19 Apr 2004 Billy Joe, as he preferred to be called, was born in Snyder, Texas. He attended school at Garden City Elementary, Garden City, Texas and then attended the Hermleigh schools in Scurry County Texas, until he graduated in 1968. Hermleigh is a small agriculture community about 12 miles southeast of Snyder, Texas. He participated in football, basketball and track. He really enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Hermleigh. Although he was a sole surviving son, he wanted to serve his country and he enlisted in the Army after he graduated from high school. Billy Joe had won a previous Purple Heart from a shrapnel wound and he was seriously injured on June 13, 1970 when a grenade accidently exploded while his patrol was taking a rest. Billy Joe was medevaced to Fort Hood, Texas and the Hemaleigh community overwhelmingly supported the Odstrcil family by providing funds for his mother to stay at his bedside until his death on September 29, 1970. He is remembered on the Permian Basin Vietnam Memorial.

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall SGT Michael A. Gross of El Centro, California, accidently detonated the hand grenade. He was killed outright by the blast. There are no other known deaths as a result of the accident.

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