Larry H. Bingeman

Larry H. Bingeman “reached for the wings” on Tuesday, March 25, at the Lebanon VA Hospice where he had served as a loyal volunteer and was appropriately feted during his last days.

Larry was the youngest son of Ralph and Ella Mae Bingeman, born in Lancaster County, PA, on July 5, 1939. Independence Day was always an important holiday for him, and he made a life upholding values of honor, personal responsibility and national pride.

Larry grew up working at his parents’ mercantile, hunting, and fishing, and graduated from Ephrata High School in 1957. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps and embarked on what would become a highly decorated 30-year military career with service in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the Cuban Missile Crisis; two tours in Vietnam (Combat Meritoriously promoted to Staff Sergeant); head of Security Detachment at the American Embassy in Rome, Italy; promotion to 1st Sergeant in Okinawa, Japan; promotion to Sergeant Major at Camp Pendleton, CA, and multiple stateside posts. During his service at Camp Pendleton, CA, he raised his son, Allan, and met his wife, Gale. With the deployment to Saudi Arabia in support of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Larry assumed duty as Sergeant Major, 1st Force Service Support Group; at the time, the organization was 12,000 strong.

Retiring from military service in 1992, Larry counted dozens of awards for his valor and achievements, including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Purple Heart, Navy Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars, and Humanitarian Service Medal, among others.

He returned to Elizabethtown, PA, with Gale the following year, and served as a Master Mason, Eastern Star member, and Red Rose Honor Guard volunteer. Larry and Gale made a welcoming home on Turnpike Road, tending a backyard Shangri-la filled with flowers and fountains, and entertaining friends and backyard critters alike. His happiest times included time with his wife, sharing a Coors Light with his son, and holding hands with family around the holiday table, praying for the safety of the US Military. In 2024, Larry moved with Gale to be among friends at Masonic Village.

Larry is survived by his wife, Gale; his son and daughter-in-law, Allan and Sonia Bingeman; his stepdaughter and stepdaughter-in-law, Stacy Govi and Elizabeth Burnett; his grandchild, Brooke Bingeman; and his sister, Myrleen Klein.

Relatives and friends are invited to join the family for a viewing at Sell Chapel located at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown on Thursday, April 3, 10:00-11:00am, with Military Honors, Eastern Star and Masonic Servies to follow at 11:00am. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Lebanon VA Hospice.