Roger L. Yoder

Roger L. Yoder

Roger L. Yoder

Roger L. Yoder

Roger Yoder, of Jerome, Michigan, was born in Hillsdale, Michigan on November 28, 1959. He graduated from North Adams-Jerome High School in 1978 and completed real estate courses with Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1998. Roger joined the U.S. Navy at Detroit in April of 1978. Yoder completed basic training at RTC Great Lakes and Yeoman Class “A” School in Meridian, Mississippi in 1979. He served stateside in Florida, Illinois and Texas, with overseas duty in Iceland and Bahrain on the USS LaSalle (AGF-3), where he guarded the crew of the captured Iranian minelayer “RAKHSH”. Yoder served three diplomatic tours in Saudi Arabia for the Secretary of State, including U.S. Navy Section at the Royal Saudi Naval Headquarters in Riyadh, and as administrative officer for the U.S. Navy Detachments at King Abdul-Aziz Naval Base in Jubail and King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah. He qualified marksman with the .45 caliber pistol and earned the Navy Career Counselors Badge. YN1 Yoder transferred to the Naval Reserve on August 1, 1999 and retired on April 1, 2009. He was awarded a Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, two Joint Service Achievement Medals and four Navy Achievement Medals.


Roger was recognized as VT-22 “Sailor of the Year” in 1995 and 1997; 1997 Military Person of the Year; Kingsville, Texas, Chamber of Commerce “Ambassador of the Year”; Texas Governor George W. Bush certificate for 1,000 hours of community service; 2005 “Keith Walworth Humanitarian Award” and 2006 Hillsdale County “Veteran of the Year”. Yoder was host of the “Veterans Affairs Update” radio program, founder of the Hillsdale County veterans Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Michigan Military and Veterans Hall of Honor in 2018. His memberships have included the Fleet Reserve Association, Leighr A. Wright American Legion Post 53 of Hillsdale and the Hillsdale Assembly of God Church. Roger coached college basketball 1981-1986, 1983 BPAA U.S. Open pro-am first runner-up, Professional Bowlers Association member 1984-1996, 1987 All-Navy in bowling and NAS Kingsville, Texas, base tennis champion in 1996 and 1998. Yoder has coordinated Mid-Michigan events to honor veterans for Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Patriot Day and Veterans Day.