Kent Laudeman of Niles has worn many hats during his 83 years.
He has been an Army officer, a professor with a PhD, an advocate for veterans, a college registrar both at IUSB and the United States Military Academy, a director of a suicide prevention center, an athlete and a farm boy.
He has relished all those facets of his life except getting up early to feed the livestock and clean out the stalls as a kid. “But growing up on the farm is how my work values and discipline were developed,” he says.
Here’s nine things to know about Kent:
1
Kent was raised on a dairy farm just south of Bremen. “The chores in the morning and evening were enough of a pain that I knew I never wanted to do that later in life,” he says.
Yet when he was at Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis), he would go home on the weekends to drive a tractor for his dad for $1 an hour — often for more than 10 hours a day.
“Mom would pack my car up with food so it was worth it.”
2
Kent ran cross country at Bremen High School, “but we would run beside Indiana 331 and have to jump a bunch of ditches. I figured I could jump ditches at home, and so I eventually quit.”
He later developed into a good runner in the Army and still runs a little at age 83. He won his age group at the Sunburst 5K earlier this year, beating out three or four other runners his age. “The trouble is there aren’t many more age groups for me.
“Regardless, running has been a great stress buster for me,” he adds.
3
Kent was able to put off serving in the Army through seven years of college — getting his Bachelors in elementary education in 1965 and his Masters in counseling in 1967, both at Western Michigan University. He later finished his doctorate after he was drafted in 1968 as an enlisted man.
He thought he had a chance of staying out of the service in 1964 when he was injured while working his summer job on a highway construction crew. He was on a tractor when a hitch broke loose and hit him on the shoulder, throwing him off and breaking his fibula, tibia and ankle.
But later on, the doctor said he was still good to go.
Drafted as a reluctant warrior, Kent ended up spending 28 years in uniform — most of it in the Reserves. And after receiving a direct commission, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
4
Kent married his wife, Dianne, in 1969 while he was in infantry training at Fort Dix. During that time, Dianne completed the final details on his thesis for a doctorate in psychology and counseling services. They have two sons — Robert and Scott. Scott was born while Kent was in Vietnam serving with the 1st Signal Brigade in Saigon.
“I found out about Scott’s birth from the Red Cross and was only able to speak to Dianne once through a ham radio operator. So we wrote lots of letters.”
He admits he occasionally came under enemy fire but had it better than most Vietnam veterans. “I actually think Dianne had it worse back home than I did — all the responsibilities of a family that she did alone.”
When Ken did get back in 1971, he wanted to get out of uniform as soon as possible with the way that much of the country viewed Vietnam vets.
“I didn’t even want to put on my resume that I had served.”
5
His first job was at IUSB, where he stayed for 25 years — eventually becoming the registrar.
And, yes, he did put back on his uniform as a Reserve officer, spending most of the next 20 years with the 415th Civil Affairs Company in Kalamazoo and serving as the commanding officer.
Then in 1990, he joined the 21st TAACOM unit out of Indianapolis. “I joined in November and not long after that, I was told, ‘Oh, by the way, we may be mobilized soon.”
Before he knew it, he was in King Khalid Military City in Saudi Arabia. He served as a liaison officer between the host country and U.S. Army, once having to step between soldiers with M-16s and locals with AK-47s arguing over the rights to a well.
6
In 1997, Kent took his dream job at the United States Military Academy, where he served as registrar, vice dean for academics, director of the Jefferson Library and as a professor.
“I absolutely loved it,” he says. “We could see the Hudson River from our home.”
He also was the officer representative for the women’s basketball team. “I got to sit at the end of the bench in my uniform and share in the fist bumps and the pep talks.”
7
In 2010, he retired from West Point and he and Dianne built a home near Niles on the St. Joseph River. “That was the first time I flunked retirement,” Kent says.
Because not long after, he took the job as director of the Robert Miller Veterans Center for Homeless Veterans in South Bend.
The vets could relate to him because he had also served. “They seemed to get a kick out of calling me Colonel.”
He took great pride in helping homeless veterans transition back into a stable life, “but my one regret is that I couldn’t get many of them to take advantage of Ivy Tech down the street,” he admits. “Of the more than 300 individuals that we worked with, only 13 actually took that route.”
8
In 2019, after leaving the Veterans Center, Kent “flunked retirement a second time” by becoming the director of the United Health Service’s Suicide Prevention Center. He also continues to be an advocate for veteran causes through various organizations.
He gives presentations to high school students on suicide prevention. “I go into the classrooms in uniform so they know I’m a vet and they seem to figure they shouldn’t give me crap,” he says with a smile. “With me getting older, I worry about not relating to teenagers, but nobody has fallen asleep on me yet.”
Kent also oversees the Race to Save Lives-Walk for Hope — coming on Oct. 17 this year at Howard Park. Family survivors place pictures of their lost loved ones around the walking circle and high schoolers chalk in heartfelt messages on the sidewalks.
9
Physical fitness continues to be a big part of Kent’s life. He goes to the Niles YMCA almost every day. He begins and ends his workouts by shooting free throws and three-point shots. His best so far is 29 straight free throws and nine three-pointers.
“I like that instead of playing 3-on-3,” he says. “At my age, I don’t need somebody sticking their finger in my eye while guarding me.”
He had to show some athleticism last Christmas Day when he was cleaning out his gutters during the warm spell and the ladder toppled over. He jumped off but still fractured two vertebrae. He was in a brace for two months.
Yet by February, he was participating in an Armed Forces fundraiser that challenges people to walk, run, hike, row, swim or cycle the equivalent of 100 miles in a month.
Mission accomplished. But then it almost always is with Kent.
Bill Moor, who started at the Tribune in 1973, served as sports editor and as a human-interest columnist during his tenure. Contact him at bry14zzo@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Veteran Laudeman has made a name in Bremen, Niles, South Bend ∣ The 9
Reporting by Bill Moor, Special to The Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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By Bill Moor, Special to The Tribune | USA TODAY Network
