In 1949, Dr. Julius Larry’s mother was visiting her mother in Savannah, GA for Thanksgiving, when she went into labor. On November 24, 1949, his grandmother, who was a mid-wife delivered him, a 10-pound screaming baby. In 1967, he graduated from Alfred Ely Beach High School in Savannah GA, he was one of 4 Salutatorians each of them had identical grade point averages. The year that he graduated high school; the school was celebrating its 100 years of being a school for Negros. In 1867, Alfred Ely Beach a white COL said the newly freed Negros needed a school in 1867 and the school was started.
A week after the euphoria of graduating at the top of his class wore off, his mother asked what plans he had for his future. At time he had no idea what he wanted to do. He had not completed any college applications, nor had he attempted to apply for any jobs. He decided that he would follow in the footsteps of other family members and get a job at Georgia-Pacific in Savannah, he applied and was hired on the spot. At first making plywood was exciting for the young graduate, but soon he started to get depressed at the thought of making plywood for the next 20 years. That night he told his mom that he wanted to join the Army, and she told him in no uncertain terms that he was not joining the military, reminding him that a war was going. After meeting with the recruiter and he reassured his mom that he would not be sent to Vietnam, she signed for her 17-year-old son to enlist in the US Army.
He attended Basic Training at Fort Jackson South Carolina and because of his high-test scores he was assigned to Fort Devens, Massachusetts where he was assigned to the 28 BMC- as a Manual Morse Intercept Operator – a Top Secret group. After graduation from his MOS training school he was sent to Thailand and a year later he arrived in Vietnam.
In 1970 he was stationed in Phu Bai, Vietnam and was part of the Army Security Agency a Top-Secret group which he called “The Forgotten: Black Spooks in Vietnam. Since it was a “Top Secret” mission those involved were sworn to secrecy, which meant that they could not talk about, write about or in any way disclose any knowledge of what was done in Vietnam by the ASA for 50 years after the war was over.
After returning to Savannah, he returned to Georgia-Pacific for a brief period and decided to attend college. After receiving his dentistry degree in 1978 he continued his military career as Captain in the US Army Dental Corps. He retired from the United States Army in 1987. In 1984 he received his Juris Doctor from Thurgood Marshall School of Law and practiced law in Houston Texas as a Civil Rights Attorney. In 2012 he received his Doctor of Divinity in 2012.
Captain Larry received several awards and accommodations while serving in the military to include National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Aircraft Crewman Badge, 2 Overseas Bars, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm.
Dr Larry currently resides in Little Rock Arkansas and is a member of the Little Rock NAACP. He is currently writing his memoirs and plans to have them published this year.