Dave Kettelhut recognized as February 2026 Jefferson County Veteran of the Month

He spent more than three years providing crucial sea-based support to troops in Vietnam before tapping into his training to work at a business back home in Southeast Nebraska.

February's Jefferson County Veteran of the Month is Dave Kettelhut.

Born and raised near Hubbell and Chester, Kettelhut had a high draft number and chose to enlist in the US Navy in 1966.

Serving on aircraft carriers and landing ship tanks, Kettelhut was tasked with all kinds of support endeavors around the Saigon River, assistant ground troops, helping execute helicopter landings, and maintenance work.

He credited many of the people he grew up with, including his family, for convincing him to sign up.

"It's great that you have people to lead you to begin with to make you go to the service. This was a good thing for you," Kettelhut said Tuesday. "The people you grow up with, or work with..."

After a three and a half year term of service, Dave spent some time working in Tennessee and traveling across North America before returning home to Nebraska in 1979. He was the head electrician at Endicott Clay Products until his retirement in 2013.

Dave has been married to wife Sharon since 1974, and is the second member of his family to earn the Veteran of the Month title, following the footsteps of his Army brother Steve, who received the recognition in December.