Every Veteran Has a Story: Larry Wayne Durham

March 21, 2023 - Larry Wayne was born on Thursday, April 4th, 1946, just seven months following the end of World War II, to Doris Olean Oates and Phillip Raymond Durham. His birthplace was Shelby County which is located in far east Texas, just a few miles from the Louisiana state line. There he and his younger sister Sue grew up on Pine Ridge Road, just off Highway 84 and near Joaquin, Texas, where their father farmed.

Larry attended Tenaha High School in Shelby County and graduated with the class of 1964, receiving his diploma on May 18th. At that time the Vietnam War was heating up with American involvement dating back to November 1955. Although the first draft lottery to be held since 1942 was five years away, Larry answered the call to duty as his father Phillip had during World War II, where he was the recipient of two Purple Hearts. Larry decided to join the United States Marine Corps and on December 3rd, 1964 at the age of 18, he took the oath of a four-year enlistment in Houston, Texas where he resided at 223 Hohldale Street. He was then given the rank of Private (E-1), assigned service # 2113914, and sent to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, commonly known as MCRD, located in San Diego, California. Along with fifty-two other recruits, he then began thirteen weeks of basic training (boot camp) with Platoon 3009.


Basic Training, 1964. 18 year old Larry Durham (arrow)

Following basic, Private Durham trained for three months at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was awarded the Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) of 1371, Marine Corps Combat Engineer. Combat Engineers built, repaired, and maintained buildings, roads, and power supplies within the Marine Corps, frequently while under fire or in dangerous combat environments. Their jobs are among the most important in the Marines, and they’re often on the front line of any offensive action against enemy troops.

With a little over five months of service under his belt, Larry boarded the Navy attack transport, USS George Clymer (APA-27) on May 23rd, 1965 in San Diego, California. The Clymer, serving in its fourth war departed the following day and arrived at the White Beach, Okinawa Naval Base on June 18th. Six days later he and his fellow Marines boarded the dedicated helicopter carrier, USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) and, disembarked at Qui Nhon, Republic of Vietnam (RVN) on July 1st, where they participated in the defense of the US Military Complex there and received their first combat experience. On July 5th, they reboarded the USS Iwo Jima and traveled to Van Tuong, RVN, arriving on August 18th, with ports of call at the British Colony of Hong Kong and Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. Disembarking Larry participated in Operation Star Light”, also known as the “Battle of Van Tuong”, which was the first major offensive action conducted by a purely US military unit [US Third, Fourth, Seventh, and Twelfth Marine Divisions] during the Vietnam War. When the operation ended on August 24th, forty-two Marines had been killed in action along with 614 Viet Cong.

Reboarding the USS Iwo Jima, Larry’s unit traveled to Chu Lai, RVN, and disembarked on August 31st, 1965 after a port of call at Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. On September 7th, “Operation Piranha” began on the Batangan Peninsula after Marine intelligence concluded that the First Viet Cong Regiment had withdrawn there. The Marines discovered a VC field hospital in a large cave near the Peninsula and came under fire from VC in the cave. After attempts to convince the VC to surrender failed, Marine engineers then placed explosives in the cave killing 66 of the enemy. This operation ended on September 10th, and the US claimed that 178 VC had been killed and 360 VC and suspected VC had been captured with allied losses as two Marines and five South Vietnamese soldiers.

Two months passed before Private Durham as a member of the Seventh Marines entered combat again during “Operation Black Ferret”, a search and destroy operation ten miles south of Chu Lai that lasted from November 3rd to November 5th, 1965. This operation cost the life of one US Marine and the wounding of thirteen others. During this operation a well-known combat photographer, Dickey Chappelle died from a shrapnel wound caused by a VC booby-trap while on patrol with a Marine platoon. She became the first female war correspondent to be killed in Vietnam as well as the first American female reporter to be killed in action.

Besides search and destroy operations, Larry and his comrades also participated in humanitarian relief operations for locals such as the one that took place in the Trach Tru Village Complex in Duc Pho, Mo Duc District, Quang Ngai, Province, November 21st to 24th, 1965.

As the Christmas season of 1965 approached, the next search and destroy mission called “Operation Harvest Moon” began on December 8th and lasted until December 20th. This was a Marine Corps and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) undertaking that Larry and his unit were involved in from December 9th to the 18th. When It concluded, 45 Marines were KIA along with 90 ARVN and 407 Vietcong.

Operation Mallard began the new year on January 10th, 1966 in the An Hoa region that lies 20 miles south of Da Nang in a fertile plain that hosted Vietnam’s only coal mine. Despite best efforts to develop it into an industrialized area a local Viet Cong unit, the R-20 Battalion made this extremely difficult. Larry participated in Operation Mallard which sent two USMC-reinforced infantry battalions on a sweep of the area when it was learned that the Fifth Viet Cong Main Force Battalion had reinforced the R-20. The operation ended on January 17th, with the death of one Marine and the wounding of seven others along with minor damage to the Da Nang Air Base.

Larry’s Combat History record then noted that from March 5th, 1966 to June 12th, 1966, he participated in unspecified counter-insurgency operations against the communist (Viet Cong) in the Republic of Vietnam.

Now a “short timer” as his tour of duty approached the one-year mark, Lance Corporal Durham, boarded the US Army Transport USS General W. H. Gordon (TAP-117) at Da Nang, Vietnam on June 12th and arrived in San Diego, California, June 30th. Next up was a thirty-day leave (furlough) and the “Interstate Progress newspaper, Logansport, Louisiana, dated July 7th, 1966” reported, “Larry Durham, son of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Durham arrived home Saturday [July 2] from Viet Nam after twelve months service there in the Marines”. The same newspaper reported on August 3rd, that Larry left for Camp Pendleton, California where he will be stationed and later on December 22nd, it reported that he was home on a ten-day leave from Pendleton.

His sea and air travel embarkation slip shows he left San Diego, California on May 12th, 1967 aboard the Navy attack transport USS Bexar (APA-237) and disembarked at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii eight days later. It does not show the nature of this temporary duty or when he returned to San Diego.

With nine months left on his four-year enlistment, it would appear that Corporal Larry Durham volunteered for return duty in Vietnam. He boarded government air at El Toro, Naval Air Station, California on February 13th, 1968, and arrived at Kadena AFB, Okinawa two days later where he remained at the Marine Corps Air Station, Futenma, Okinawa until March 11th. At that time, he again took government air, arriving at Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam the same day and then Don Ha, RVN the next.

Operation Napoleon/Saline was a multi-Battalion operation conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army along the Cua Viet River south of the DMZ in Quảng Tri Province that ran from January 20th to December 9th, 1968. Larry’s unit, Company H, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, entered the operation on March 13th, and eighteen days later, Sunday, March 31st, he received a gunshot wound in the abdomen. Also, for his heroism that day, Larry was awarded our nation’s third-highest military decoration for valor in combat, the Silver Star by the Commanding General, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific on June 7th, 1968.

The Silver Star award citation read ”The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal Larry W. Durham (MCSN: 2113914), United States Marine Corps for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Combat Engineer with Company H, Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, Ninth Marine Amphibious Brigade, in connection with operations against the enemy in the Republic of Vietnam. On 31 March 1968, Company H was conducting a search and destroy operation in Quang Tri Province when the Marines suddenly came under a heavy volume of small arms, automatic weapons, and grenade launcher fire from a well-entrenched North Vietnamese Army force. During the ensuing assault upon the enemy emplacements, the lead element was temporarily halted and sustained several casualties, including Corporal Durham. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, he maneuvered across the hazardous area to the company's rearward position and obtained a demolition charge. Ignoring his painful injuries, he returned to the point of heaviest contact and began crawling toward the hostile positions. Moving to within a few meters of the enemy soldiers, he ignited the demolition charge fuze and allowed it to burn until only a few seconds remained. Ignoring the hostile fire impacting around him, he then fearlessly ran to the nearest bunker and placed the charge on top of the emplacement, destroying the position and killing eight North Vietnamese soldiers. In large measure due to his heroic and timely actions, he was instrumental in enabling his unit to overrun the enemy positions and accounting for twelve North Vietnamese soldiers killed. By his courage, aggressive fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of extreme personal danger, Corporal Durham inspired all who observed him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service”. Also, for wounds received in this action, Corporal Durham was awarded the Purple Heart.

Recovered from his wounds, Larry, now a recently promoted Sergeant (E-5), rejoined his unit on May 1st, 1968. Operation Scotland II, a US Marine Corps security operation in the northwest Quang Tri Province, was in its second week and Larry fought alongside his comrades until September 9th, 1968. On that date, he boarded a government aircraft at Don Ha, RVN, and flew to Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California where he was honorably discharged on September 13th, after serving three years, nine months, and eleven days. Notably, twenty months and six days of that time was overseas. His DD Form 214 MC noted Larry was awarded: the Silver Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 bronze service stars, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal with device.

Larry Wayne then returned to Shelby County, Texas, and the Interstate Progress newspaper, Logansport, Louisiana reported on September 25th, 1968 that he had visited Stephen F. Austin College in Nacogdoches where he planned to enroll. On his twenty-third birthday, April 4th, 1969 he and Miss Sharon Sue Simpson were married in Harris County, Texas and they would be blessed with two daughters, Debra Ann “Debbie” [Warlick] in 1971 and Stacy Ilene [Reid] in 1978.

Larry reenlisted in the Marine Corps on July 17th, 1972 in the grade of Sergeant (E-5) and was assigned his previous Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) of 1371, Combat Engineer. He was then sent to the Marine Corps base in Okinawa where Sharon and their daughter Debbie joined him. On October 10th, 1973, the Interstate Progress newspaper, Logansport, Louisiana reported that “Larry Durham [and family] with the Marines in Okinawa has been transferred to California [Camp Pendleton]. Six months later his DD Form 214 MC noted that he was honorably discharged on April 23rd, 1974 at Camp Pendleton, California, adding twenty-one months of active military service to his country. In addition to the medals/awards earned during his first enlistment, added was the Combat Action Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm, Meritorious Mast [a formal and ceremonial acknowledgment of outstanding duty performance], Certificate of Commendation [for exceptional performance of duty above what is normally expected] and the Rifle Expert Badge.

Larry and his family then settled in Houston, Texas where he is believed to have completed a degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston. He then joined the Houston Police Department and was issued his official identification card as a Police Officer on September 26th, 1975. His youngest daughter Stacy was born in 1978 and four years later he was presented with a certificate that read:

“Houston Police Department, Houston, Texas. Be it known that L. W. Durham, having successfully competed with all others of the same job category in an open and competitive examination and having met all other requirements of Law and of the City is hereby promoted to DETECTIVE and is entitled to all rights and privileges appertaining thereto. In testimony whereof, the Chief of Police, upon certification by the Civil Service Commission, has granted this promotion. Done this the 17th day of April 1982. Signed J. P. Bales, Chief of Police”.

While serving as a Detective, Larry received a Meritorious Service Award from the Houston Police Department which is presented to employees who have distinguished themselves during a criminal investigation or law enforcement action by demonstrating a high level of courage or by their actions resulting in the apprehension of a felon under dangerous or unusual circumstances. He was also named “Officer of the Year” by the 100 Club of Houston and honored at their 1985, Thirty-first Annual Awards Banquet. The plaque that he received read:

“On February 22, 1984, Sergeant Larry W. Durham initiated an investigation concerning the theft of several automobiles. Sergeant Durham’s investigation became an integral part of an even larger investigation which led to the discovery of an international auto theft ring. Upon completion of the investigation, eight suspects were arrested and convicted. Additionally, twenty-five automobiles were recovered representing a value of over $400,000. Sergeant Durham’s superior investigative abilities have gained him the respect and admiration of his peers and supervisors. His thoroughness and consistently high quality of investigation has also led to his being recognized in the 1984 summer edition of the ‘National Auto Theft-Bureau Journal’ in an article entitled ‘Putting the Brakes on Export/Import Thefts’. It is with great pride and appreciation that the Houston Police Department presents this award for meritorious service. Presented this the 21st day of May 1985.”

Larry Wayne Durham passed at the age of forty-two on December 3rd, 1988 in Houston, Harris County, Texas. His remains were returned to Shelby County where Mangum Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements. Larry was buried in the Garden of the Last Supper, Oaklawn Memorial Park, Center, Texas. Day is done, God is nigh. Semper Fi. 

EPILOGUE: I would like to acknowledge and thank Larry’s daughters, Debbie and Stacy, and his sister, Sue, for their help in telling his story. 

Debbie Durham Warlick gave this remembrance of her father: “Daddy was certainly a DIY man who could build or fix almost anything. He had a keen eye for detail and did everything to the highest standard. He could work on cars, motorcycles, any small motor, he could weld, paint, plumbing, electrical, and generally his workspace and barn were immaculately clean and organized. He often bought items such as cars and boats that he would refurbish and resale… the man never sat still. I know he would’ve enjoyed having a son, but he managed to adapt me well for tool toting and flashlight holding even though I was a girl. 

He continued through life raising cattle with his mother on land in Shelby county where we would go back on weekends and summer months when he could get time off from the department. At our home in Spring, TX we always had a horse and chickens, sometimes even a calf to raise or goats, all on less than four acres. He always seem to keep that life close to him and wanted us to have the experience of farm life. I am so very grateful for those experiences and believe they’ve certainly shaped how I view the world.”

SOURCES:
(1): United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Shelby, Texas; Roll: 1613; Sheet Number: 4; Enumeration District: 210-26
(2): Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. 
(3): https://www.liveabout.com/marine-corps-enlisted-job-descriptions-3345386 
(4): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Starlite 
(5): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Piranha 
(6): https://mail.vhpa.org/KIA/panel/battle/65110320.HTM 
(7): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_in_the_Vietnam_War 
(8): http://www.marzone.com/lima/LimaChronology.htm 
(9): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Harvest_Moon 
(10) Jack, Shulimson. US Marines in Vietnam, An Expanding War 1966, page 42, History and Museums Division, Hq US Marine Corps Washington D.C., 1982.
(11): The National Archives; Washington, DC; Awards Information Management System (AIMS) Files, 7/15/1988-4/8/2004; NAI: 620316; Record Group Number: 428; Record Group Title: General Records of the Department of the Navy, 1941-2004 
(12): Larry Durham - Recipient -. http://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/40102. Accessed 3 Feb. 2023. 
(13): DD Forms 214 MC
(14): Sea and Air Travel – Embarkation Slips
(15): Combat History-Expeditions-Awards Record, Larry W. Durham, USMC