Page 28 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2023 - Online Magazine
P. 28
Archie Hall
If It Is God’s Will”
”
by Vickie Walters
ahead of the family’s work on Vietnam War, where he was an
the farm. If anyone asked his aircraft mechanic on the F105
father about something he was Thunder Chief. Daily, they
considering, he would always prepared the planes for their
answer, “If it’s God’s will.” current and future missions.
Archie loved being in the military
Archie joined the military and especially his job as an
when he was 20 years old and aircraft mechanic.
a sophomore at Prairie View
A&M College. He saw an When the military closed Archie’s
advertisement in Look magazine unit in Okinawa, he selected the
that said, “Join the Aerospace Philippines next. That is where
Team.” He didn’t know what he met his wife, Claire. Archie
the aerospace team was, but it was on an 18-month tour, and
sounded interesting, so he put time was running out. At the end
his name on the ad and mailed it. of the tour, if you were single,
Two weeks later, a recruiter from you had to go back to the United
the Air Force found him and told States, but if married, the tour
rchie Hall was born on him he had to take a test. They was automatically extended
July 24, 1940, in Crockett, drove him to the testing site and two years. He wanted to stay
ATX. He was the fourth then back to his dorm. Archie with Claire, so they decided to
child of five children on a family not only passed the test, he made get married. They had a civil
farm and learned to work hard the highest score of all the boys ceremony on March 11, 1969,
at a very young age. They taking it. At that point, he had then on March 16, they were
grew everything on their small the option to pursue enlisting. He married at the chapel on the base.
farm, including cotton. All of wanted his parents’ permission, With the change in status from
their meals came from their and they reluctantly agreed single to married, he was able to
farm. One of his grandfathers because they realized it would be remain in the Philippines for two
had a gristmill, while the other a way for him to finish college. more years.
grandfather had a syrup mill. The first thing he did after When Archie returned to the
They even milked their own enlisting was make an allotment states, he resigned from the Air
cows and had chickens, turkeys, of his pay to his mother. Every Force and returned to college at
ducks, and guineas that provided time he received a pay increase, Prairie View A&M. He and Claire
eggs for the family. Everyone in he would put it into the allotment had two children while he was
the family worked from sunup to his family. That allotment back in college. Claire wanted
to sundown. The only time they helped both of his sisters earn him to go back into the Air Force,
were off was when it rained or their master’s degrees.
when the sun went down. Archie Archie was first sent to Lackland
liked to hunt, so he did his Air Force Base for basic training.
hunting mostly at night.
He was then sent to Misawa,
Archie grew up in a religious Japan. When the Air Force closed
family and one that believed in the base in Misawa, troops were
a good education. The whole given a choice to go back to the
family would leave the field in United States or go somewhere
time to go to all church activities. else in the Pacific. Archie chose
His parents always put church the Pacific and was stationed
activities and helping others in Okinawa, Japan during the
28 Lubbock Senior Link
