‘Our family was forever changed by war’
For decades, Loyal High School has been known for the quality Veterans Day program it holds. Community members join with students to pay tribute to those who have served their country and the Loyal American Legion Post #175 participates with posting of the colors and a firing squad salute.
This year, the program took on a more personal note, as young family members of a Loyal soldier who was killed 56 years ago in Vietnam took the opportunity to tell the story of how military service directly affected them. The great-nieces and greatnephews of John Rueth put together a collection of memorabilia -- including his Loyal High School FFA blue corduroy jacket -- and spoke on remembrances of him from their family. Following are the words spoken by Avery, Cameren, Gauge and Hoyt Rueth.
GAUGE: We are the great-nieces and nephews of Specialist John L Rueth. Our Uncle John was killed in military action on March 17, 1969 at the age of 21. A few months after his death, his brother Richard also served our country in Vietnam. Each are heroes to our family and to the Loyal community.
We have grown up hearing stories from our grandparents as well as our great aunts and uncles about what life was like growing up in Loyal.
CAMEREN: Back in the 1960s men and women wore their best clothes whenever they went in public. No one needed to leave town to do their shopping as we had grocery stores, clothing stores, a bakery, a shoe shore, a jewelry store as well as car dealerships and a lumber yard.
Family and friends would gather at the movie theater or bowling alley for a night of fun and laughs on Saturday night. After the theater closed, the building was used as a roller-skating rink. That was a fun place to hang out with friends by the sounds of it.
AVERY: During Christmas our Main Street was lit up with lights strung from each side of the street. Every store had vinyl records playing holiday music while you did your shopping. Loyal was known as ‘The Shopping Center City’ because of the variety of retail stores we had. The way they describe it we could have been the location for a Hallmark movie!
CAMEREN: Before John and Richard became soldiers, they were just kids growing up in small town Loyal. John and Richard grew up on the family farm with seven other siblings. John played football, wrestled for a short time, was member of the FFA and Prom King. He was very mechanical and built a mini back hoe for his younger siblings. He was also a little mischievous. One day he and his friends picked up a friend’s Volkswagen Beetle and moved it to a different place in the
DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTO parking lot.
He sounds a lot like any number of guys we go to school with.
GAUGE: Richard continued working on the family farm after graduation while John pursued a degree in diesel mechanics in Lacrosse. Soon after leaving school John was drafted into the Army.
AVERY: From 1964 -1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 2.7 million. All eligible men were required to register for the Selective Service by age 21. The age was eventually lowered to age 18. Men were assigned a number between 1 and 366 based on their birthday. A lottery was held, numbers drawn like playing Bingo. “Winners” were drafted.
John began his tour on Sept. 17, 1968, in the 1st Calvary Division, 1st Battalion, 7th Calvary, E Company as a Specialist Four Infantry Indirect Fire Crewman. He was an airborne jumper. John was also a daily member of the chapel services.
GAUGE: There was no Face-time, no texting and no email in 1968. John would send letters by airmail to anyone that would write to him. He was a very caring and giving young man. He sent a go-kart home to his younger brothers Terry and Paul. A gift they received a month after his passing.
CAMEREN: It was Richard who went to the public school and to St. Anthony School to pick up the Rueth siblings when the news of John’s death was received. This is a memory imbedded in not only our family members but all of the classmates who were in school at that time. John’s death impacted our whole community.
People came from near and far filling the church to overflowing, for his funeral. It was so full people were lined up outside. John received the Bronze Star, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart for his service.
AVERY: A few months later Richard’s number came up in the draft. Our greatgrandpa fought the government to try and stop another son from going to war but to no avail. Richard was inducted into the U.S. Army on June 10, 1969. He drove the loaded trucks with canons and a variety of other weapons to our supply lines.
During his service Richard was exposed to Agent Orange, a tactical herbicide the U.S. military used to eliminate forest cover and crops from 1961-71. Agent Orange, contained the deadly chemical dioxin, which was later proven to cause serious health issues-including cancer, birth defects, rashes and severe psychological and neurological problems among the Vietnamese people as well as returning U.S. servicemen and their families.
Richard was honorably discharged on June 9, 1971, and passed away in 2017.
HOYT: Thank you for allowing us to share our family’s memories of John and Richard. Uncle John is extra special to me as I am named after him. We keep the memories of those who have served our country alive when we remember their stories. Our family, like all military families, was forever changed by war.
From our family to yours, we want to thank each of our veterans for their service. You are our heroes.
The great-nieces and great-nephews of the late John Rueth who spoke of him at last week’s Loyal High School Veterans Day program were (from left) Cameren, Avery, Hoyt and Gauge Rueth.
John Rueth’s four surviving siblings attended the Loyal High School Veterans Day program on Nov. 11. They are (from left) Ronald “Butch” Rueth, Vicki Kadolph, Terry Rueth and Kathy Rueth. Other children of Fritz and Agnes Rueth who have passed away are Richard, Margie, Paul and Larry.
