It’s a long ways from trying out how to convert a fourth-and-two, that’s for sure...

A former Nebraska high school educator and coach, Bud D. Pettigrew was recently among 11 commissioners who received a Presidential appointment by President Joe Biden to the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Pettigrew joins a commission which is led by retired Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, a 37-year Army veteran, who will serve as its next Secretary. The commission’s first chairman was Gen. of the Armies John J. Pershing, who, speaking of fallen military members, saw the commission’s commitment was to ensure that ‘time will not dim the glory of their deeds.

“This is a very high honor and something that I am very excited to receive,” says Pettigrew, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1982-1983, before being medically discharged as a result of a broken neck. “My first opportunity to serve my country was cut short in the military. This is my very special second chance, and I am grateful for it.”

After a 20-year career in education Pettigrew turned to politics and has served as Nebraska’s Chair of Chairs, overseeing the state’s 93 county Democratic party chairmen, since 2009; he is the only Chair of Chairs to be re-elected to the position. He also served as a project manager at the Minnechaduza Foundation in Valentine, Nebraska from 2010-2020. The Foundation develops and supports scientific, clinical, and community initiatives that support improved health of Great Plains dwellers, while promoting and preserving their unique cultural and historical values.

While serving the state’s Democratic Party Pettigrew has been three times named winner of the Morrison-Exon Award, was a 2012 national delegate for President Obama, and a 2020 Nebraska national delegate and whip for President Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.

Through his high level work with the state’s Democratic party Pettigrew worked with former Nebraska governor and senator Bob Kerrey, and it was Kerrey along with Major Ron Pierce and retired three-star admiral Michael Franken who “we my biggest supporters,” in the effort to get Pettigrew named to the ABMC Commission.

“I was one of the founding fathers of the Biden presidential campaign, you might say,” says Pettigrew, who was initially contacted about the position on Valentine’s Day 2019 (“easy to remember, since I live in Valentine,” he adds) and joined the campaign full-time around Christmas of that year.

With President Biden’s election Sen. Kerrey went to bat for Pettigrew, asking him to review the available nominated positions within the administration, saying Pettigrew deserved consideration given all his work on behalf of the campaign and the Party.

“Being a History teacher I was naturally drawn to the ABMC, and the idea of overseas travel also appealed to me. It was a chance to serve my country and I was very glad and proud to be considered,” says Pettigrew.

After a series of emails and interviews Pettigrew was confirmed as a nominee on August 29 - and told to keep it secret until the proper protocols for public release were followed.

The ABMC has an annual budget of $89 million and Pettigrew and members of the commission will hold about seven meetings in-person meetings at Washington D.C. each calendar, along with several video conference calls.

* In another lifetime Pettigrew was a teacher and coach at Stuart, Chester-Hubbell-Byron, Sioux County and Pawnee City, helping the latter to the 2005 Class D girls state track championship. He was head football coach at C-H-B, Sioux County and Pawnee City.

“I loved my time as a teacher and coach and sometimes miss the competition and the athletes who I had the chance to coach,” he adds.

Pettigrew holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Social Science Education from Hastings College, Hastings, Nebraska, and did graduate work in History at Wayne State College in Nebraska. He and his wife Angela have two sons, Arthur and Evan.

“My uncle Jack, who was D-Day veteran, taught me so much about service to our country and even though he passed when I was 10, I am hoping is seeing what I have accomplished and approves.”