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Ralph Langley Sarge “Baby Face”
Langley
by Ted Wilson
Ralph playing Taps
Ralph and Janice
injured. Perhaps that experience Palmer at Scoggin-Dickey, who
etired Sergeant First Class, helped propel Ralph into service encouraged him to join the Texas
Ralph Langley, is a veteran for his community, state, and National Guard. At the same
Rwho has served our nation country. time, he worked with his dad in
and state in three different armed the construction business. After a
services for nearly three decades. After graduation, Ralph enlisted couple of years, Ralph realized it
And alongside his service, he in the Navy in 1973, with a friend wasn’t a good fit, so he followed
has experienced some interesting who wanted to join; their basic other endeavors while in the
sidelines. training was at San Diego. It was Guard.
in the Navy where Ralph learned
Ralph was born in Lockney, to cook. After that two-year Ralph had three children in his
Texas to Ralph and Pat Langley enlistment was up, Ralph joined first marriage. Son Sean was
and lived there until he was the Army. killed in a car wreck in 2011. In
eight. The family moved to 1993, Ralph married Janice at the
Plainview, then to Lubbock, He began as an 11B, training in Grand Ole Opry in Nashville;
where Ralph graduated from weaponry, but when the Army they had one son. Janice worked
Monterey High School. His found out Ralph could cook, as a counselor at the Wheeler
dad served in the artillery in he was sent to cooking school. Unit in Plainview while it was a
the Army in 1953 in Pittsburgh, “The cooks had over a thousand drug and alcohol rehabilitation
Pennsylvania. After enlistment, recipe cards,” and he cooked facility. Between them, they have
the older Ralph worked in for many high-ranking officers. eleven grandchildren and two
construction for Tusha Buildings. Apparently, the food was good great grandchildren.
They built the Plainview Country because his own children would
Club and Lubbock’s Trinity often ask, “Dad, bring home an An interesting sidenote to
Church, among other projects. MRE (meal ready to eat).” Ralph’s story began while he
was on the wrestling team at
May 11, 1970, is an infamous Ralph served in the Army for Lubbock High School. Through
date for Lubbock residents. three years. In 1975, he married. one of his dad’s construction
When three tornados converged Unfortunately, his wife didn’t jobs, Ralph met some famous
and devastated a large area like military life, and the pro wrestlers of the 60s and 70s:
of the city, Ralph’s mother, a marriage dissolved. After he Dory and Terry Funk, Rapid
nurse, enlisted her son, Ralph, a served his three-year enlistment Ricky Romero, and the Von
Boy Scout, to help bandage the in the Army, Ralph bought a Erichs. He was shown some of
vehicle from Captain Kenny
102 Lubbock Senior Link
