Ollie Legree Langford, 87, went to join our Lord Jesus Christ on October 11, 2022, when he passed away at Lexington Medical Center, Lexington, SC.
Ollie was born at home on a farm located near Ridgeland, SC. He was the youngest of six children. The family moved to Charleston, SC, where Ollie’s father and two sisters worked building ships at the Naval Shipyard. He was 6 years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked, where his brother Randolph was on the USS Vestal, which was tied to the USS Arizona at the time of the attack. His brother Greensmith also served during World War II. This sparked the beginning of Ollie’s desire to serve in the military.
His family moved back to Ridgeland in July 1944. He grew up on a farm that didn’t have water or electricity until he was 13 years old. Most afternoons and summers, he plowed with a horse or mule (later a tractor), raised hundreds of hogs, and rode horses to round up cows most evenings. In high school, Ollie became the president of his class until his senior year, when he was the president of the student body, president of several school clubs, and class valedictorian.
Ollie attended the University of South Carolina for one year using money he had saved from several sources, including three-and-a-half years of National Guard service. During that year, he received one of Senator Strom Thurmond’s appointments to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
West Point became one of the most defining periods of his life. It made possible the things he accomplished on the rest of his life’s journey. He had outstanding roommates, Jim Hahn and Ron Templeton, for four years; he met his beloved and cherished future wife, Diane Masterson, on Armed Forces Day in New York City at the end of plebe year. Diane had been a blind date arranged by Ron. He and Diane dated most weekends for the next three years and were married the day after graduation in her hometown church in Eastchester, NY.
Upon graduation from West Point in June 1959, Ollie was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army as an Artillery officer. Ollie was a battery commander at Fort Benning, GA, testing out the 11th Air Assault Division. He was in the 5th Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment for two years before they changed the division’s name to 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) and deployed to Vietnam in August 1965. Ollie was in the 1st Battalion, 21st Field Artillery Regiment when they arrived in Vietnam in September 1965. He fought in the battle of the Ia Drang Valley at both LZ Falcon and LZ Columbus.
Ollie was again a battery commander in May 1966 when he had to be medically evacuated from Vietnam to the 249th General Hospital in Japan for 60 days. He was then reassigned from Japan to the USMA Tactical Department to teach physical education. On his second tour in Vietnam, he was detailed Infantry to be the S-3 of Task Force South, for which he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge and a second Bronze Star.
Upon completion of that tour, he returned to Fort Carson, CO as a battalion XO, 1970-72; CGSC at Fort Leavenworth, KS, 1972-73; SGS, assistant chief of staff, and battalion commander at Fort Jackson, SC, 1973-77; Pentagon in DCSOPS to manpower the Total Army Analysis and the POM, 1977-79. Ollie then served as the commander of a recruiting battalion, 1979-81, and then deputy commander Northeast Recruiting Brigade at Fort Meade, MD from 1981 to 1983. His last assignment was chief of staff/deputy commander of USMEPCOM at Great Lakes, IL. Ollie retired as a colonel in 1986.
He and Diane, the love of his life, became investors in homes and land. They bought old homes to remodel, using Diane’s expertise from Parsons School of Design in NYC. They rented out the restored homes and later sold them. This type of enterprise allowed them to travel with family to most of Europe and North America. Ollie filled spare time with duties such as becoming a tour guide with the Historic Beaufort Foundation and St. Helena Episcopal Church, established in 1712. He also served on the Board of Trustees of the foundation. As a city officer, he was chairman of the Beaufort Municipal Election Commission for 16 years. Ollie and Diane had many wonderful years in both social and civic organizations in Beaufort, the “Gem of the Sea Islands.” His beloved wife, Diane, went to be with our Lord Jesus Christ on March 18, 2018.
Ollie and Diane are survived by their three children: Kelly, who was born at Fort Rucker, AL; Gary, their first son who was born during their tour of duty in Hawaii; and Scott, second son, who was born at Fort Benning in 1965.
Ollie was also survived by six grandchildren (Blake, Brandt, Ian, McKenzie, Stephanie, and Hope) and two great-grandchildren (Annabelle and Asher).
Ollie and Diane will be dearly missed by all their family and friends. May they be reunited in their love for each other and rest peacefully with their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.