Page 103 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2024 - Online Magazine
P. 103
naVY
arMY
teXaS nationaL GUarD
Legion Post 141--Lockney. Janice is a member of
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 260 in Plainview.
She has served as secretary-treasurer in the local unit
and District President for the State of Texas. Ralph
often plays Taps at Veteran graveside services, and the
couple secures programs for veterans in nursing homes
and elsewhere. Ralph also has helped many veterans
discover what their benefits are.
Navy Class
Additionally, the couple has worked diligently for
many years to send students to Texas Boys State in
their moves, but when he Austin and Texas Bluebonnet Girls State in Seguin.
used one of those moves at a Ralph is a master fund raiser for those programs and
high school wrestling match, others that benefit youth and veterans. He is a faithful
he was disqualified from member of Plainview Methodist Church.
high school wrestling. (He
took down a referee with the Our thanks to Sgt. Ralph Langley and Janice for their
“illegal” move.) Ralph became long years of service to God, our country, their family,
a pro wrestler while still in and the community. We need more wrestlers like
Ralph with his dad
and son school, 1969-1974. One of his Ralph.
ring names was “Baby Face,”
but he must have been formidable because a lady once
beat him with a cane because she thought Ralph was
hurting her guy.
Ralph served 24 more years in the Texas National
Guard, becoming the NCOIC (Non-Com Officer
in Charge) of the Plainview unit. He was initially
stationed at Camp Mabry in Austin. He excelled at
his job, and remembers one general saying, “As long
as we have you, the troops will be well fed.” During
summer training at Ft. Hood, Ralph used his influence Proud to Support
and ingenuity to make homemade ice cream for the
troops. He added, “I always treated the privates and
the generals the same.” Our Veterans
While in the National Guard, he supported his family
as a rural mail carrier in Plainview for 26 years and
operated a used car dealership, County Line Autos. LIFE | HEALTH | IRA’S
Ralph strove to be honest in all dealings, and Janice SUPPLEMENT AND ADVANTAGE PLANS
helped by keeping the books for the business. (MAPD)
As NCOIC, Sergeant First Class Langley was proactive.
For example, he would walk alongside armored
personnel carriers (tanks) in local parades to keep Office (806) 797-8481
children out of harm’s way. Twice, he took employers Mobile (806) 535-9828
to Ft. Hood to observe the summer training their Fax (806) 791-4474
employees were receiving.
In recent years, Ralph and Janice have both remained bigjakeins42@gmail.com | bigjakeinsurance.com
active in veteran affairs. Ralph belongs to American
3807 24th Street Lubbock, Texas 79410
Lubbock Senior Link 103