By Sara Beth Williams–
For local business owner and Vietnam veteran Kermit Schayltz, service to his country and service to his community go hand in hand.
Schayltz served in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970, completing two one-year tours in Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division. After combat training stateside, he spent eight months in combat before being assigned to support units for infantry operations.
“Where I was raised, it was something that you did,” Schayltz said when asked what led to joining the military. “It was a sense of patriotism. I saw the Army as a way to better myself, get an education, and be afforded some respect.”
But returning home from Vietnam wasn’t easy. Like many Vietnam vets, Schayltz recalled that the opposition to the war was so great, many vets were looked down upon, instead of celebrated, once they returned.
“You were looked at as not very smart, even accused of war crimes. There was no respect for what you had done.” For many years, Schayltz said he “filed” that experience away and didn’t talk about it.
Schayltz briefly attended college after returning from service, but he found the post-war atmosphere challenging. “The difference between myself and students who had gone to college instead of Vietnam was miles apart,” adding that the professors weren’t the type of people I he wanted to be around either, so he chose to pursue construction work instead.
That career path ultimately led him to Citrus Heights where he has resided for over 40 years. Later, in the 1990’s, after a good deed and a chance opportunity he couldn’t refuse, Schayltz became a business owner.
“There was a small club called the Lucky Derby at Greenback and San Juan. I used to play poker there,” he recalled. “One night, the owner had a heart attack, and I resuscitated him. Later, he approached me about buying the business since his health was declining. He gave me very favorable terms, and I took over.”
What began as a small poker room has now grown into a major local employer. “We started with one poker table and grew into a hall with over 30 card tables,” Schayltz said, adding that his business employees over 700 people, all earning a living wage.
Schayltz says one of the things he’s most proud of is the team he’s built through his business. “Most of our employees are women who can now afford childcare, vehicles, and homes,” he said. “I want to give back to the community in the same way it’s given to me.”
Stones Gambling Hall, which is co-owned, has been involved in multiple community service ventures. During a 10-year anniversary celebration in 2024, the owners of the hall donated $5,000 to five different nonprofits.
In 2018, Stones participated in “The Big 24-hour Giveback” where gaming halls donated $100 to charities for every person that walked through the door. According to a March 2018 press release, Stones donated $75,000 in total.
In 2020, Stones donated hundreds of meals from its restaurant to Saint John’s Program for Real Change, which offers shelter services to women and children. The gambling hall also donated $2,500 to the Sacramento Children’s Home, which went toward purchasing 18 bikes for the residents of the home.
Schayltz credits his military service with instilling in him resilience and determination. “In the military, you learn what hard conditions can be” he said. “If you can survive war, you can survive anything the business world throws at you. There’s always a way to overcome difficult conditions.”
Over the years, Schayltz has been deeply involved in bringing awareness to Vietnam veterans. He helped to bring the Wall that Heals to Citrus Heights, a mobile Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall replica and education hub, and is now helping lead the effort to establish a permanent Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Citrus Heights.
“The people on the board of the 501(c)(3) are amazing and hardworking. It’s not about me; it’s about all of them. Without them, there’s no way I could accomplish this,” Schayltz said, adding that he’s passionate about the project because 34 names of servicemen he fought alongside are listed on the wall.
When asked what message he would share with younger generations about service and civic duty, Schayltz’s answer was simple but profound:
“The cost of freedom isn’t free. For those of us who have protected those freedoms, the taste is much different.”
