Page 68 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine
P. 68
Edwin “Venoy” Allen Doing the Thing in
Front of Him
by Sarah Casey (granddaughter)
“Army or Marines?”. With had to get out in it.” Despite
the cavalier attitude that he the change of climate, he made
still carries today, Venoy several good friends during his
responded “Well, Army, sir, service, specifically recalling a
but you’re probably going to
Edwin “Venoy” Allen was raised just stamp me for the Marines.” man named Quanah Brown of
Amarillo. He and Quanah wrote
in Walters, Oklahoma, the second each other regularly after they
oldest of a family of seven and The officer looked up at Venoy, left basic training, but all of a
waved his stamp over the
son to farmers. His world was sudden, the letters quit coming
small and quaint. He remembers Marine card, smiled, and then and he is still unsure of his
marked “Army”. The fate of my
listening to the radio when friend’s fate to this day.
Americans were attacked at Pearl grandad’s conscription to the
Harbor but, as a 14-year-old, Army is significant to our family Venoy served in the Army until
knew it was not yet his turn. My because we recognize today that 1954. When his tour of duty
grandad was raised to be resilient the war in Korea was costly and was over, he decided to move to
and proud, traits that you learn even more so for those in the Levelland, Texas to work in the
as a child of both the Depression Marine Corps. oil fields. Venoy had always been
Era and the Dust Bowl. So, when After his induction at Fort Sill in the leader of his family so, upon
his time did come up for the Oklahoma, he was went to basic his move, they followed him from
draft, he reported for duty. at Ford Ord in California, and Oklahoma to the plains of Texas.
The Korean War started in 1950, ultimately was stationed at Fort He met his wife, Mary Denham,
in a café on 4th Street where she
Richardson in Alaska where he
and in 1952 my grandad stood waited on him. He asked her on
in line to determine whether he served as a supply sergeant for a date, and he took her to see the
two years. Alaska was a whole
would be drafted to the Army sport that she loved, wrestling.
or the Marines. He noticed that, new world for my grandad Mary also worked in a café across
who recounts the freezing cold
for the many men in line ahead from Lubbock High School,
of him, when the enlistment winters which were far different where Venoy would frequently
from what he had experienced
officer asked for their branch go to visit his younger brother.
preference, and they stated growing up in Oklahoma. “We Mary always paid for his little
learned how to snowshoe, and I
“Army”, the officer would stamp brother’s food and had an eye
them for “Marines”. When Venoy remember that the summers were for Venoy, the quiet one. They
really nice. The biggest problem
reached the front of the line fell in love and got married on
he received the same question, with winter there was that you
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