RWC resident Larry Hammond went from serving in Vietnam to playing in rock n’ roll bands
As November approaches, Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury (RWC) prepares to honor its military veterans through the annual Veterans Wall of Honor exhibit, where stories and photographs of those who served will be displayed in the RWC Gallery Hall. Among the featured veterans is RWC resident Sergeant Larry Hammond, whose journey from Roanoke, Virginia, to the jungles of Vietnam is both poignant and inspiring.
Born on August 4, 1946, Hammond enlisted in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer and served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971. During his service, Hammond was stationed near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where he assessed communication needs for different units while coping with the harsh realities of war. One of his most vivid memories involves the unforgettable sight of B-52 bombers in the distance.
“You could see the explosion with constant flashes of light moving from left to right like in a sweep,” he said. “It was so far away, you really didn’t hear it. But man, you could see it.”
Also memorable was the weather. “Well, there was the monsoon season – the rainy season, and that’s when it got cold. That’s the coldest I’ve ever been at 50 degrees,” he said. “And then, it would get up as high as 120 degrees during the dry season.”
Like many members of the Greatest Generation, Hammond does not want to talk about the particulars of war.
“I’ve been to some reunions with the guys in my unit,” Hammond said. “You know, that’s the one place where I talk about stuff that we did – with those other guys who were there. If you weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand.”
After his year in Vietnam, Hammond returned home and faced the challenges of adjusting to civilian life. He navigated personal hardships, including dealing with the lasting effects of his service.
“I married a woman from Roanoke, and we were married for 15-16 years. We had two girls. But after I got back from Vietnam, I was dealing with a lot of stuff in my head. I was playing in rock ‘n’ roll bands – trying to escape from everything that had anything to do with anything,” he said.
Playing keyboard in a band called Ethos, his outfit was fronting concerts for well-known rock bands like Kiss and Queen. While this should have been a high point in his life, it just created new challenges.
“I finally had to quit because of all the drugs and everything else – crazy stuff,” Hammond said. “I went back to school and got my master’s degree in psychology. I worked in different treatment centers. I ended up working for the Virginia Department of Corrections and then, for the regional jail in Charlottesville running therapeutic communities.”
Hammond and his [late] wife moved to RWC because she had an uncle and a cousin who lived at the retirement community. Hammond was surprised to find that Ed Townes, the deputy commander of the first brigade he was in, is also a resident at RWC. Now a centenarian, Townes often talks to Hammond about their time in Vietnam together.
Hammond is well known at RWC for playing the bagpipes annually on St. Patrick’s Day and often for funerals. He picked up the instrument while in Vietnam and said the Vietnamese thought the sound was great. “They liked it because it gave them something to shoot at!” he said jokingly.
Hammond is just one of 58 RWC residents (including two WWII veterans) and three staff members who served in the military and whose photos and stories will be displayed. These vets gave 667 collective years of service to their country. The exhibition is open to the community throughout November, giving everyone a chance to appreciate and honor the commitment of these extraordinary individuals.