Larry Youngdoff, Military Member Ministry

This Memorial weekend, Larry Youngdoff will be honoring those who have served in the military by placing 30 small flags around his property. A career military man himself, Youngdoff has great respect for veterans, and displaying flags serves as a visible symbol not only to himself but to passersby.

Larry Youngdoff, earlier in his military career

Youngdoff’s career path began at Kansas State University, where he was in the ROTC. “I liked the military,” he said. “It was a good fit.” Then he had the opportunity to learn to fly, and that cemented it. He got his private pilot’s license, which obligated him to join the military for active duty. After college, he went through training, and became a helicopter pilot with the Army.

He was stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he remained for the next three years. Then his military career took a detour. When his obligation for active duty was up, he decided to try civilian life, moved to Kansas City, and got a job with Hallmark Cards. He worked in career development, inventory control, personnel and product management for the next eight years.

“But while I was in Prairie Village,” he said, “I saw these little helicopters flying around, and asked about them. I started missing flying again.”

Youngdoff found out the helicopters were connected to the Kansas National Guard, and that they had an opening for a pilot, so he became a weekend warrior. Again, it clicked. He served as an instructor pilot, then a Brigade Supply Officer. “I provided food, water, gas and ammunition for a brigade, about 1500 to 1900 people,” he said.

He was eventually promoted to Major, and moved into the logistics field, where he became a Supply and Service Battalion Commander. He oversaw an aviation company, dump truck company, bridge building engineering group, firemen and medical personnel. Following that, he served as the State Public Affairs Officer, 35th Division Inspector General, and retired as the Kansas Army National Guard Director of Personnel, with the rank of Colonel. He said he wore the uniform a total of 32 years.

When Youngdoff and his wife, Judy, came to Holy Cross, they were looking for some sort of ministry in which to participate. They had been part of a small group at their previous church that wrote to shut-ins and those who were ill. Youngdoff decided to merge that with his military experience. “It’s the most lonely feeling to be a soldier at mail call and not get a letter, “ he said, “especially when you’re overseas.”

Thus, the Military Member Ministry was born. When Youngdoff receives the name and address of a Holy Cross mission partner or family member who is serving, he asks the congregation to step forward to write letters, and send cards and care packages. A bulletin board in the hallway left of the sanctuary displays pictures of those currently serving, provides addresses to send mail, and sometimes even posts the correspondence received.

Youngdoff and his wife had two children, a son and daughter. Their son, David, followed in his father’s footsteps. Where Larry had been a head cheerleader at K-State, David was a cheerleader at Pittsburg State University.  And like his dad, David joined the ROTC in college, and eventually joined the military as a pilot. The photograph is of Larry pinning David’s wings on him at graduation. “His fiancée is in the background, and she was supposed to pin them on, but she couldn’t do it and handed them to me,” Larry said. 

Larry Youngdoff pinning wings on son David Youngdoff

David retired from service last Aug. 31. About six weeks later, life took a tragic turn. “His wife called me and said David wasn’t feeling well,” Larry said. So Larry made arrangements to take him to the V.A. hospital. The night before the scheduled appointment, Larry was sleeping on his son’s couch, when he heard something and went to David’s bedroom. Suddenly, David, only 48 years old, suffered a massive heart attack and died in Larry’s arms. That was October 23.

Youngdoff said he has always had a strong faith. “But I feel a great deal more faith as a result of this,” he said. “I am so glad I was there for him. If I hadn’t gone to his bedside, we might have found him on the floor.”

David’s daughter graduated a couple of weeks ago from BVNW, and wore her father’s dogtags as she walked across the stage, Larry said. Truly a beautiful tribute.

So, this year, Memorial Day takes on a whole new significance for the Youngdoffs. A heart-wrenching grief is now a part of it. As Larry places the flags in his yard, he will also be remembering and honoring his son.