EMIL "BUD" GEMBER

Class of 1935
​Inducted in 2012

Emil “Bud” Gember is an Achievement of Merit Award winner at 96 years young.

He attended Vinton Grade School where the playground was big enough for him to play baseball, basketball, football, golf and soccer. He also excelled in softball, bowling and track. Buddy was a six-sport athlete at SHS. He quarterbacked two City Championship teams in three years coached by Cornie Collin. He played American Legion ball as a 2nd and 3rd baseman, shortstop and center fielder. He also played on a number of different sandlot teams throughout the city and surrounding area. 

Emil joined the US Navy in September 1943. When the Korean War started, he was fighting at the invasion of Inchon. He spent the next one and one half years transporting the dead and wounded prisoners and refugees, delivering supplies, and making repairs. He was also the head of a rifle squad on the front lines protecting areas from Chinese sabotage. He was awarded the Korean Service Medal, China Service Medal, American Campaign, American Pacific Campaign, U.N. Korean Award, and the Maritime Commission Award. He is also an Admiral in the Nebraska Navy. 

He was nominated for this Honor by the Nebraska-Western Iowa Oldtimers Baseball Association. He has also been recognized by the Nebraska Silver Haired Legislative Alumni Society as a Silver-Haired Senator and was the first to introduce the Baby Bill in 2002. Following the war, Emil worked at M.U.D. for 27 years, got his flying license and then spent a lot of retirement time traveling with his childhood sweetheart and bride of 67 years. He was a member of the American Legion Post 1 and the VFW Post # 2503.

Bud passed in 2012, just a couple months after he received his award.