TOPEKA (KSNT) – A local man is reflecting on his time serving the nation domestically and abroad.
Howard Neff spent nearly 34 years serving in the Kansas National Guard, including a deployment to Vietnam in 1969. Looking back on his past military career, Neff said the experience shaped how he views service, helping others and the freedoms Americans have at home.
Neff joined the Kansas National Guard in August 1964, when he was about 20 years old. With the military draft getting closer, he decided to enlist after a roommate joined the Guard.
“I knew it was getting closer and I didn’t want to be gone,” Neff said.
In 1968, Neff’s Guard unit was mobilized following the Pueblo Crisis. He was later sent to Vietnam, where he was assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade.
Neff worked primarily in administrative roles, maintaining personnel files and typing awards. He said his work often kept him busy at night, making it difficult to sleep during the day because of the noise and activity around the base.
During that time, Neff found another way to spend his days. He volunteered at the base library, teaching English to Vietnamese civilian workers.
“English was my worst subject in high school,” Neff said.
According to Neff’s biography, he spent about two months teaching women between the ages of 18 and 60. The experience became one of his most memorable moments from his time overseas. He recalled how emotional the workers were when he told them he was going home.
Neff did not complete a full year in Vietnam because his six-year service obligation was ending. After returning home and taking a two-year break, he rejoined the Guard and began working full-time.
His responsibilities included supply, administration and training. In 1972, he helped move the Officer Candidate School from Topeka to Schilling Air Force Base in Salina.
There, he was responsible for five barracks, a mess hall and a 3,000-acre rifle range, along with administrative duties involving personnel records, supply, finance and training. Neff said he was the only full-time employee at the Nickell Barracks Training Center for nearly two years.
He later held several other positions within the Kansas Army National Guard, including serving as a training noncommissioned officer and as the schools program manager for the Plans, Operations and Training Section.
After nearly 34 years in uniform, Neff decided it was time to move on.
“The best decision I made was I joined the Guard,” Neff said. “I didn’t feel like I retired. I just had a career change.”
Veteran Salute: Topeka veteran Glenn Matthews reflects on 23 years of military service
Outside his military career, Neff also spent years farming part-time. After leaving full-time service, he purchased a skid loader and began clearing unwanted trees and cleaning up pastures for landowners. He built that work through word of mouth rather than paid advertising.
Neff said his military experience made him a better person and taught him to think about others instead of focusing only on himself.
He remains proud of his service and said he would serve again if he were younger. He also hopes more people would serve in some capacity so they could better understand and appreciate the freedoms they have.
For Neff, the lessons of his military career continue well beyond his years in uniform: stay productive, help others and never take what you have for granted.
To nominate a veteran you know, send an email to veterans@ksnt.com.
For more Veteran Salute stories, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
