Page 48 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine
P. 48
Boyce Bryan Agriculture, the Army
and Auditory Ability
by Gayle Willson
of his duties on the border four years. June and Boyce
between North and South have two daughters, three
Korea, in Panmunjom, was granddaughters and two
to guard the Quonset huts great-grandchildren. Sadly,
where negotiations were June passed away in 2015 after
taking place. He would go more than 60 years together.
in one direction and meeting Since then, Mr. Bryan was
him would be the guards from honored to participate in the
North Korea and China. That Texas South Plains Honor
was the first time he’d seen Flight.
military uniforms that were
quilted; he was that close. Mr. Bryan suffers from a
A photo in the July 1, 2019 profound hearing loss from
Avalanche Journal showed noise exposure. Both his
President Donald Trump military service and his
shaking hands with Kim Jong lifelong occupation of farming
Un in the exact location Mr. contributed to the damage,
Bryan guarded in 1954. causing him to wear two
hearing aids. He does say
One of the highlights of that, at night, it is very easy to
his tour was when Debbie fall asleep when the devices
Reynolds came to perform for come off because it gets
the troops. PFC Bryan was very, very quiet in his world.
assigned to her safety. He led Noise-induced hearing loss
the procession to Seoul for occurs when the nerve cells
her entourage. in the cochlea
s we introduce PFC He has a photo are permanently
Boyce Bryan, you will taken with her, damaged by
Afind a new friend and although he was being over-
a gentleman eager to warm not able to attend exposed to
your heart, as he did ours. her performance. sounds louder
Mr. Bryan was born in 1933 than 85 decibels
and raised in Ralls, Texas. He He returned over a period
grew up farming and planned home from of time. “Some
to become an agronomist Korea in 1955 1 billion people
and a Red Raider. He met a to his bride worldwide
beautiful “ticket taker”, June and began his are at risk for
Morton from Ranger, Texas, education at hearing loss due
at the movies and married her Texas Tech to exposure to
in August 1953. Boyce was where he studied loud sounds.”
farming, June was teaching agronomy, A normal
in Ralls and, two months eventually getting his Master’s conversation takes place
later in November, Boyce was of Science in Agriculture. He at about 60 dB. This is not
drafted. He was shipped to is thankful for the fellowship damaging, but a motorcycle
the 8 Army Compound as a from TTU, his job at the soils can reach 100 dB and a power
th
Private First Class in Seoul, lab, June’s teaching salary, saw 110 dB. Teens listening
Korea, where he trained to be and the GI Bill that got to an iPod with ear buds
an MP (Military Police). One him through Texas Tech in expose their hearing nerve
48 Lubbock Senior Link
