McMurry University War Whoop (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 9, Ed. 1, Monday, January 20, 1997 Page: 1 of 4
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S A TT McMurry University
WAR WHOOP
Vol. 74 No. 9
Abilene Texas
January 20 1997
Stenholm to speak at McMurrv
Traveling Wall to make
By BJ Jones
"All we are saying is give
peace a chance" rang the cho-
rus of apopular 1960s folksong.
From 1965 to 1975 scores of
people demonstrated in city
streets burned their draft cards
and became contientious objec-
tors. Just as many died.
McMurry University's Wah
Wahtaysee park which usually
hosts Tipi Village will be the
site of the Traveling Vietnam
Veterans Memorial. The exhibit
will be open for 24-hour view-
ing access beginning Jan. 29.
Inscribed with 58202 names
the "Wall That Heals" is a trav-
eling monument to the men and
McMurry
By Deena Duarte
They have been in the news-
papers news broadcasts and all
over television. Inside Edition
48 Hours and Oprah have hosted
them on their shows. The Today
Show and Good Morning America
also cashed in on their story. So
who are these highly in demand
people?
They are known simply as
"The Roby Millionaires."
Many members of the
McMurry community may not
know one of these lucky lottery
players is on our campus daily.
He is Shad Rasco McMurry's
very own associate director of
annual giving.
Born and raised in Roby
Rasco began working at
McMurry in the fall of 1995.
Since then he has led successful
funding drives such as 1995's
phone-a-thon and the current
school year's telefund drive.
After working hard getting
money for others Shad along
with 42 other Roby citizens
lucked into some money all
their own.
On Nov. 27 1996 -Thanksgiving
Day-Roby with a
populationjustover600became
the town with probably the most
number of millionaires per
capita.
They won the Texas lottery.
"It was something like $46.6
million total. Now one out of
women who lost their lives in
the most controversial of all
America's wars.
The Wall That Heals is a half-
scale replica of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial located in
Washington D.C. It was laser-
crafted to the exact letter and
inch of the original exhibit. The
replica stands five feet tall at its
highest point and measures 246
feet in length.
The exhibit appearing in Wah
Wahtaysee is the official Viet-
nam Veterans Memorial Fund
Traveling Wall.
The Wall in Washington
D.C was completed in 1982 af-
ter Congress authorized
construction through the Viet
employee
every ii people are mniion-
aires" said Rasco.
A secretary at a local cotton
gin decided to follow suit after
a group from Snyder had won a
smaller amount. She began ask-
ing for anyone wanting to
participate in a lottery ticket
purchase and found 43 people.
They pooled their funds to-
gether and bought 250 tickets.
The liquor store in Sweetwater
where the winning tickets were
purchased has sold the most
winning lottery tickets in Texas.
"There were a few people who
decided they didn't need to
spend money on the lottery or
figured that it was such a long
shot at winning so they didn't
play"said Rasco. "I'm sure
they're pounding their heads
against the wall now."
Those who did participate
ranged in ages from 23 to 82
years old but age is no factor in
this game of luck.
"It was simply luck of the
draw. At that same time a group
of businessmen from Dallas
bought $10000 worth of tickets.
But we ended up with the win-
ning numbers on our
tickets'said Shad.
Upon hearing of their win-
ning Shad's parents were
skeptical.
"At this time I didn't realize
my Dad had entered me in this
also so I was just being excited
memorial
appearance in Wah Wahtaysee
nam Veterans Memorial Fund
in 1979. It is under the care of
the National Park Service. The
Wall That Heals is sponsored
by the WMF.
What started as a wish has
turned into a dream come true.
Originally scheduled to be
placed on display this month in
Berkeley California the Wall
That Heals will make its home
at McMurry since Berkeley offi-
cials backed out of their display
agreement. Ironically Berkeley
was a hotbed for student unrest
targeted at United States in-
volvement in Vietnam.
"It will be a great honor for
McMurry to host the traveling
wall" said Dr. Robert Shimp
now millionaire next door
for them" he said. "They kept
saying 'maybe they read the
numbers wrong' and wonder-
ing if this was all really true."
Once the numbers were con-
firmed his father told him he
would receive his own share of
the winnings. Unbeknownst to
Shad his father had chipped in
extra stating it was for Shad's
share of the tickets.
Shad Rasco
"You can only imagine how
hysterical I was. So was the
whole town. After the numbers
were announced phone lines
were tied up forever. Peggy
Dickson the woman who got us
all started called everyone to
give them the news. Everyone
who won was from Roby al-
though five of us no longer live
there" said Shad.
Those unlucky men from Dal-
las may never know how much
4 yit if -nnn
McMurry University president.
The Wall That Heals will be
open for public viewing begin-
ning Wednesday Jan. 29. The
initial ceremony will be opened
by Shimp for people associated
with McMurry.
In conjunction with the me-
morial the Abilene Grunts
Association will hold their 10th
annual Tet Reunion on Satur-
day Feb. 1 in the Round
Building of the Taylor County
Fairgrounds. The event is sched-
uled from noon until 9 p.m.
Personal artifacts such as pic-
tures clothing poetry videos
relics and artwork from local
Vietnam veterans will be on display.
fun they have missed out on.
The Lottery Commission sent
two chartered busses to pick up
the "Roby Millionaires" and
transport them to Austin for a
press conference and the check
presentation. Here they learned
of their total winnings individu-ally-$40000
a year for the next
20 years.
In the last two months 22
vehicles have been purchased
by residents of this small farm-
ing community locafed 60 miles
northwest of Abilene.
"Most of these were pick-ups
and suburbans" said Rasco the
proud owner of a new
Mitsubishi Spider and a new
Chevy Tahoe.
Shopping trips another popu-
lar post-win activity were
played up by the crew of the
television show Extra.
They brought a bunch of
women shopping. While at the
Mall of Abilene Extra jabot foot-
age of the women buying
Christmas gifts and enjoying
their newfound wealth. But
they did get in some trouble at a
department store.
"The big joke is that they got
kicked out of Dillard's. The real
story is that there is a store
policy that permission must be
granted before camaras can be
brought in. The crew over-
looked that so they were asked
to leave" said Rasco.
The event will culminate with
a 10 a.m. memorial service on
Feb. 1 specifically honoring
those veterans from the Big
Country who died during the
Vietnam War. Names of veter-
ans from Taylor and 26
surrounding counties will be
read at the service.
Newly re-elected Congress-
man Charlie Stenholm and state
Representative Bob Hunter will
be present to speak at the open-
ing ceremony.
The celebration is also in
honor of the 50th anniversary of
the United States Air Force.
For further information
please contact the Veterans Af-
fairs Office at 674-1328.
This episode of Extra is sched-
uled to air in February.
The women aren't the only
ones having fun with this year's
paycheck. Among the winners
were six bachelors including
the 27-year-old Rasco. With this
news they 've learned to be leary
of certain aspects in thier lives.
"No one is hearing wedding
bells just yet but there have
been old girlfriends calling
lately'said Rasco.
When a group of men were
asked by a reporter from the
television news program 48-
Honrs who they thought would
be outragous or extravagant
with their money Rasco admits
he was mentioned. Shad who
is also a sponsor of the McMurry
Student Ambassador Board
had already shared his story
with this group and had warned:
"I think I'll have fun with this
first payment then be respon-
sible after that."
Rasco's father has purchased
a new tractor and his mother
plans to retire early.
Rasco recalled one other time
that Roby had been the center of
some media attention.
"The Dallas Morning-News did
a story on Roby a few years ago
concerning a drought that was
killing the farming industry"
said Rasco. "Now they are writ-
ing about us being lottery
winners."
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McMurry University War Whoop (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 9, Ed. 1, Monday, January 20, 1997, newspaper, January 20, 1997; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth104591/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting McMurry University Library.