HomeMy WebLinkAboutKeith Langford, Brazos Valley Heroes s 1
in a serie of tribute to rneittbers of - I'he :
' Gelueration" who served our country during World War 11
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There are a lot of "Good Ags" around our com- quarters. I've got to say that a lot of fellows had it pret-
" munity, but probably none are more loyal or have a bet- ty rough, but I was never very nervous about my situ-
ter Aggie history than Keith Langford. ation until we crossed the Rhine River one night under t
"I was born on the A &M campus. Our home blackout conditions. I knew if one of those tanks or our
stood where the third deck of the east side of Kyle Field pieces went over the side of the bridge, I would proba-
' now stands. My father was the dean of the architecture bly go over with them. I did have one experience that I
school for 24 years, and was the mayor of College wish I never had and the memory of it is still fresh in
Station for 26 years. My first employment was as a my mind today.
�' water boy to the construction crew building the first "The war was ending and we were rounding up
level of Kyle Field. Except for the years I was in the Germans..iwas looking for a headquarters site for our
• Army during World War II, I attended every A &M home group headquarters when I came upon a German mili-
football game from the time I was eight years old until tary compound outside Munich called Dachau
three years ago when my health wouldn't allow me to Compound. The infantry boys had just taken it from
attend. And after WWII, I attended every game, home the German SS guards and I couldn't believe what I
�• or away, until my health problems started. saw there. Those persons still alive looked like walking
"I graduated from A &M Consolidated in 1934 skeletons, and dead bodies were piled up everywhere.
with eleven other classmates and graduated in 1938 I took pictures, but I don't need them to remember
from A &M. During my senior year at A &M, I went to what I saw.
Houston and took a flight physical for the Navy flight "I have one picture that shows a German SS
� program. I passed and they said they would call but guard that the survivors of the camp had caught. None
they never did. After graduation I went to work for of the Americans did anything to try to save the guy.
Humble Oil and Refinery Company and in April 1941 I There was more than one guard that never saw anoth-
was called into the Army in the field artillery, which was er sunrise that day. We brought the local civilians in so
my background in the Corps at A &M. they could see what had occurred. They appeared to be
"I was being trained as a forward observer and shocked at what they saw also."
r,;,:;:. was on maneuvers in Yosemite Park in California when Langford remained in Germany until July 1945
I got word from the Navy to report for flight training. I before returning to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio.
. tried to switch but the Army wouldn't let me go. I was where he was discharged in August 1945.
shipped to the 30th Artillery Group and when war was "I went back to work for Humble but left to go g;
declared, I and the 30th were sent to Alaska to help halt with Johns Manville Co. I stayed with them until I went j
1 the Japanese invasion which began on the Aleutian to Houston to join a sand and gravel company. I even - c.
Islands off the Alaska coast. That was the coldest I've tually started my own company, selling it several years 3; .,.. ;:.
ever been in my life. Our first winter we only had tents ago to some Europeans who wanted it more than I did.
• to stay in and that was little or no protection against the I then bought Aggieland Travel so that my trips back to
cold. While I was there' my son was born. He was 18 Aggieland would be business trips."
months old before I got to see him for the first time." Langford was asked by the Army to come back as
From Alaska, Langford, now a captain, and the a permanent major but declined: "I told them I was dis-
30th were ordered to Europe. charged and planned to stay that way ' '
Dr "I had the job of loading 20,000 -plus men and Besides, if he had stayed in the Army, he would
• equipment on the ships that took us to South n't have been able to make it to all those Aggie football
Hampton, England. From there we headed to the games.
English Channel by train, by boat across the English Keith Langford's name can be found on the
d Channel and then by train again to Le Havre, France. Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. For more informa-
`' We were assigned to the 7th Army and were sent to the tion, to make a contribution, or if you know a World
N German and Austrian borders. Our job was to provide War II veteran whose story needs to be told, contact
artillery support into the German positions along the the BVVM at www.veterans- memorial.org, or Bill
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•, Rhine. Youngkin at 979 - 260 -7030.
"By this time I was a major with our group head-
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