Veterans Day important for Gulf Coast Village resident Lachance
Out of over 215,000 Cape Coral residents, about 8.1%, or roughly 17,500 residents, are veterans, according to Census Reporter.
In fact, many of the residents at Gulf Coast Village, a continuing care retirement community in Cape Coral, are veterans. In 2020, nearly 25% of Gulf Coast Village residents had previously served in the military. This National Veterans Month, a particular resident has a unique story to tell.
For Command Sgt. Maj. Robert “Bob” Lachance, November is a month that he looks forward to each year, as it gives him a reason to put his uniform back on and wear it with pride while honoring fellow veterans.
Lachance is a United States Army veteran who has a deep love and respect for his time in the United States military. Bob and his wife of 64 years, Milly Lachance, moved to Gulf Coast Village in 2022.
Though he’s resided in Cape Coral for over 20 years, Southwest Florida hasn’t always been Bob’s home. The veteran was born in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and his family moved to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, shortly after, which is where he grew up and attended school.
For his entire life, Bob had looked forward to joining the military. So, when the time came for him to graduate high school and he could not afford to go to college, he did just that.
If there’s one thing that Bob truly does love, it’s the 25 years that he spent serving his country.
After joining the U.S. Army in 1953, Bob became a Morse code intercept operator during the aftermath of the Korean War. The war had begun while Bob was in high school, so just a few days after he had enlisted in the Army, the war had ended; this meant that Bob was not in combat, but he was still an active-duty soldier stationed in Korea to deal with the aftereffects of the three-year war. Bob was a sergeant in the Army Security Agency and served from 1953 to 1956. He was stationed in Korea for 18 months before returning to America.
After being honorably discharged from the regular Army, Bob enlisted in the Rhode Island Army National Guard, where he carried out the remainder of his military career. While in the National Guard, Bob served in the Cold War from 1956-1990 as a full-time technician. Though he was a technician, he was always prepared to step back into his role as an active-duty soldier if needed. In October 1985, Bob became a sergeant major, which is the highest achievable ranking for an enlisted man. He was also awarded the Rhode Island Star for his exceptional distinction and received recognition for his 25 years of service.
In the future, Bob would become a member of the Special Forces Association in Rhode Island, where he was also known as a “Green Beret.” In this role, he, alongside a team of other Special Forces members, were the soldiers that the general would call on for any special operations mission.
According to Bob, the military in him always remained, even after retirement. He still carries many of the lessons he learned from his time in the service with him, and to this day, he is still a member of the Special Forces Association in Rhode Island.
Bob was also a volunteer for over 20 years with Hope Hospice’s VALOR Program, where he presented flags and documents to veterans.
Aside from his admirable passion for his time in the military, he is also a grandfather to 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren — with another on the way , a husband of over six decades and a talented singer.
Bob is a former barbershop singer of over 20 years with the Cape Coral Barber Shop Singers, which shows how much he loves to sing. After moving from Rhode Island to Florida, Bob became a participant in the Intermezzo Choir in Fort Myers, which is the only choir in Southwest Florida specifically dedicated to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Though he is no longer a part of the Intermezzo Choir after relocating to Gulf Coast Village, he still carries out his passion for singing through Gulf Coast Village’s church service, where he gets to showcase his lifelong love for music each week to his fellow Gulf Coast Village residents and their families.
While living at Gulf Coast Village, Bob has made friends with fellow veterans through the Band of Brothers and Sisters; he goes to lunch with them every now and then, and he greets fellow veterans when they see each other around the community’s campus.
Bob also enjoys playing cornhole with his friends at Gulf Coast Village and attending the exercise classes that are offered for residents.
This year, Bob is looking forward to putting his uniform on this Nov. 11 to honor his fellow veterans and show pride for his country.
Ann Walsh is Regional Vice President of Operations Healthcare for Volunteers of America National Services.
To reach ANN?WALSH, please email news@breezenewspapers.com