Lawrence Walter “Larry” Schmidt, age 84, of rural Huron, passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Prairie View Care Center in Woonsocket, South Dakota. Larry will be buried with full military honors at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota.

A gathering to celebrate Larry’s life will be held from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Monday, July 20, 2026 at the Plains Restaurant. 

Lawrence Walter Schmidt was born on January 31, 1942 in Mitchell, South Dakota to Walter Owen “Walt” and Josephine M “Josie” (Dusek) Schmidt from a working ranch northwest of White Lake, SD. In 1945 the family moved to Huron.

Larry attended Huron High School and enlisted in the US Army in December of 1959 where he trained as a Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technician and was assigned to the 31st Infantry, 7th Division in Korea in 1960. He returned to Huron in the fall of 1962 and worked for the Chrysler Dealership but in December of 1963 after President JFK was killed, Larry reenlisted and was sent back to Korea to the 1st 7th Calvary Division, Custer’s old outfit, “Gary Owen,” as a squad leader in a mechanized personnel carrier Battalion; later in 1964, it became the famous, Air Calvary Division of Viet Nam fame. While serving with the 1st 7th Calvary Division, he was one of three enlisted men to earn the “Expert Infantryman’s Badge” of the 2300 troops tested, the highest peace time award possible. After earning the EIB, a US Army Special Forces Green Beret recruiter requested an interview and signed Larry up for training as soon as he completed parachute training. After 16 months of Green Beret schools, he was assigned to A-Team in Viet Nam (A-421) near Bo Xoai in the Mekong Delta along the Cambodian border. On his birthday in 1968, the North Vietnamese Army launched the largest military operation against US forces, which was known as the TET Offensive. Larry was wounded while in contact with the enemy on February 23, 1968. After 13 months in the hospital and losing his leg, he returned to Special Forces as an Instructor until 1970 when he medically retired from the service. He received several accommodations and awards, including the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

After military retirement, Larry opened the first self-service derby station in Huron. In 1973, he attended FAA Air Craft Maintenance course in Watertown, SD for 16 months and then he became airport manager in Sedona, AZ. Two years later, he was asked to manage the Northland Aviation FBO in Flagstaff, AZ. In 1976, Larry became the Equipment Manager for Concrete Products Company in Huron. When CPC was sold in 1982, he worked for Porter Ford, Lincoln and Mercury as the service manager. He and his wife and their sons moved to Hill City, SD in 1986 where their boys attended school. He managed the Hill City Youth Center and developed the Southern Hills Baseball Program. Later he opened a commercial art business which he operated until moving back to Huron in 1999.

He is survived by his wife, Janis of Huron; sons, Chad (Danielle) Schmidt of Summerset and Travis Schmidt of Hartford; granddaughter Lillian Schmidt and grandson Cole Froelich, both of Summerset.