A lifetime of service to country, community

As he turns 95 this month, long-time American Legion Post 42 member and Aurora businessman Bob Leach reflects back on a life which has been guided by a life-long mindset of always doing what was best for his community and country.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s my duty as a citizen of the United States to do what the government asked us to do,” Leach said speaking of his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Through the years Leach has become a familiar face in the community, whether it was through his service with the Legion or in the local insurance business. 
Korean War service
Four years after graduating from Arnold High School in 1947, Leach was drafted into the Army during the second year of the Korean War and was sent off to basic training at Fort Sill, Okla.
“I had basic training as a rod and tape man for field artillery,” he explained. “They used triangulation then; different things to aim the howitzers I trained on.”
While on leave after basic, Leach became engaged to Loretta Schneringer. (The couple would be married following his military service and she passed away in 2022 after nearly 70 years of marriage.) Then he flew from North Platte to San Franciso to travel to Japan with a military replacement depot.
“It took seven days on the USS General Meigs troops ship to Yokohama, Japan and there they had replacement depots. There were probably 5,000 troops on that ship,” Leach said.  
Although he had trained with artillery, when Leach arrived in the Far East he was reassigned for reasons unknown to him. 
Following two months of personnel school in Japan, Leach became a personnel clerk at the 121st Evacuation Hospital in Yongdongpo, Korea in 1952. The hospital was operated by over 450 doctors, nurses, dentists, and other personnel. 
“My job was to keep the records updated for officers and enlisted men,” Leach said. “And most everything the military does, there’s usually an order written telling special orders or the HRV orders for somebody that goes on their service record.”
One of the highlights of working at the hospital for Leach was getting to meet actress Debbie Reynolds, who was visiting Korea to entertain the troops.
“She came and toured the patients in the hospital,” he said. “Then she came down the hallway, a little girl. She wasn’t very tall of stature; she was small, but some guy had given her a pair of G.I. boots. She stuck her head in the door and said hello.”
After serving 15 months in Korea, Cpl. Leach was flown home from Japan where he was honorably discharged at Camp Carson in Denver, Colo.,
“It was good to be home,” he commented. “I got home (to North Platte) and I found a job. Loretta had wedding plans we got married on June 12, 1953.”

Years in insurance business
The civilian job Leach found was with Consumers Public Power District (now Nebraska Public Power District) in Kearney. He was later recruited by State Farm Insurance to be an agent in 1962 and three years later took a job with Farmers Mutual of Nebraska as a special agent.
“It was to help agents write insurers,” Leach said. “I worked losses, hail losses, wind-claimed tornadoes and they moved us from Kearney to York in 1965.”
Several years later Leach began working for Reuben Johnson, owner of Reuben Johnson Agency.
“From the time that I met him, he said, ‘Well, you should have the agency,’ meaning that I should buy it,” Leach recalls.
Moving with his family to Aurora in 1969, Leach bought half of the Johnson Agency and was partners with Johnson for five years.
“He was 20 years older than I was,” Leach commented. “Partnerships are kind of a no-no sometimes when people can’t get along, but we got along and never had a problem.”
When Johnson retired in 1974, Leach combined his agency with Bob Clark to form the new corporation Clark-Leach Insurance Agency. The company operated out of the building at 1311 L St.
After Clark suffered an aneurysm, Leach purchased Clark’s shares of the corporation and renamed the agency Leach Insurance Center, Inc. His son, Steven, joined him in 1991.
Until his retirement in 1996, Leach sold insurance, real estate, and did farm management. He sold his interest in the agency to Steven, who ran it until his passing in May 2013. Leach said his son was a kind and compassionate man who was heavily involved with activities in the community.
“He knew everybody and everyone was a friend,” Leach commented.
The agency was sold to Aurora Insurance Agency in August of 2013.

A lifetime of community service
For over 60 years, Leach has been a familiar face with the Aurora American Legion post. 
“I probably held every office in the American Legion on the local level,” he commented. “I don’t know how many for the last 20 years at least.”
As a member of the Legion color guard, Leach often presented the colors during high school games and presented casket flags to the families at veteran funerals. 
“It’s really an honor to give the flag to the widow or family member,” Leach stated. “It’s a thank you for their service in the military.”
Leach estimates he has presented over 100 flags to families during his time in the color guard. While he is no longer a member the color guard, he recently joined it once again to honor his friend and fellow legionnaire, Richard “Dick” Grosshans, who passed away in May.
Leach says he was honored to be invited in 2014 to accompany eight other Korean War veterans from Hamilton County on an honor flight from Nebraska to Washington, D.C., to see the Korean War Memorial.
“We toured Washington, D.C. and the monuments,” he commented. “We went to where they changed the honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was snowing pretty good right at that time.”
Leach and his wife were the parents of four children: Steven, Patricia, Suzanne (Eckerson) and Janelle (Wright). He now has seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren who are scattered throughout Nebraska, Oregon and Arizona. He said he looks forward to seeing many of them later this month during the Leach family reunion that will take place at The Leadership Center. 
“In 1985, John and Alice -- my grandparents -- and their families all had a family reunion out at The Leadership Center,” he shared. “It was the first big family they ever had there. There were 120 something at that time. Every five years we meet, and (last time) it was 176 people.”
Leach celebrated his 95th birthday on Saturday and an open house celebration of the event is set for Sunday at the Bremer Center in Aurora.
Looking back on his life, Leach said he cherishes the life that his parents gave him and for instilling the values he has carried throughout his life. He also said he is grateful for a wonderful 68 years of marriage to Loretta.
“It has been a good life,” he commented. “I’ve associated with good people and that was my business, but I’m just a regular Joe.”