Larry Underwood, commander of Fulton VFW Post 2657, is being honored for his service to veterans - but he isn't too concerned about all the fanfare.
"I try to stay out of the limelight," he said. "Awards don't mean much to me, but helping veterans does."
Underwood is one of 34 Missouri veterans who received the 2016 Lieutenant Governor's Veterans Service Award. Award winners, who were nominated by community officials, were announced this week.
The award recognizes veterans who provide exemplary volunteer service to their communities. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder began giving the award in 2012 and has received more than 700 nominations since then.
Underwood was nominated by Callaway County Commissioner Doc Kritzer for his work in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, a veterans' service organization. One of the VFW's main objectives is to help veterans access the benefits available to them for their service, Underwood said.
"The main thing we do with veterans is help them with their disability claims in Columbia," he said. "The veterans' hospital treats you, but they don't coach you on all the benefits you get as a veteran."
The gratification from his position comes from being able to help people that need it, Underwood said.
"I took this job (as VFW commander) because I get to help other veterans," he said. "There's no gratification from the job itself - it's from helping veterans and the people of the community."
Healing the veterans
Underwood, a Vietnam veteran, knows the struggles former soldiers go through. In his first year of service in Vietnam, he was the point man for his unit.
"You would walk in front of everyone," he said. "I was wounded, and after I recovered, I went back and served four months with my brother in the same company."
One of the duties that broke Underwood's heart was writing letters to the families of fallen soldiers. As a sergeant, Underwood said it was his obligation to write those letters - and it's still difficult to talk about to this day.
"The hardest thing about the Vietnam War was writing letters home when your buddy was killed. Me being a sergeant, I had to," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "When one of our friends got killed, we'd have to write home to their parents."
The war created strong bonds among the soldiers, a bond still felt today among Vietnam veterans, Underwood said.
"Everybody wonders why you fought in Vietnam," he said. "You fought for your buddies and your country. When you lost (a friend), it was just like losing your brother."
He said a soldier's biggest fear was letting his men down.
"You really weren't scared for yourself; you were scared that you wouldn't do what's right," he said. "You didn't want to let your men down. You were scared that you would be viewed as a coward in their eyes."
Serving the community
Kritzer and Underwood have known each other since high school. Kritzer said Underwood deserves recognition for the service he has given to the community.
"There's a lot of people that do a lot of things for the community, but Larry stood out," he said. "The VFW in Fulton is great for any local cause that needs help. Larry exemplifies that."
Fellow VFW members spoke frankly about the impact Underwood has had on the organization.
"Larry's one of the best commanders we've had, and I've been a member for almost 60 years," said Skip Laughlin, a longtime VFW member.
Underwood said that the feeling of respect for the members of the organization is mutual.
"I couldn't get the award if it weren't for the people helping me," he said.
Underwood isn't talking much about the award he is receiving. His job is to speak for the veteran, both living and deceased, he said.
"Everybody that lost their life - you have to have people speak up for what they went through. We had nine Vietnam vets from Callaway County killed," he said. "(We) speak up for those that didn't make it back."
Underwood also encouraged people to do their part in helping veterans. All a veteran really wants is respect and gratitude from the public, he said, especially Vietnam veterans, many of whom didn't receive a warm welcome when returning from the war.
"If people wanted to do something (for veterans), they could go to the veterans' home in Mexico and talk to the guys there," he said. "Support your local VFW - they're the ones that made the sacrifice."