News: Neillsville – Am. Legion Honors Local Vet (Luedeke - 2018)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

----Surnames: Luedeke, Holub, Karstens

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark, Co) 9/26/2018

American Legion to Honor Local Veteran (Luedeke - 2018)

Luedeke to be Recognized for Service by Legion

Veteran Art Luedeke will be one of three veterans to be honored by the Neillsville American Legion Post in October.

Luedeke was born in Oshkosh. He attended Dale Grade School and Webster Stanley Junior High and graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1966. He then attended Bethany Lutheran College for two years and graduated from Wisconsin State College Oshkosh, which later became the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, in 1971.

While attending school in Oshkosh, Luedeke was recruited into a two-year ROTC program and did basic training at Fort Benning, GA and advanced training at Fort Riley, KS. He was given a regular army commission that would allow him to choose the military occupational specialty in which he would serve.

Luedeke selected ordnance and was detailed field artillery as his combat branch.

Luedeke was given delayed entry, and he worked for the 3M company. He entered the field artillery officer’s basic training in February 1972 at Fort Sill, OK.

After graduation, Luedeke attended motor officer school in Fort Knox, KY. He then received orders to Delta, 66th U.S. Army Air Defense, Seventh Army in Germany. He was assigned to Charlie Team 6th as the security officer for a nuclear weapons site.

Three weeks after his assignment, the Munich Olympics were targeted by a terrorist group.

In 1972, the anti-American sentiment, as a result of our involvement in Vietnam, was at a peak in Europe. Luedeke lived and existed on the German economy without the security of an American base nearby.

“There were many other duties that we shared with the German Army,” Luedeke said.

He was processed out in October 1975 through Charleston, SC.

Luedeke and his family returned to St. Paul, MN, where he began a 34-year career with the 3M. Twenty-four of the years there he designed and developed programs for different industries, as well as all major automotive companies and several NASCAR teams.

Luedeke married his wife, Sandra, in 1971. Sandra was with Art in Germany, and they had two sons there. Their sons’ names are Terry and Bryan. They lost one other son, David. They also have 10 grandchildren with another one on the way.

In 2002, Luedeke and his wife purchased a farm north of Neillsville. Luedeke works full time on the farm.

“I am humbled by what God has done in my life,” said Luedeke, adding that he gives God the glory.

Th event which will also honor area veterans Terry Holub and John “Steve” Karstens, will be this Monday, oct. 1, at the American Legion Post 73, 6 Boon Blvd., Neillsville. There will be a 4:30 p.m. social hour with a potluck to follow at 5:30 p.m.