Veterans Day: USTA Iowa recognizes Hall of Famer Kevin Nebergall

Originally from Tipton, Iowa, Kevin Nebergall now calls Cedar Rapids home. After retiring from teaching, he plays tennis four to five times a week and still plays in a few USTA leagues throughout the year.

Nebergall was inducted into the USTA Iowa Hall of Fame in 1998 and entered the USTA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame in 2020.

More importantly, he served his country in the early 1970s in the U.S. Army.

“I was fortunate to spend my tour of duty in Germany rather than Vietnam,” he said. “During the Vietnam conflict, the military in general was viewed with disdain, largely due to the draft. To those who actually served, the perception of the military and its purpose is totally different from those who have never served.”

Nebergall said Veterans Day, which takes place on Nov. 11 in the United States, is a time to remember those who served. He was a chaplain assistant in the U.S. Army. In that role, he performed various duties for the chaplain, including typing, answering phones, driving and cleaning the chapel.

Since his retirement from teaching English at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Nebergall continues to volunteer with the USTA Iowa Hall of Fame Committee. He also coaches at local tennis outreach projects and stays active as an avid leagues participant.

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on Nov. 11, 1918. In 1938, through an act of Congress, Nov. 11 was made a legal holiday.