kayrn) and Harry (Sharon) and sister Darlene, all of Monroe, daughter-in-law Connie, granddaughter Angie, great-grandchildren Grant and Ashley, and step-grandson, Josh, all of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
He was preceded in death by their son, Larry, in 2007. Larry was also a U.S. Army veteran. He also was preceded in death by brothers Harold (Bob), Dave, Dale, and sister Gladys, all of Monroe, and a set of twins who died in infancy.
The funeral service will be Wednesday, June 10, 10:30 A.M. at Peace Lutheran Church with Rev. Michael Klatt and Rev. Ernest Smith officiating. Interment will be in the Columbus Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. at Gass Haney Funeral Home and on Wednesday from 9:30 – 10:30 A.M. at the church with a family prayer service at 10:15 A.M. Memorials may be sent to Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus for family choice.
Carroll was born March 16, 1926 on a farm south of Platte Center to Harry and Emma (Thayer) Laudenklos. He attended elementary country school, then high school in Platte Center before enlisting in the U.S. Army at age 18, where he made a long, successful career.
In April, 1945 he was injured by explosives near Dachau, Germany and was hospitalized for several weeks in Belgium. For this he was awarded his first Purple Heart.
Years later, while holding the rank of First Sergeant of an Airborne (paratrooper) unit in the Korean Conflict, his jeep drove over a land mine. His driver was killed and his commanding officer critically wounded. Carroll spent one month in a hospital and received a second Purple Heart.
Finally, in yet another combat arena in Vietnam, then Sgt. Major Laudenklos was wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round one day before he was to be shipped back to the States, earning an unprecedented third Purple Heart.
His wife, the former Mary Ann Ditter of Monroe, was his partner throughout his 27-year military career which took them all over the globe. Carroll died on their 66th wedding anniversary.
Carroll ended his storied career in 1970 while serving as the First Command Sergeant Major of the Aviation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. At that time, Carroll held the highest enlisted rank that could be attained in the U.S. Army. Then 18 years later, and by order of the Secretary of the Army, he was called to a ceremony in Hawaii and promoted to Honorary Sergeant Major of the 25th Aviation Regiment.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann of Columbus, brothers Duane (Kayrn) and Harry (Sharon) and sister Darlene, all of Monroe, daughter-in-law Connie, granddaughter Angie, great-grandchildren Grant and Ashley, and step-grandson, Josh, all of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
He was preceded in death by their son, Larry, in 2007. Larry was also a U.S. Army veteran. He also was preceded in death by brothers Harold (Bob), Dave, Dale, and sister Gladys, all of Monroe, and a set of twins who died in infancy.
Carroll Laudenklos, 89, of Columbus, Nebraska, died Saturday, June 6, 2015, at the Columbus Community Hospital.
The funeral service will be Wednesday, June 10, 10:30 A.M. at Peace Lutheran Church with Rev. Michael Klatt and Rev. Ernest Smith officiating. Interment will be in the Columbus Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. at Gass Haney Funeral Home and on Wednesday from 9:30 – 10:30 A.M. at the church with a family prayer service at 10:15 A.M. Memorials may be sent to Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus for family choice.
Carroll was born March 16, 1926 on a farm south of Platte Center to Harry and Emma (Thayer) Laudenklos. He attended elementary country school, then high school in Platte Center before enlisting in the U.S. Army at age 18, where he made a long, successful career.
In April, 1945 he was injured by explosives near Dachau, Germany and was hospitalized for several weeks in Belgium. For this he was awarded his first Purple Heart.
Years later, while holding the rank of First Sergeant of an Airborne (paratrooper) unit in the Korean Conflict, his jeep drove over a land mine. His driver was killed and his commanding officer critically wounded. Carroll spent one month in a hospital and received a second Purple Heart.
Finally, in yet another combat arena in Vietnam, then Sgt. Major Laudenklos was wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round one day before he was to be shipped back to the States, earning an unprecedented third Purple Heart.
His wife, the former Mary Ann Ditter of Monroe, was his partner throughout his 27-year military career which took them all over the globe. Carroll died on their 66th wedding anniversary.
Carroll ended his storied career in 1970 while serving as the First Command Sergeant Major of the Aviation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. At that time, Carroll held the highest enlisted rank that could be attained in the U.S. Army. Then 18 years later, and by order of the Secretary of the Army, he was called to a ceremony in Hawaii and promoted to Honorary Sergeant Major of the 25th Aviation Regiment.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann of Columbus, brothers Duane (Kayrn) and Harry (Sharon) and sister Darlene, all of Monroe, daughter-in-law Connie, granddaughter Angie, great-grandchildren Grant and Ashley, and step-grandson, Josh, all of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
He was preceded in death by their son, Larry, in 2007. Larry was also a U.S. Army veteran. He also was preceded in death by brothers Harold (Bob), Dave, Dale, and sister Gladys, all of Monroe, and a set of twins who died in infancy.
The funeral service will be Wednesday, June 10, 10:30 A.M. at Peace Lutheran Church with Rev. Michael Klatt and Rev. Ernest Smith officiating. Interment will be in the Columbus Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. at Gass Haney Funeral Home and on Wednesday from 9:30 – 10:30 A.M. at the church with a family prayer service at 10:15 A.M. Memorials may be sent to Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus for family choice.
Carroll was born March 16, 1926 on a farm south of Platte Center to Harry and Emma (Thayer) Laudenklos. He attended elementary country school, then high school in Platte Center before enlisting in the U.S. Army at age 18, where he made a long, successful career.
In April, 1945 he was injured by explosives near Dachau, Germany and was hospitalized for several weeks in Belgium. For this he was awarded his first Purple Heart.
Years later, while holding the rank of First Sergeant of an Airborne (paratrooper) unit in the Korean Conflict, his jeep drove over a land mine. His driver was killed and his commanding officer critically wounded. Carroll spent one month in a hospital and received a second Purple Heart.
Finally, in yet another combat arena in Vietnam, then Sgt. Major Laudenklos was wounded by shrapnel from a mortar round one day before he was to be shipped back to the States, earning an unprecedented third Purple Heart.
His wife, the former Mary Ann Ditter of Monroe, was his partner throughout his 27-year military career which took them all over the globe. Carroll died on their 66th wedding anniversary.
Carroll ended his storied career in 1970 while serving as the First Command Sergeant Major of the Aviation Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. At that time, Carroll held the highest enlisted rank that could be attained in the U.S. Army. Then 18 years later, and by order of the Secretary of the Army, he was called to a ceremony in Hawaii and promoted to Honorary Sergeant Major of the 25th Aviation Regiment.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann of Columbus, brothers Duane (Kayrn) and Harry (Sharon) and sister Darlene, all of Monroe, daughter-in-law Connie, granddaughter Angie, great-grandchildren Grant and Ashley, and step-grandson, Josh, all of Fayetteville, North Carolina.
He was preceded in death by their son, Larry, in 2007. Larry was also a U.S. Army veteran. He also was preceded in death by brothers Harold (Bob), Dave, Dale, and sister Gladys, all of Monroe, and a set of twins who died in infancy.
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