his life to serving the public
“All my life I have dedicated to helping the public, more or less,” Former Custer County Sheriff and Vietnam War veteran Larry Williams said.
Williams was drafted to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. At the time he was drafted, he was attending college at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He served his country during the war for 1 year, 11 months and 17 days.
He went to basic training in Fort Bliss, Texas, and once they found out he could type, he worked as a clerk typist at the Battalion headquarters. He soon grew bored of the work there though, and volunteered to go serve on the ground in Vietnam.
“The first two months and the last month you’re scared to death. The rest of the time you’re just there,” Williams said.
A travelling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., has visited Weatherford twice. The first time, Williams couldn’t bring himself to see it. However, the second time, he volunteered to work the computer at the exhibit while it was at Means Park, helping people find their loved ones’ names on the 375- foot wall.
A mother from Anadarko whose son served in Vietnam visited the memorial. She was the first person Williams helped that day, and, soon he discovered he had been there when her son lost his life in Vietnam. He was able to recount the details of her son’s death for her.
“It was a relief to her, but it was hard on me to tell,” Williams said.
Williams has been an advocate for bringing a Vietnam War Memorial Wall to Weatherford in recent months. He said there are a lot of Vietnam veterans in Weatherford, and having a wall in Weatherford would allow them, and so many others who don’t have the means to travel all the way to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorial and pay their respects.
Williams said 58,419 American men and women were killed in the Vietnam War, 988 of which were Oklahomans. About 25,000 of those killed were younger than the age of 20.
Williams wants to keep the Veterans’ Day program alive within the schools so the next generation and those to come will never forget the sacrifices made in Vietnam.
“When you’ve been to Vietnam and you’ve seen these things, it’s a lot closer to the heart. That is what is touching to me,” he said.
Williams has continued to live an interesting life after Vietnam as well. He has worked as a police officer and a firefighter, he helped start the drug task force in Custer County and he served as Custer County Sheriff for two terms.
Williams also has travelled near and far. He and his wife, Cara, own an RV and motorcycles and do a lot of travelling in their retirement. They have travelled once to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, five times to Alaska, twice to Africa and, most recently, to Costa Rica on a cruise ship.
Williams has killed a gemsbuck, impala, blue wildebeest, zebra, kudu and wart hog on his African safaris. All of which he has brought home to hang as trophies in his home.
The pair also raises longhorn and watusi cattle in their retirement. The watusi cattle originate in Egypt and have been dubbed the “cattle of the kings,” according to Williams. He said he chooses to raise them because “they’re just cool.”
The bones of one of his watusi cows are featured in the Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City now. That particular cow had horns which were about 6 feet, 6 inches from tip to tip.
Williams also invented a cedar tree cutting machine, which he patented and eventually sold to a company in Arkansas.
Williams has led a very interesting life of service for his country and many travels. He and Cara have two children together — a son and a daughter.