Is there ever a moment when you should not help someone?

Jerry Langdon takes every opportunity to help a person in need.

Langdon was born in the small town of Reform, Alabama in

Pickens County in 1941.

“Legend says that the town got its name after an evangelist

preacher came through in the late 1800s and wanted all of the

settlers to reform,” Langdon said.

Langdon said locals of Pickens County will find him working

at the local Piggly Wiggly.

“I don’t do it for the money, I just love seeing everybody

in town and helping them take out their groceries,” Langdon

said.

If he is not at work, he said people can also find him

either at church or volunteering at the local nursing home.

“I’m a hymn leader at my church and I’m there any chance I

can get. I go to the nursing home every Tuesday and Thursday to

visit with the residents. A lot of them don’t have family that

comes to see them, so I love being able to put a smile on their

faces and give them something to look forward to,” Langdon said.

When he was a teenager, Langdon played on the football team

for Pickens County High School.

 “I played lineman, which really didn’t make a lot of sense

because I was so skinny. I played the heck out of my position

though,” Langdon said, laughing.

After Langdon graduated high school, he enlisted in the

United States National Guard.

“I was 19 years old and I didn’t really know what I wanted

to do with my life, but what I did know is I wanted to help

people in some way,” Langdon said. “At the time, enlisting was

the only thing that made sense, because why not help out the

whole country if I could?”

Langdon stayed in the reserves for a few years, working in

nearby factories.

In 1965, the Dominican Civil War broke out, and the United

States stepped in with about 22,000 troops. Langdon was deployed

to Honduras.

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but I didn’t really see much

action in the field,” Langdon said, laughing. “I was more or

less still in the reserves, just on-site.”

Langdon said regardless, he learned a lot from being in the

National Guard.

“Looking back on my time in the Guard, I’m grateful for

that experience. It taught me to toughen up and how to stand for

what I believe in. I even made some lifelong friends,” said

Langdon

After coming home, Langdon found love when he met his wife

Sandra. He said when they first met, she was in an abusive

relationship.

“Once again, I had this calling to help someone. Her

boyfriend at the time would hit her and yell all the time. I

tried my hardest to be a good friend and show her the way out. I

suppose she appreciated it because she agreed to marry me,”

Langdon said.

Langdon’s wife said he has always had the kindest heart she

has known.

“He’s always been so driven and willing to give the shirt

off his back for anyone. He’s so selfless and that’s one of the

reasons I fell in love with him,” Mrs. Langdon said.

Langdon said that he hopes he is able to inspire other

people to be more giving.

“If there’s one thing in my life I want to achieve, it’s to

give hope to someone who is hopeless,” Langdon said.

CO 2413 lab 6 December 2 News 6

 Service journalism:

What was the Dominican Civil War?

● The war started when the sitting president, Juan Bosch, was

overthrown in 1963 because many people disliked his

governing.

● Political chaos broke out since there was no clear leader,

the chaos turning into many riots.

● Because of the chaos, 22,000 US troops were sent to various

countries surrounding the Dominican Republic in 1965,

ordered by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

● The war lasted only a few months.

● Many Latin American countries were not pleased with the

involvement of the US, as they deemed it unnecessary.

Source:

History.com - This Day in History - 1965: US troops land in

Dominican Republic.

CO 2413 lab 6 December 2 News 6

Author:

Danielle Brown ldb366@msstate.edu

Sources:

Jerry Langdon 205-375-2358

Sandra Langdon 205-375-2358

Logan McAteer 205-399-3234

Service journalism:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-troops-land-in-th

e-dominican-republic

Peer reviewed by:

O’Malley Nobert con18@msstate.edu

Sydni Moore sm2889@msstate.edu