Ted Wane Adams of Timpson, Texas was the third casualty of the Vietnam War in Shelby County. He was drafted into the US Army on November 14th, 1965 at the age of 21. He completed his basic combat training at Fort Hood, Texas on January 29th, 1966. At the end of the training he fired “expert” with the M-14 rifle and was awarded the expert marksmanship badge.

His tour in Vietnam began on Saturday, July 23rd, 1966 with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. His military occupation specialty (MOS) was 11B20, Light Weapons Infantry. Just under four months into his tour PFC Ted Adams was killed in action on Tuesday, November 15th 1966 while participating in the Vietnam Counteroffensive Phase II in South Vietnam after having served one year and one day in the Army. Also on that November day three of Ted’s fellow comrades from Alpha Company were also killed and by the end of the war the 4th Infantry Division lost 2,531 KIA and 15,229 wounded.

His sister, Mrs. Maxyne Adams Sapp who lives in Porter, Texas sent me the following “Ted was born in Beaumont, Texas to Carrol and Mary Alice Lane Adams. He had two older sisters to welcome him home, Maxyne and Carrol Lane (1942 – 2012). Carrol was also born in Beaumont and Maxyne in Timpson. His paternal grandparents were Will and Lilla Mathews Adams of Tenaha. His maternal grandparents were Charlie and Leatrice Ake Lane also of Tenaha. He was the only son and only grandson of Carrol and Will Adams.

The family moved back to Tenaha in 1945 and later moved to Timpson. While in grade school he played baseball in So So Park. Ted loved to squirrel hunt and he and his brothers-in-law (Billy Joe Sapp of Houston and J. L. Nall of Garrison) spent a lot of time hunting together.

After school he moved to Houston to live with his sister Maxyne and family and went to work for the Mosher Steel Company. He was living in Houston when he was drafted. He entered the Army, November 14, 1965 and died November 15, 1966. He was attached to the Second Battalion, 8th Division. His mother Mary Alice Adams died February 2nd, 1959”.

Ted was born on July 31, 1944 and graduated with the Timpson High School class of 1962. He is buried in the Tennessee Cemetery as are his parents. The Champion Newspaper reported that military funeral services were held on Wednesday, November 23rd, 1966 at 2:00 p.m. at the Tennessee Presbyterian Church with the Rev. D. S. Neel and Rev. Edwin McDaniel officiating. Honors were conducted by the US Army Honor Guard from Fort Polk, Louisiana. Honorary pallbearers were Wilson Cozart, Kenneth Cozart, Jimmy Lee Crump, Guy Oakley Ritter, Vane Lane, Robert Brown, Bob Bass, Billy McFadden, Charles Gaylord Bradwell and Leonard Hughes. Taylor Funeral Home was in charge of the services.

Maxyne remembers a telegram was delivered to her Dad on November 16th, 1966 (sister Carrol’s birthday). “We did not know for sure that he had actually been killed until November 26th when an Army Chaplain from Louisiana came and informed Daddy. Our whole family had gone back to Daddy’s house to wait for news since the 16th and the waiting was so very hard. When Ted’s body arrived home they sent a Sergeant that had lived in Plugerville, Texas with him to stand guard over the body. That was for the soldier to spend some time with his/her families before returning to Vietnam. This was what the Army would do and I thought that was awesome. Ted’s Army buddy Michael Olan Batson from LaMarque, Texas was killed on February 16th, 1967 and we wrote to him also.”