Page 27 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2025 - Online Magazine

marine COrps | lrH—vietnam, dn—Okinawa

Wes Fox, make a speech in which he related how Lee Roy’s
heroism was a critical factor in the Feb. 22, 1969, victory
over the enemy. Fox specifically referred to “a stout young
man from West Texas named Lee Herron.” I was stunned
upon hearing the news. That night I woke up suddenly
around 3:00 AM—feeling as though God was giving me a
personal mission to preserve Herron’s memory and legacy.

From that night in 1997 to the present day—as Paul Harvey
used to say, is “the rest of the story.” On March 3, 2001,
a formal ceremony was held at Texas Tech University to
Lee Roy is in right foreground attending a church
service in Vietnam honor Lee Roy and present an endowed scholarship in his
name to Tech’s Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam
officer’s place and under a cover of mist and heavy clouds, Archive. Since then, I have written dozens of articles,
Lee Roy destroyed an enemy machine gun bunker by opinion pieces, letters to the editor, and even co-authored
accurately throwing hand grenades a long distance. As he a book about Herron’s heroism and lasting influence on
attempted to destroy a remaining bunker, the cloud cover those who met him. He truly was a stalwart man of God
suddenly lifted, and Lee Roy was gunned down. For his and heroic warrior. I am honored to have shared West Texas
heroism and actions, 1 Lt. Lee Roy Herron received the roots with Lee Roy Herron, to have shared Junior High and
st
prestigious Navy Cross posthumously. I was devastated High School memories, to have shared the camaraderie of
when I heard that he had died. All I knew was that he had the USMC, and to have called him my friend.
replaced a wounded officer; it seemed so futile.

Ironically, the same month that Lee Roy was killed, I was
working on the roof of a three-story apartment building to
earn extra money. It was a cold, misty day, and I slipped
and fell to the ground. I was knocked unconscious,
breaking three ribs and splitting open my chin. (I have
been told that a fall like I had would have killed most
people.)

I went on active duty in January 1971, and two years later,
on December 7, 1972, I arrived at Lee’s old outfit, the Third
Marine Division, relocated to its home base in Okinawa. A
year later, again on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Dec.
7, 1973, I was officially discharged.
The year I spent on the island of Okinawa was my most
memorable in the Marine Corps. Within two weeks of my
arrival, President Nixon ordered the so-called “Christmas
bombings” of North Vietnam, and the war ended for U.S.
troops in late January. For my year of service on the island
as a Marine Judge Advocate (JAG), I received my best
fitness report and a Letter of Recognition of Outstanding
Performance of Duty.

Years later, on August 2, 1997, I heard Lee Roy’s company
commander and Medal of Honor recipient, retired Colonel

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