A friendship between generations in Hastings

HASTINGS, Minn. — When Korean War veteran Loren Mollet began his winter walks last year in the Hastings High School gymnasium, the last thing he expected was to strike up a close friendship with a group of students from Jeff Corkish's gym class.

“I walked by a group of boys and I said, ‘Hi, how are you doing?’” he said. “And they said fine. I walked around again and the next time I came around they thanked me for my service. I had a cap on that said Korea on it. They’d hold out their hands, shake my hand and thank me for my service.”

Loren’s reputation among the boys spread quickly throughout the entire class and soon they all were thanking him for his service.

“The one morning I came to walk, they were in a group on the main floor and they all looked up at me when I got around and said, ‘Good morning Loren,’ in unison,” he said. “All of them. Thirty of them.”

At first he thought the boys were messing with him, but after speaking with Corkish it became clear that the boys were doing it of their own accord.

When warm weather came around, he didn’t tell them he was leaving. However, this winter he came back again to do his winter walking and was immediately recognized by one of the students waiting outside the locker room.

“One of the boys said, ‘Hey Loren, where have you been? We’ve got a card for you. It’s a year old now,’” Mollet said. “He backed up a little bit and stepped in the locker room and hollered real loud, ‘Loren’s here! Loren’s here!’ Then all the boys came out and shook my hand again and we were all back in the same program.”

Mollet told Hastings High School Principal Mike Johnson about what great kids he had in his school, and in turn Johnson planned a donuts and coffee get-together Tuesday, Dec. 10 to thank the boys and let them ask Mollet questions. A few members of the local American Legion, along with some of Mollet’s family attended the event as well.

“When you thank me, you’re thanking all the other members,” Mollet told the class, while gesturing to the Legion members sitting behind him.

Recently, students took pieces of printer paper and tore them in half to write personal messages to Mollet, a couple of which he shared with the group. One of the students wrote that they wished Mollet was their grandpa.

“If you need a grandpa, you got one,” he said.

Another paper said that Mollet was their hero.

“I took these home and I don’t usually cry much, but I shed a few tears when I read these,” he said. “The nice things you people said to me and about me. I was telling a few of these people here that I wonder if these kids really know when they thank me for my service if they know what they’re thanking me for, and after reading these, you do. You know what’s going on.”

Johnson asked the students present why they are thanking people in the building for their service.

“I feel like we pointed out Loren in particular because he said hi to us one day,” said Nathan LaCroix. “We said hi back and thank you for your service. We figured he’s a really nice guy and he’s done a lot. We need to get this guy a card or something.”

American Legion Third District Commander Linda Dvorak thought it was amazing to see a group of students honoring a veteran the way they have.

“I think that this is so awesome that we have this generation honoring this generation because you just don’t see that anymore,” Dvorak said. “I want to commend you guys for doing what you’re doing. Thank you so much.”

Mollet’s daughter, Lori Mulhern, thanked the boys too.

“He is a very proud veteran. When people come up to him, strangers, and acknowledge his military experience, it is very meaningful to him,” she said. “To hear him speak of you young men of Hastings has been just wonderful."

“Your kindness, your respect for him is just immeasurable, and he appreciates your friendship and your connections everyday,” Mulhern added. “It makes him happy and he’s just so proud. So thank you. It speaks volumes of your character.”