Larry E. Joyce – Colonel, United States Army

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Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, 1999, in Acton, Texas, for Larry E. Joyce, 60, who died April 30, 1999, at his home in Granbury, Texas,  after a lengthy battle with leukemia.

Officiating will be Dr. William P. Boyd, senior pastor of the Acton church, and the Rev. Beverly Carnes, former associate pastor. Burial with full military honors will be at 9 a.m. Friday, May 7, 1999, at Arlington National Cemetery,  Arlington, Virginia. Mr. Joyce will be buried with his son, James Casey Joyce.

 Mr. Joyce, a former career U.S. Army officer and Vietnam veteran who later became an  executive with two major health organizations, gained national recognition when he took on the Clinton administration officials to seek changes in American policy involving the use of military personnel in peace-keeping operations. His campaign began shortly after Casey, an U.S. Army Ranger, was killed October 3, 1993, in a firefight in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Mr. Joyce’s views were presented in several top national publications and during interviews on every major network. He also wrote articles that appeared in various national and regional newspapers.

His efforts were climaxed by an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee and a personal meeting with President Clinton. When the committees report was withheld from the public, Mr. Joyce again took his case to the public, resulting in its release in September 1994. The report criticized Clinton administration officials and the miltary’s use of special operations forces. More importantly, government leaders developed and implemented new policies on the use of American fighting forces in peace-keeping activities.

Mr. Joyce was born July 8, 1938, in Dallas. He graduated from Merkel High School in Merkel in 1956 and from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, with a bachelor of business administration degree in 1960. While in college, Mr. Joyce was president of the world-famous HSU Cowboy Band and was named an ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate, leading to a commission after graduation as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

A year later, Mr. Joyce’s battle group was ordered to West Berlin as a show of American resolve when the Soviet Union erected the infamous Berlin Wall. In 1963, Mr. Joyce volunteered to be one of the first American combat advisors to the Republic of Vietnam. He returned to Vietnam in 1967 as a helicopter pilot.

In 1970, Mr. Joyce was selected for U.S. Army Command General Staff College. While still in the Army, he attended graduate school at Texas Tech University, where he earned a master’s degree in mass communications. That led to a promotion to lieutenant colonel and the post of general manager of the European-Middle East edition of Stars and Stripes, a newspaper for military personnel and their families. He completed his military career at the Pentagon where he was chief spokesperson for the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff.

While serving in the Army, Mr. Joyce received the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Medal for Valor with 12 oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and the Republic of Vietnam’s Cross of Gallantry.

In 1980, Mr. Joyce joined Dallas-based EDS in the Insurance Division. Two years later, he became vice president for the American Heart Association’s Office of Communications at the National Center in Dallas. He guided that organization through the writing of a strategic plan and major refinement of its image. He also took charge of the American Heart Association’s scientific publishing operations.

Mr. Joyce moved to the American Medical Association in Chicago in 1990 as senior vice  president for communications and publishing. While there, he consolidated all the American Heart Association’s mass communications functions and reorganized and streamlined the scientific publishing operation resulting in all-time high net profits.

He returned to the American Heart Association in 1995 as vice president for corporate relations and retired in 1998 due to ill health.

Mr. Joyce is survived by his wife of 39 years, Gail Galbraith Joyce; a son, Steven Joyce of Granbury; a daughter, Sancy Joyce of Austin; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Joyce of Sweetwater; three grandchildren, NIcholas, Colin and Samantha, all of Granbury; grandmother, Clara Hendrix of Sweetwater; mother-in-law, Mary Galbraith of Abilene; brother-in-law, Dr. Gervis Galbraith of Abilene; three sisters-in-law, Kandy Galbraith Lee of Laguna Beach, Calif., Deborah Galbraith Connolly of Santa Ana, Calif., and Donna Galbraith Oliver of Graham; nine nieces and nephews; three great-nephews; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and a host of good friends. He was preceded in death by his youngest son, Sergeant James Casey Joyce.

Pallbearers will be Rodman D. Starke, M.D.; John S. Peppers, major general, U.S. Army (Ret.); Lee T. Massey, colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.); Thomas W. Johnson, colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.); Jack Burton; Gervis Galbraith, M.D.; Gene Hendrix; and Sam Castranova.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests gifts to the American Heart Association or a favorite charity.

U.S. Senate Floor Statement
May 3, 1999

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas is recognized for 30 minutes.

Mrs. HUTCHISON. Thank you, Madam President. I, too, thank my colleagues, Senator McCain and Senator Biden, for having principle, for stating their principle very forcefully, even though I disagree with
what they are trying to do with the resolution that is before us today.

I think every Member of this body has the responsibility to address this issue, to say what we think, and to back that up with action. In fact, I have to say that I was stunned, after the House action last week, that some Members came forward and said, `Oh, this is partisan.’

Madam President, this is not partisan. There are Members from both sides of the aisle who have very differing views on this. I would never say that someone who does not vote with me is partisan or is coming to this debate with anything other than their own conscience.

So I am going to speak from my conscience and my heart. I am against this resolution. I am not against it procedurally; I am against it on the merits. I respect everyone who is on either side of this issue, and I think we need to have the debate. I think we need to take an action that would turn us in a different direction from the course we are on in Kosovo today.

Madam President, I have to take a moment of personal privilege and say that I was stunned to pick up my paper on Saturday and read that one of my constituents, Larry Joyce, had died on Friday. Friday night, when I was speaking to a group, I was talking about Larry Joyce–not knowing that he had passed away–because Larry Joyce is one of my heroes. He has had an indelible impression on me.

He was watching this debate and this issue very closely, because Larry Joyce was a decorated Vietnam veteran who lost his son in Somalia. Sergeant Casey Joyce was one of the great Army Rangers who lost his life in his first mission as an Army Ranger. When Larry Joyce told me his story, I invited him to come and testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee. I have to say, he gave the most compelling testimony that I have heard in all of my time on that wonderful committee.

Larry Joyce was a hero. He was a patriot. He was very concerned about this Kosovo issue. I wish he were alive to see this issue all the way through, because he certainly had a lot to say that was important.

Veteran to be buried at national cemetery

From a contemporary press report:

Larry Joyce cheated death dozens of times as a U. S. Army combat officer in Vietnam, only to lose his son in a peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

Cancer finally did what Vietnam snipers and rockets couldn’t, but not before the former Pentagon
spokesman won his next-to-biggest battle: He engaged the Clinton administration on changes in policies regarding the use of American forces in peacekeeping.

Joyce died Friday at his home in Granbury after a two-year battle with leukemia. He was 60. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Acton United Methodist Church, directed by Wiley Funeral Home in Granbury.

On Friday, Lt. Col. Larry Joyce, U.S. Army retired, will be buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery next to his son.

“We wouldn’t think of burying him anywhere else,” said Mary Galbraith of Abilene, Casey’s grandmother. “Larry and Casey were inseparable in life. Now they’re inseparable again in heaven.”

She said Casey’s widow, who has remarried since his 1993 death, relinquished her reserved burial spot to allow Larry Joyce to be buried beside his son.

Burial in Arlington, Va., will be at 9 a.m. Friday.

Sgt. James Casey Joyce, U.S. Army, was 23 when he died, the same age his father had been when he volunteered to be one of the first American combat advisors to the Republic of Vietnam.

Larry Joyce was one of the most decorated of  Hardin-Simmons University’s hundreds of ROTC
graduates. He gained national attention when he took on Clinton administration officials to seek changes in American policy involving the use of military personnel in peacekeeping operations. His campaign began shortly after Casey was among 14 Army Rangers killed October 3, 1993, in a firefight in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Another 78 American soldiers were wounded. The casualties, inflicted by the forces of warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, remain the most suffered by the U.S. in such a short period since the Persian Gulf War.

As a former manager of the U.S. military’s main newspaper, Joyce knew how to communicate. He presented his opinion in interviews on “20-20,” “60 Minutes,” “Larry King Live” and in news programs on every major network. He also wrote articles that appeared in various national and
regional newspapers.

Eventually, increasing public pressure won him an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee and a personal meeting with President Clinton. He said Clinton also expressed surprise that the peacekeeping forces had been sent to try to capture Aidid, and without armored vehicles and backup forces to boot.

When the committee’s report was withheld from the public, Joyce increased the public pressure, resulting in its release in September 1995.

The long-delayed result criticized Clinton administration officials and the military’s use of special operations forces. More importantly to Joyce, government leaders developed and implemented new policies on the use of American fighting forces in peacekeeping activities.

A native of Dallas, Joyce graduated from Merkel High School in 1956 and from HSU in 1960. He was president of the Cowboy Band at HSU and was named an ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate, leading to a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

A year later, Joyce’s battle group was ordered to West Berlin as a show of American resolve when the Soviet Union erected the Berlin Wall. In 1963, he volunteered to be one of the first American combat advisors in Vietnam. He did a second tour in Vietnam in 1967-68 as a helicopter pilot and earned more than a dozen decorations for valor.

In 1970 he was selected for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. While in the Army, he attended graduate school at Texas Tech and earned a master’s degree in mass communications. That led to a promotion to lieutenant colonel and the post of general manager of the
European-Middle East edition of Stars and Stripes, the newspaper for military personnel and their families.

He completed his military career at the Pentagon where he was chief spokesman for the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff.

Joyce’s military decorations included the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Air Medal for Valor with 12 oak leaf clusters, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Republic of Vietnam’s Cross of Gallantry.

In 1980, Joyce joined the Dallas-based EDS in the  Insurance Division. Two years later he became vice president for the American Heart Association’s Office of Communications at the National Center in Dallas.

He moved to the American Medical Association in Chicago as senior vice president for communications and publishing, but returned to the American Heart Association process for corporate relations in 1995. He retired in 1998 because of ill health.

“After Casey’s death and all during his own illness, Larry set a great example of how to handle adversity,” said longtime friend Floyd Wood, senior writer and editor with the AHA.

“As a boss he inspired everyone to do his best. I know I would charge up a hill behind him without a weapon,” he said. Joyce married the former Gail Galbraith, of Abilene, in 1960.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Steven Joyce of Granbury; a daughter, Sancy Joyce of Austin; his parents, Mr.and Mrs. Ernest Joyce of Sweetwater; and three grandchildren.

Memorials can be made to the American Heart Association or a favorite charity.

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