Scope and Contents

Approximately 2 linear feet of materials accumulated by David Nelson which document the Vietnam service of his friend Lee Roy Herron, as well as Nelson's work with both the Lee Roy Herron Memorial Scholarship Fund and his book about his friendship with Herron titled David and Lee Roy. The materials include books; periodicals; memos and correspondence; command chronologies; spot reports; electronic media; flyers and pamphlets; notes; website printouts; articles and clippings; rosters; mailing lists; speeches; press releases; reports; narratives; personal recollections; moving images; audio; military orders; photographs; award citations and certificates; and ephemera. The materials are dated predominately 1963-1973 and 1990-2021.

Biographical / Historical

Lee Roy Herron and David Nelson were inseparable growing up. The two graduated Lubbock High School together and they both attended Texas Tech, where they joined the Marine Corps officer training program. Some time after receiving their second lieutenant commissions and graduating from Texas Tech, Herron was sent to Vietnam, where he was killed in battle after single-handedly destroying an enemy machine-gun bunker. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor the Marines can give for bravery. To honor his fallen friend, Nelson along with a group of other Vietnam veterans -- started the Lee Roy Herron Memorial Endowed Scholarship at Texas Tech University.