Rodney Birdell Yardley |
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Rod Yardley was a man of great potential. While growing up he expressed an interest in electronics. His father, Birdell Yardley of Clearfield UT., spent countless nights working together on his projects. He was a good student but that wasn't all he did in High School, Rod invented a Remote control car, and among other gadgets produced a 500-watt amplifier, which was even larger than the one at his high school. After high school he served a full time LDS mission to Northern California. While there he was given the unique opportunity to serve the Native Americans on an Indian Reservation in Nevada. After his mission he came to BYU and began his Bachelors Degree. During his first year of school he met Mary Jayne Robertson, they fell in love and began to make plans to be married. Then came a second mission call, a call to Vietnam. During his one-year tour of duty he made many friends and was respected by both peer and commander. As the end of his tour drew near, his love for Mary grew. They scheduled there wedding just 13 days after he was to arrive home. Then he received his third mission call. The following is the story of his sacrifice as told by his friend Sam Pollack. I (Sam Pollack) visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Utah. I had a good friend whose name was on the wall. I went to the Memorial early in the morning. I wanted to be alone. I found his name on the wall, I remembered how he died. Rod Yardley had served as an Armored Personnel Carrier driver in Vietnam. He'd marked off 363 days, and when he came off combat operations for the day, his Deros orders-date expected to return from overseas- was waiting for him at the Dau-Chang base camp. He held his orders high and shouted for joy, he was going home. No one knew any better than Rod how lucky he'd been. Not many A.P.C. drivers completed full tour. All he had to do was pack his bags and catch the plane home. We were happy for him. When someone made it a full tour, it gave hope to the rest of us that we might make it too. Rod was in first platoon, led by first Lieutenant John O'Farrell. I was acting platoon leader of second platoon. I don't know all the thoughts that were in Rod's mind as he waved his orders high. I do know that something happened to Rod that afternoon that reflects the true Character of a man who'd passed through Vietnam's refining fire. He saw his replacement, a young boy just coming into Vietnam to begin this tour. Perhaps Rod remembered back to a year when he had just come into country and was assigned to grip those A.P.C. steering laterals of fear. He knew the fear and insecurity his young replacement was feeling. Rod decided to go out one more day and teach his replacements the rules of the road. I was not aware of Rod's decision. I went to our operations meeting that night and received orders to go to Tai-Nyn and escort a convoy from there to Dau-Chang. Rod's platoon received orders to clear highway 14 of mines and ambushes in order that convoys might pass safely. Highway 14 was an extremely dangerous stretch of road. We'd suffered high casualties. I remembered thinking that it was good Rod was going home and wouldn't have drive the next day. When I returned to my platoon sector one of my drivers mentioned that Rod had decided to go out one more day. I had an uneasy feeling. I went to Rod and told him he should take his orders and go home. I knew he'd place his A.P.C. at the front of the line the next day, usually the lead A.P.C. hit the undetected mine. Rod told me that he'd made it 363 days and he figured he could make it one more. I reminded him of the heavy toll highway 14 had taken on us. He told me he might be able to pass on information that could save the life his replacement. He felt it was worth the risk. I went to First Lieutenant O'Farrell and told him what Rod planned to do. He told me he'd pull him off the line, he didn't want him to go out either. The next morning I left early for Tai-Nyn to escort my convoy. While en route to Dau-Chang, I picked up radio transmissions from Lieutenant O'Farrell. He was calling for a medivac to pick up two KIA's- killed in action. I knew they'd hit a mine, the driver and a fifty gunner had been killed. When I got back to base camp that night Lieutenant O'Farrell was waiting for me told me Rod had been killed. I was stunned. I asked him why he hadn't pulled Rod of the line. He told me he'd tried, but Rod told him, "Lieutenant O'Farrell, I've served you well. I've followed every order you've given me. Now I'm released from the line and have my orders to go home. I think I've earned the right to make this decision." Lieutenant O'Farrell told me, "Out of respect for him and what he wanted to do, I let him go." I shed tears at the wall as I stared at Rod's name. I also realized I was the only one who knew the full details of his decision, and why his name was on the wall. First Lieutenant O'Farrell was killed several weeks later. I left the Utah Memorial and went to a telephone and started calling the Yardley's in Salt Lake City. Eventually I located Rod's mother and told her the details leading up to Rod's death, she was comforted, they only knew he'd been killed in a mine explosion. Mary received news of Rodney's death less then three weeks before their wedding. Over the past 32 years Mary and Mrs. Yardley, now a widower, have kept in touch. Rodney Yardley, a man of great potential, one of BYU's own, his was the ultimate sacrifice. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15: 13 | |
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Contact Information: Leor Yardley 862 E. 450 S. Clearfield, UT. 85015 |
Written By: Cadet Tim McCreary |
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please feel free to contact us by mail or email, listed below.
| Memorial Hall 380 Wells ROTC Bldg Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602-1048 |
(memhall@byu.edu) |