By James Harnar
For MediaNews Group
On an early spring day 54 years ago I put on my Boy Scout uniform and drove to Topton to pay tribute to Larry D. Hoch at the dedication of a memorial in his name.
A Marine lance corporal and squad leader, Larry had died four years earlier in combat in Vietnam, earning a posthumous Silver Star for “conspicuous gallantry.” He was honored for his actions directing his squad under heavy enemy fire and then saving a fellow Marine’s life by throwing his own body over the Marine to shield him from a mortar attack. In doing so Larry was mortally wounded. He was just 21.
As Veterans Day approaches this year I’ve been thinking a lot about Larry. Though I knew him only slightly when we both were teenagers, his leadership and bravery have been a constant presence in my memory for over five decades. As the years have passed, every trip I made to Washington as a Navy officer and tourist included a stop at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where I sought out Larry’s name on the striking black granite wall, pausing to consider how fortunate we are as a nation to have men and women who are willing to wear a military uniform in service to our nation’s ideals.
So I was heartened this fall to learn that after all these years, Larry was inducted into the Berks County Military Hall of Fame — a fitting honor for a man whose life was cut short at such a young age and whose sacrifice was recognized with the nation’s third highest award for valor (just below the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross).
In Topton, the beautiful stone memorial to Larry echoes his own selfless service and sacrifice. Under his name, a weathered brass plaque reads, “In Memory of Those Who Have Served, Are Serving and Will Serve.”
It should be remembered that Larry’s all-too-brief but deeply meaningful life of service and leadership began as a Boy Scout. A member of Topton Troop 510, Larry quickly rose through the ranks to become an Eagle Scout — a rank achieved by only 2% of young men and women who enter what’s now known as Scouting America. It was Larry’s troop that raised funds for the memorial and continues to lovingly maintain this monument today.
As a teenager Larry became active in the Order of The Arrow, a national service organization and honor society affiliated with Scouting. There too, he quickly assumed greater leadership roles and was elected lodge chief of Berks County’s 1,000-plus member Minsi Lodge V. it was in this capacity that Larry became a role model for younger Scouts elected to the OA. Six years younger than Larry, I was one of those Scouts. I recall being inducted into the OA in a torchlit ceremony one evening at Camp Shikellamy near Bethel during Larry’s tenure as chief.
In 1970, just a year after Larry’s passing, I followed in his footsteps as lodge chief. It was in that capacity — at age 18 — that I represented the lodge at the dedication of Larry’s memorial on a somber day in May of the following year. Fifty years later I was honored to speak at the 100th anniversary of the lodge, devoting a portion of my remarks to saluting Larry for his service and sacrifice. Several individuals in the audience approached me afterward to share their own memories of Larry and his impact on their lives.
I can’t help but wonder what Larry’s life might have looked like had he survived his tour in Vietnam. Given his leadership as a Scout and a Marine there’s no doubt in my mind that he would have led a distinguished life of service to his community and country.
It’s my hope that on this Veteran’s Day many area residents will make a point of reflecting on Larry’s heroism and even visit his memorial to salute a true hero.
We must never forget the men and women who gave what President Abraham Lincoln described as “their last full measure of devotion.”
May Larry D. Hoch’s memory be eternal.
James Harnar grew up in Spring Township and graduated from Wilson High School. An Eagle Scout, retired Navy Captain and nonprofit healthcare executive, he now lives in Santa Fe, N.M.
Larry D. Hoch