Toms River Veteran and Cousin, Both Dog Handlers, to Receive Honor for Service

A Toms River veteran and his cousin will be honored this weekend for their military service, 40 years apart.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Kyle Luthman of Bridgewater and Vietnam veteran Nels Luthman, who lives in Toms River, will be honored during the Stars’n’Stripes celebration this Sunday during the Somerset Patriots baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater.

The Luthmans are second cousins and members of an elite group within the military community, as both are expert military dog handlers, according to Operation Shoebox New Jersey, the sponsor of the 5:05 p.m. game.

All proceeds from the game will be donated to the organization, which collects and sends necessities to soldiers overseas. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling 908-698-0333.

Nels Luthman was drafted in 1971 after graduating college, went through Basic Training at Fort Dix and received six months of training as a dog handler and tracker at Fort Gordon, Ga. He then deploying to Vietnam, where he paired up with his dog Casey, and both served in the 48th Scout Dog unit out of Da Nang, according to Operation Shoebox.

The team parted company at the end of Nels’ deployment 1972. He headed home to Piscataway and Casey was returned to Lackland Air Force Base in Florida, where she served for another two years. Casey was one of only 204 military guard dogs that returned home safely from Vietnam, according to Operation Shoebox.

Staff Sergeant Kyle Luthman, who trained at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, has served in Europe, and has been deployed and served with Military Working Dogs in Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Oman, all in support of the global war on terrorism, according to Operation Shoebox.

Both Nels and Kyle Luthman have been honored for their military service, receiving numerous commendations.

Nels Luthman, who grew up and lived in Piscataway, is a retired teacher now living in Toms River. He and his wife Ginny have two children and two grandsons, according to Operation Shoebox.

A graduate of Bridgewater High School, Kyle Luthman is married to Brielle. The couple lives in Bridgewater with retired service dog Fara, who transitioned to civilian life in 2012, according to Operation Shoebox.

Both men are from military families, according to Operation Shoebox.

Nels’ father, Nels Sr. served aboard a U.S. destroyer escort in the South Pacific during World War II.

Kyle’s father Joseph served in the Navy; grandfather, Carl Luthman – who also served in the South Pacific aboard an amphibious attack ship - and grandmother, Catherine Luthman, both served in the Navy during WWII, the organization said.