Page 58 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2022 - Online Magazine

Sam Wall Vietnam Combat Veteran and
y friend, Sherri
Rodriguez, introduced
Mme to Slatonite Sam
Wall. “This guy is a Vietnam
veteran, and he has many
interesting stories. You must meet
him.” When I did, I was able to
hear a few of those entertaining
anecdotes straight from the
source.
Sam Wall’s family moved to
a farm near Hale Center in
midwinter. He was a seven-year-
old new kid in a small country
school. He had trouble fitting in
and making new friends. Happily,
a classmate named Betty Sue
befriended him. Life got a lot
better. Towards the end of school,
his dad came home and said, “I
just met our neighbors on the
farm down the road. They have
a pretty little girl about your age.
Do you know her?” Sam thought,
“Tomorrow’s my eighth birthday.
I am going to walk down to her
58 Lubbock Senior Link
Storyteller Extraordinaire
by Ron Cox
with grenades strapped to
their bodies. They intend to
kill you.”
Nine men moved out at
dusk. As they approached a
tree line, a boy ran at them.
They could see grenades
strapped to his body.
place and give her a kiss. That Someone shouted to Sam,
will be my birthday present to “Shoot that @%&x!” He knew he
me.” could not kill a boy. Sam dashed
out, tackled the boy, and held him
The next day, Sam walked to down. Soon, it was dark. Very
Betty Sue’s place. Betty Sue and slowly, Sam began removing the
her 11-year-old sister, Virginia grenades. It was very frightening,
Ann, were playing in their and Sam was crying. After Sam
front yard; Sam announced his had removed eight grenades,
intentions to kiss Betty Sue. he thought, “If I am killed, will
Virginia Ann glared and said, my coach and friends come to
“Our daddy said that he will my funeral? Will Betty Sue and
whoop any boy that messes Virginia Ann come?” Sam found
with us.” Sam replied, “Well, I three more grenades. He pinned
think I will kiss you instead.” the boy down all night. He
Now Virginia Ann was taller than released the boy in the morning.
Sam. The next thing Sam saw was “The boy smiled as he ran away.”
Virginia Ann’s fist slamming into At mail call the next day, the
his face, and she was viciously sergeant handed Sam a perfumed
kicking his bare shins. Deeply letter. It was from his mom. She
humiliated, Sam walked back wrote, “I ran into Betty Sue the
home. The black eye put a damper
on his eighth birthday. other day. She asked me to send
you this photo of her.”
The years passed. It was 1971. On another occasion, Sam was in
By then, Sam was a combat a firefight with North Vietnamese
infantryman. He arrived at soldiers. He was about to toss a
Firebase Charley 2 in Vietnam in grenade when another soldier
May. The base was located a few yelled, “Sam, don’t throw that
miles below the Demilitarized grenade. You are left-handed, and
Zone and the North Vietnamese you throw like a girl!” Sam threw
border. The assignment was it anyway. It bounced off a tree,
to stop North Vietnamese flew back towards the soldiers,
troops from moving across the and exploded in front of the men.
border into South Vietnam. Luckily, no one was hurt.
One afternoon in August, their
lieutenant said, “I am sending When Sam returned to Texas. He
your squad out on patrol at dusk. went on a date with Virginia Ann.
It will be very dangerous. The When he took her home, she kissed
enemy sends out teenage boys