Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
----Surnames: Urban, Flynn
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark, Co) 5/02/2019
Neillsville Legion to Honor (Dick Urban – 2019)
Dick Urban will be Honored for his military service by the American Legion Post 73, this Monday. (Submitted photo)
Dick Urban, a Neillsville native who served in the military, will be one of three individuals to be honored by the American Legion Post 73, 6 Boon Boulevard, in Neillsville in May.
Urban was born in Neillsville at the old hospital on 4th Street. He graduated from St. John’s Lutheran School and graduated from Neillsville High School in 1965.
Urban then attended UW-Stevens Point and graduated in 1969 with a bachelor of science degree in natural resources management.
Prior to his graduation, he enlisted in the officer candidate school and entered the service in September 1969. His Basic Training was at Fort Dix in New Jersey. He was then transferred to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri for advanced training for combat engineers.
Urban was then sent to Fort Belvoir in Virginia for officer candidate training.
After completing 13 weeks of training, the upper command suspended training of cadets and gave everyone an option of either completing the program and being commissioned as a second lieutenant or dropping out of the program and having a year removed from a three-year commitment and a one-year stateside duty. This was offered due to the de-escalation of the Vietnam War and a cutback of officers.
Urban dropped out of the program in 1970, was sent to Fort Hood in Texas and was assigned to division personnel as a clerk typist.
Urban was sent to Fort McCoy in April 1971 as a company clerk for a signal training company for the summer. He later returned to Fort Hood and was discharged in September 1971.
Urban married his wife, Lynda Flynn, who joined him at Fort Hood.
After being discharged, Urban came back to Neillsville with Lynda. Urban joined the family automobile business. He and Lynda bought a farm wet of Neillsville and over the years made improvements and raised beef. He left the auto business after 20 years and worked at Nelson Muffler until the plant closed in 2006.
Urban and his wife have two children, Clinton and Katie. They also have two grandchildren. Besides raising cattle and crops, Urban enjoys hunting, fishing, cards, farming, cutting wood and being around good-natured people.
Urban will be honored this Monday at the Legion at a program that starts with a social hour at 4:30 p.m. There will be a potluck at 5:30 p.m.
