Lincoln County Veteran Reflects on 25 Years of Army Service

Willard Medley never planned on becoming a career soldier like many young men raised in rural Lincoln County, he expected to work, raise a family, and stay close to home. But a lack of jobs and a sense of duty led him to volunteer for the U.S. Army, beginning a journey that would span 25 years and assignments that spread across the globe.

Medley shared his story during an interview at the Warrior Exhibit in Fayetteville, where local veterans’ histories are preserved and shared with the community. “I was born and raised right here in Lincoln County,” Medley said. “Out between New Hope and Crossroads. Went to Lincoln Elementary, then Flintville. I married my high school sweetheart, and then I went into the Army.”

That decision sent him first to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he completed basic training as an infantryman. From there, he was shipped to Washington state for advanced infantry training and eventually to Vietnam. “They tried to freeze me to death in Washington,” Medley said with a laugh. “Then they sent me to Vietnam and tried to cook me.”

In Vietnam, Medley served as a ground soldier and carried an M79 grenade launcher, a weapon often used to clear suspicious terrain and booby traps. “If there was a gate or something that looked like it hadn’t been there before, that was my job,” he said. “I’d take the grenade and blow it so we could move through.” Life in the jungle was dangerous and unpredictable. Medley recalled weeks-long patrols through thick brush and flooded canals, followed by brief returns to base to resupply before heading back out. “They had little green snakes,” he said. “if they got you, you’d only make it about three steps.”

In addition to combat patrols, Medley participated in humanitarian missions, sometimes referred to as “Band-Aid patrols,” providing basic medical care to villagers. “We’d go into villages and help patch people up,” he said. “Cuts, scrapes, things like that. Whether it helped or not, we tried.”

Like many Vietnam veterans, Medley relied on humor to cope with fear and stress. “We laughed at things over there that don’t sound funny back home,” he said. “But you had to laugh. That’s how you got through it.” Medley lost two friends during the war and was wounded himself by shrapnel from a booby trap, earning the Purple Heart. He chose not to tell his wife about the injury until after he returned home. “I didn’t want her worrying,” he said. “I told her when I got back.”

After Vietnam, Medley continued his Army career, serving at Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Campbell, participating in large-scale field maneuvers with infantry and armored units. His career later took him to Korea, where he was stationed near the Demilitarized Zone at Camp Casey. “You could hear gunfire in the distance at night,” he said. “Sometimes you wondered if it was training or the real thing.” By then, Medley had transitioned from infantry to air defense, commanding Vulcan gun units tasked with protecting forces along the border.

His service also included time in Germany, a stark contrast to his earlier assignments. “Germany was like a picnic,” Medley said. “My wife loved it. We brought back crystal, wood carvings, nutcrackers and all kinds of things.”

Family remained central throughout Medley’s career. His wife was able to join him at many duty stations, including Texas and Kentucky, and the family stayed together whenever possible. “The only times we were separated were Vietnam and Korea,” he said. “Other than that, we stayed together.”

After retiring from the Army, Medley returned home to Lincoln County, where he worked at several local businesses, including a dry cleaner and a machine shop, before eventually retiring for good. Today, he says the stability of military life was one of its greatest benefits. “You always knew your paycheck was there,” he said. “You had a place to live. We got to travel, see things, and raise our family.”

Asked whether he would recommend military service to young people today, Medley paused. “It’s not for everybody,” he said. “But it helped me. I got my education and made a life. For some folks, it can still be a good path.” Now fully retired, Medley reflects on his service with gratitude not only for what he experienced, but for the fact that he made it home. “I’ve done a lot of hunting in my life,” he said. “But Vietnam was the first time I’d ever been hunted.”

As the interview concluded, Medley received a simple message. “Thank you for your service.”