Published: August 26, 2008 11:55 pm            

ERIC KNOPSNYDER | Kaltenbaugh was a hero for all the right reasons

Gary Kaltenbaugh was a hero of mine long before he received two Bronze Stars for his actions in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

And Kaltenbaugh, who died Monday at age 43 of an apparent heart attack, was a giant figure to me even before he won a PIAA championship while wrestling for North Star High School.

Those are grandiose accomplishments, to be sure, but it was a small act of kindness that made a memory of a lifetime for me.

Coming from a wrestling family, I knew the Kaltenbaugh name and had seen him wrestle a few times, but as a 7-year-old, I never had any reason to interact with him.

That all changed in March of 1983. I was in Windber to watch my brother compete in the District 5 tournament.

Being small for my age, I had more than a little trouble trying to get a drink from the water fountain located right outside the gym.

I was standing on my tip-toes, straining in vain to quench my thirst when, out of nowhere, a pair of giant arms scooped me up and held me aloft, allowing me to reach the cool water.

When I turned around, I realized that it was Kaltenbaugh who had been my benefactor.

I wish I could say that I thanked him profusely or that he had a kind word for me.

That might have happened, but I don’t remember any dialogue. I only know that, in that moment, he became my second-favorite wrestler, trailing only my older brother, Larry, in popularity.

That weekend Kaltenbaugh went on to win the district title. He followed it up with a regional title and capped off his career by winning the 185-pound crown in Hershey, beating Dean Jacks of Clarion 7-3 for the Class AA gold medal.

Kaltenbaugh didn’t know it, but there was a young fan from Berlin Brothersvalley following his every move. He probably also didn’t know that he gave hope to wrestlers throughout Somerset County by becoming the area’s first state champion in 37 years.

He proved that state champ-ions could come from our area – and they did, with five PIAA gold medals going to the county in the next 18 years.

Denny Leyman, who coached Kaltenbaugh to the championship, said my story was emblematic of Kaltenbaugh and his willingness to lend a hand.

“He was the type of guy that loved life and liked to make people laugh,” Leyman said. “I don’t know anyone that knew him that didn’t like him.”

After high school, Kaltenbaugh played football and wrestled at Shippensburg before serving as a combat medic during the first Iraq war. His duties there earned him two Bronze Stars.

He also remained active in the wrestling community, volunteering as a coach for North Star’s junior high program.

“Iknow all of the kids are going to miss him. He was very respected in the wrestling room,”said Patsy Codispoti, North Star’s head junior high coach. “He always kept it light and upbeat, but taught the kids to be very physical on the mat.”

Like most of us, Kaltenbaugh had his ups and downs throughout life, but his state championship guarantees a spot in local lore.

“It’s forever on our wall in our wrestling room,” Leyman said. “And it’s forever in the books at Hershey.”

That is certainly true, and the recognition is well-deserved, but Kaltenbaugh also proved that sometimes a generous deed can create a lasting legacy.

I ran into Kaltenbaugh, who was working as an ophthalmic surgical technician, about 15 years after he graduated from high school and relayed my story to him. Not surprisingly, he didn’t remember any of it.

That’s fine. For me, that act of kindness was as impressive as any of the medals that he received.



Eric Knopsnyder is the sports editor of The Tribune-Democrat.

        

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