NEENAH, Wis. (WFRV) – Even at 83 years old, Robert Lace of Neenah’s biggest honor has yet to come.
Growing up, Lace had a mischievous childhood that he said didn’t seem like it would lead to a successful career with the United States Marine Corps, but that’s exactly why Lace decided to join them in 1960.
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“I did not have any direction when I left high school,” said Lace. “People don’t think about Vietnam until it gets hot.”
In the Vietnam War era, Lace rose to be second in his platoon, serving four years in Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, working in communications, directing planes, and acting as a teletype operator.
“All of us that were in communications had top-secret clearance, so we knew what was going on,” added Lace.
One of those things that Marines didn’t know at the time was just how frigid the Cold War really became.
“We didn’t know until 45 years later how close we came to World War III,” said Lace. “We were 15 minutes away from World War III.”
Instead, the Marines had a rather mundane stay in the mountains of eastern Asia.
“To stay out of trouble, I took up judo, because it was kind of a boring situation over there,” explained Lace.
He eventually became a black belt recognized by both Japan and China, and took his knowledge of judo back to northeast Wisconsin in 1963, where he gave kids the direction he once didn’t have.
“I wound up teaching in Appleton, Neenah, Green Bay,” said Lace.
Along with a successful career in sales, neither rival the notoriety Lace has received from holding his flags in the same spot on the corner of College and Drew in Appleton on two of the city’s most patriotic days of the year.
“For the past 20 years or so, I was a one-man honor guard, for the Appleton parade and the Memorial Day parade,” added Lace.
In 2025, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps, Lace has been chosen to be the grand marshal of the nation’s oldest Flag Day parade.
“I thought, ‘that’s an honor,’ because then I realized what it meant,” said Lace.
What it means is that out of all the veterans in the country the parade planners could’ve brought in, they admired Lace’s patriotism the most. He won’t be on his usual street corner, but Lace will be just as recognizable.
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“My grandkids will say, ‘That’s my grandpa!'” concluded Lace.
Be sure to catch Robert Lace in Local 5’s Flag Day Broadcast on June 14 along with the rest of those featured in the parade.
