Retired Army Colonel Larkin B. Vance passed on Sunday, March 24th, at 95.
Vance was a soldier. More importantly, he was a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
We admired and respected his service and loved him for his sweet smile, dry humor, and positive outlook on life.
He entered the military in December 1943 at age 15 and served during WWII. Vance fought in campaigns in the Philippines and Okinawa Island. He graduated from the University of Nebraska and entered Officer Cadet School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Georgia. He graduated as a distinguished military officer in 1952, followed by completion of airborne training.
Vance served as an Infantry Officer and became a Special Forces Officer in Germany in 1957. He was a Green Beret with the 10th Special Forces Group in Germany. Vance also served 12 years in special warfare operations, including a tour in the Belgian Congo. He attended the Armed Forces Staff College, and the Command and General Staff College. After completing both military schools, Vance was commanding officer of the Communications Electronics Engineering Agency in Thailand and subsequently commanded the 501st Signal Battalion, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam. Upon promotion to Colonel, Vance was re-assigned to the U.S. Military Committee North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is there where he retired from the military with more than 30 years of service.
During his military service, Colonel Vance received a total of 31 decorations and awards, including three Legion of Merit Medals, a Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star, two Air Medals, three Commendation Medals, and several service medals, including ten major campaign battle stars. He was a master and sky-diving parachutist who served on airborne (parachute) duty for 17 years.
Colonel Vance declined attendance at the U.S. Army War College in 1973, and in 1975 began a civilian career in Electronics Engineering in Europe for 11 more years as a team leader.
Upon returning to the United States for retirement, Colonel Vance was selected and entered the (OCS) Hall of Fame at the Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was a lifetime member of the Officer Candidate School Alumni Association. The Veterans History Project interviewed Vance in 2012, and his video narrative resides at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Surviving Vance is his wife, Glenda Vance, and her family; his daughter, Denise Vance-Noelle and husband, Holger Noelle; daughter-in-law, Anne Vance; grandchildren: Iain Vance and wife, Adela Vance, Eric Vance, Aidan Vance, Austin Vance; and great-grandson, Adrian Vance.
Vance is preceded in death by his first wife, Elsbeth Helene Vance and their son, Gerhard Vance.
A celebration of life will take place on Saturday, April 20th, at 2 pm at Christian Hill Baptist Church, 5865 Gailey Drive, Clermont, GA 30527. A fellowship meal will follow the service in the church fellowship hall.
The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm until the service hour on Saturday, April 20th, at the church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate or to the T2T – Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, New York 10306, https://t2t.org/
However, any floral arrangements should be delivered to Christian Hill Baptist Church between 10 am and 12 pm on Saturday, April 20th.
An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.
McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.
