I never knew Rex but my aunt and uncle ( Mike & Syb Holt) went to school with him I believe. When my brother and I where in Cub Scouts our Den chose Rex Young as the soldier in VietNam to send letters and care packages to. Our mother was the Den Mother and we where all very touched by the letters that we received from this outstanding young man. To this day the letters that he wrote still exist. I took Rex's picture with me through College and to this day his picture remains in my families home. I member the guys in my college dorm when they read the document on how this brave young man gave his life to save others. They where extremely touched, but you know some things do not stay with us like they should, like remembering the unsefishness of people who give freely of them selves and never ask for anyhting. Rex has touched my life and I know in knowing this fine person it makes me want to be all that much better today and tomorrow. My mom got together with Rex's sister after his death and worked to get memorials for Rex.
I have always been curious as to why this outstanding person did not have more of a honor at his High School. I attended Permian and graduated in 1977.
Frank, if I can do anything to assist your efforts in this please let me know.
I knew Rex when we were growing up in Odessa. We went to different high schools, played summer league baseball when we were 13-14 years old. There are several people still in the Odessa area that knew him. Mike George who is the President of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce played football with him at Permian High School. I went to Odessa High School.
Gary Watkins who is a district Judge here also played football with him at Permian. Barry Horseman lives in Midland, Texas and is employed at Midland College played football and baseball with him at Permian.
Rex was an All American guy. He attended Hood Junior High if I remember right and then went to Permian High School. He played football, was a guard and was a catcher on the baseball team. I remember playing against him and I knew it would be hard to steal second on him, because he had a frozen rope throw.
He graduated in 1965, attended one semester of college at Odessa College and then transferred to Kent, California where his mother was living at the time. He joined the Army from Odessa I believe in the summer of 1966. His mother and Dad were divorced and when his mother moved to California, he stayed with a family in Odessa to finish high school. In the summer of 1966 when he decided to go into the service, his sister was back in Odessa. His sister died a couple of years ago and she is buried next to Rex at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Odessa.
Rex was my cousin. When I was a little boy, he came and lived with my family in Alaska for a little while. He was a great guy and everyone in my family loved him dearly. I do have some pictures of him when he was a child. I am glad to see the many sites devoted to him. He was an execeptional person
Hello Clint. I, too, am a cousin though a distant cousin. I am kin through Nancy Ellen Young who is my great grandmother. I have just recently found this branch of the family. I would be interested in anything you could share. I lived in Seminole, Texas the same time Rex and family lived in Odessa, Texas. My family never knew they connection or that they were there.
