Sutton’s Hometown Heroes

A preview of Sutton graduates being honored during Dugout Days

As part of this year’s Dugout Days celebration, the Sutton Chamber of Commerce is recognizing Sutton High School graduates who have served or are currently serving in the United States military. The recognition includes veterans and active-duty service members from multiple generations whose service has taken them around the world while keeping strong ties to their hometown.

The graduates featured here represent just a few of the many Sutton alumni being honored during this year’s celebration.

BARTON RATH

SHS Class of 1959 Barton “Bart” Rath’s military service began when he answered a call that many young Americans of his generation faced.

Rath served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968 after being drafted during the Vietnam War. He trained in Morse code, voice radio, and radio teletype communications before serving in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968.

When asked what military service taught him, Rath found it difficult to narrow the answer to a single lesson.

“Consistent routines, attention to detail, owning your actions and their consequences, relying on others and they rely on you, pushing through discomfort, and staying calm under pressure,” he said. “You asked for one, but there are many.”

Following his military service, Rath built a career in the computer industry, working first as a programmer and later in management. He also remained active in veterans organizations, serving in leadership roles with both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.

For Rath, being recognized during Dugout Days carries special meaning.

“I was drafted into a war that was unpopular with American citizens,” he said. “There was not much of a welcome home, even though we did what our country’s leaders asked.”

MASTER SERGEANT BENJAMINVENTEICHER SHS Class of 1996 This July marks 30 years of service in the Air Force for Master Sergeant Benjamin Venteicher.

After joining active duty in 1996, Venteicher transitioned to the Nebraska Air National Guard, where he continues to serve today. During his military career he has worked in missile maintenance, food service operations, training, human resources, and as a First Sergeant, helping guide and support military members and their families.

One of his most memorable experiences came shortly after September 11, 2001, when he deployed to the United Arab Emirates.

Serving alongside fellow Sutton graduate Dani Nuss, he remembers looking across the desert landscape and realizing just how far they were from home.

“Who would have ever thought two farm kids from Sutton, Nebraska, would go to a place like this,” he recalled.

Outside the military, Venteicher earned a teaching degree and became a Director of Christian Education. He currently serves at Zion Lutheran Church near Hampton and is the father of five children.

Looking back, he credits Sutton with helping prepare him for life.

“Growing up in a small town helped lay a foundation that has helped me be successful in life,” he said.

MAJOR NICKOLASVENTEICHER SHS Class of 2003 Military service became a career for Benjamin’s younger brother, Nickolas Venteicher.

After graduating from Sutton High School, he enlisted in the Air Force and began a journey that would take him around the world.

Nick trained as a C-130 crew chief and later served as an instructor, navigator, and Air Force officer. His assignments included deployments to Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, along with assignments in Arkansas, Germany, Nebraska, and Texas.

Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree, completed Officer Training School, and flew reconnaissance missions supporting intelligence operations around the globe.

Today, he serves in Texas, helping oversee aircraft maintenance, testing, and modernization efforts, and expects to retire after nearly 23 years of military service.

Despite traveling extensively, Nick says Sutton remains an important part of who he is.

“I’ve always bragged on coming from a small farming community in Nebraska,” he said. “Knowing and loving your community might be one of the most underrated things out there.”

He credits Sutton’s coaches, teachers, churches, and community members with helping shape the values that guided him throughout his career.

One lesson that has stayed with him throughout his years of service is simple.

“It costs zero dollars to show up and be willing to learn with a positive attitude,” he said.

SENIOR AIRMAN SHAYLENEWESTOVER

SHS Class of 2022 For Senior Airman Shaylene “Shay” Westover, military service is rooted in family.

The Sutton High School graduate joined the United States Air Force shortly after graduation, following in the footsteps of both her father and grandfather. While military service runs deep in her family, it was her father, Christopher Westover, who inspired her most.

Christopher enlisted in the Air Force in 2001 and served until a medical injury forced his separation several years later. The injury resulted in multiple surgeries, permanent back damage, and chronic pain.

Yet those challenges are not what Shay remembers most.

“Having said that, my father never let his kids know that,” she said. “He was there for us through thick and thin, going to every single sporting event and spending hours in uncomfortable and even painful positions to fix our vehicles.”

To Shay, her father was a hero long before she put on a uniform herself.

“My dad never let the pain stop him and growing up he was always a hero in my eyes,” she said.

Today, Westover serves as an Aircraft Armament Systems Specialist stationed at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. She is also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and hopes to one day become a detective.

One reason she joined the military was to continue the Westover family name in the Air Force after her father’s career was cut short.

“To be able to carry his last name in the military for longer, because if it was his way he would still be in,” she said.

She also hopes her service honors veterans whose military careers ended before they were ready.

“I wanted to give back to him and all of the other veterans that can’t continue their service,” she said.

The stories of Rath, the Venteicher brothers, and Westover represent only a small sample of the many Sutton High School graduates who have answered the call to serve.

The Sutton Chamber of Commerce will continue highlighting additional veterans and active-duty military members leading up to Dugout Days. Community members are encouraged to follow the Sutton Chamber of Commerce on Facebook to learn more about the graduates being recognized and to celebrate the hometown heroes whose service reflects the values of the Sutton community.