Oldest Vet in Olmsted County Celebrates Birthday
Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - The oldest veteran in Olmsted County celebrated his birthday Tuesday - his 105th birthday.
An extensive search of Olmsted County Veterans Service Office records confirmed Kenneth Hoffmeyer’s status as the oldest vet in the county. Veterans Service Officer Nathan Pike says he was contacted by Hoffmeyer's family and "spent a few hours" going through department records to verify the information.
Hoffmeyer served in both World War II and the Korean War.
Pike says friends, family and others joined Hoffmeyer at Madonna Towers Tuesday to wish him a happy birthday. Among those at the gathering were the Rochester Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Rochester American Legion, and Plainview American Legion. A representative from Congressman Jim Hagedorn's office was also on hand to present Hoffmeyer with a certificate in recognition of his service.
Pike says Hoffmeyer served as a commissioned administrative officer in the Army Air Forces with overseas service in the Asiatic-Pacific theater of operations during the Second World War. He was later recalled to active federal service as a commissioned field artillery officer serving as a battery commander, with overseas service on the Korean peninsula during the Korean War.
Happy birthday, Ken!
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