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Jimmy Lawson, a Greenville native, vividly recalls his experiences in the Vietnam War. Named as The Greenville Advocate Hero of the Week, Lawson described his time in Vietnam, where he served as a point man in dangerous territory. 

“Everyone knew if you ended up on the Ho Chi Minh trail, chances are, someone was going to have to be carried out,” Lawson said. Now, looking back, he cherishes both the bonds he forged during his service and the family he’s been able to return to.

Drafted into the Army in 1965, Lawson completed basic training at Fort Jackson and advanced training at Fort Dix.

“From there, we went to Hawaii,” Lawson said. “And we were all deployed from there to Vietnam,” Assigned to Pleiku, located in the northern sector of South Vietnam, Lawson’s battalion faced booby traps, grueling conditions and relentless combat. 

“We would fly to different areas and set up equipment,” Lawson said. “Do guard duty and security in our spare time when we weren’t patrolling.” 

Landing in Vietnam on January 8, 1966, Lawson spent nine months in active combat before being wounded in August.

“The jungle in certain places was so thick, you couldn’t even see the sun,” he said, describing how he was injured stepping on a punji stick laced with poison. The pain was intense, but his unit had to maintain silence to avoid detection.

“We were a blocking force and couldn’t let anybody know our location,” Lawson recalled. “So they couldn’t get help to me. They had to pull it out, wrap it up and carry me. That was about 8 o’clock, and by 2 p.m, we finally got the okay to move and they got me to a clearing.” 

He was flown out for emergency treatment and spent 30 days in recovery at a field hospital.

These days, Lawson reflects on his time in Vietnam with mixed emotions. 

“There are some things that I still don’t talk about, to tell you the truth,” he shared. “When you share that kind of information with someone, you’re placing that burden on them. Some things are best left in the past.” 

He also spoke of the personal toll of war, acknowledging the countless lives lost, including many of his close friends. 

“I have a daughter and two grandchildren and I’m so blessed to have them,” Lawson said. “So many of the acquaintances that I met there… they didn’t get to come home and never got a chance to see and experience all of this.”

Through his faith, Lawson has found peace with his experiences, embracing a philosophy of compassion and understanding.

“As a person of faith, you’re supposed to love even your enemy in any situation,” Lawson said. 

Lawson’s service didn’t just end with the military. A business owner, former City Councilman and member of several boards, Lawson is also a former Commander of American Legion Post 24, where he finds camaraderie and understanding among fellow veterans. 

“The acquaintances and friends that I made… that I was side by side with every day, you are truly your brother’s keeper and we never left a man behind,” he said.

Lawson’s daughter, Yolanda Lawson, sees her father as a “gentle giant” and an unwavering role model. 

“All my life, my dad’s been that constant support, the positive role model,” she said. Yolanda recounts how, shortly after her birth, her father took on the responsibility of raising two additional children — his late sister-in-law’s kids — when their father struggled to cope. 

“When I was only two weeks old, they adopted my two cousins, who were eight and nine,” she explained, crediting her father’s selflessness.

Yolanda also remembers her father’s dedication to family and community. When her grandmother’s house was destroyed by fire, Lawson not only moved her into a new home but also bought the land so she could always return. 

“He was the baby of nine and he was the one who left and joined the military,” Yolanda said. “When he came home, he would work all day at his regular job and then come home and work in his own shop on cars all night just to provide for all of us.”