One Dollar Bill and One War Hero
The Story of Vinson Layman
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
From a small-town welder to a WWII veteran who loved to dance and an enduring Ashland business owner, Vinson Layman was a hero of our area.
Born in 1925, with three brothers and two sisters, Layman joined the workforce at the young age of 17. Layman was training to be a welder and working in an Ashland factory. He had never left Ashland, let alone the country, but in his lifetime, he would end up traveling to fifteen countries—some more than once–all recorded on a dollar bill he kept with him at all times.
After his vocational training, Layman went to work as a certified welder in an Ashland factory located where the Texas Roadhouse is now. Layman, only 17 at the time, made many lasting connections–as he watched as his fellow coworkers were drafted and became part of the war effort in their own ways.
“He was walking up the steps–my dad was a small man, and they called him Pee Wee, the boss did. They yelled down and the boss said, ‘Pee Wee, why haven’t they drafted you?’ He said [Vinson Layman], ‘I’m only 17; they can't draft me!’ The boss said, ‘Well if you're only 17, you can't work here!’ And he said, ‘Well, I’m the only certified welder you got. If you lose me, you gotta shut down!’ So, the boss went back to his office, and forgot about what he said,” explained Richard Layman.
After his 18th birthday, he joined the Army, assigned to General Patton’s third squadron in the tank division. Here, he spent most of his time putting his welding experience to use working on and repairing tanks. After a year of training in the USA, he was shipped to Europe. From here, he had some of the most important experiences of his life.
Layman almost drowned in the Danube River after watching two girls jump in and swim across. Convinced he could too, he jumped in–only to find the swim much above his head. It was only on his third time up for air that he finally touched the bottom and was able to fight his way to the top.
He suffered through appendicitis in France. During his time in the hospital, he would sneak out at night to go dancing and learn the jitterbug. He was also knocked out while fixing a tank when hidden artillery shells inside deployed, knocking him off the tank. Thankfully, both times he recovered fully.
During the Battle of the Bulge, Layman was caught in a valley piled high with snow. The tanks were trapped in the snowstorm, but thanks to Layman’s ingenuity and quick thinking they were able to keep moving.
“My dad told him, he said, ‘If I had some low hydrogen well rods here, I think I can get out.’ My dad always laughed about that,” explained Richard Layman. The captain quickly radioed in this idea and took credit for Vinson Layman’s ingenuity. With his help, the crew was able to get out of the snow drift and keep moving.
This story would become an integral part of the Layman family—almost as much as the iconic dollar bill he recorded all his travels.
“Years later, we were at a family funeral. He had a nephew that was a genealogist who researched the family. Our family was originally from Germany. He came over to me, and he said, ‘You know your dad was a war hero?’ I laughed. I thought, ‘What are you talking about?’ He said, ‘He got those tanks down that valley and where they can go back on into Germany.’ I thought, ‘that's probably right,’ because I had never thought of that before. I just laughed when he told me that,” remarked Richard Layman, "He picked up on that right away.”
Layman was also one of the few soldiers that entered the concentration camps in order to liberate them. The destruction, horror, and despair of those sights stayed with him for the rest of his days.
“I would add that he loved his country. He was proud to have helped in the war effort. Very proud of that. He went on to start a business, and I worked for him. He was the best man I ever knew,” expressed Richard Layman.
At the end of the war, Layman returned to the States and to his hometown of Ashland, Ky to start his own enduring business in his backyard that is still now a landmark of Ashland–the Ashland Fabricating and Welding Company Inc.
“What I'm getting at is he loved life and he wanted every part of it,” detailed Richard Layman.
On his return home, Layman joined the Army Reserves and put his mechanic experience to use. He fixed whatever he could, and helped in every way he could. He never stopped working for his country, making every day one he was proud of serving.
From almost drowning to witnessing the horrors of the concentration camps, to the surrealism of going from a small-town welder to a soldier on the front—Vinson Layman was a hero. His story, and those of many others, will remain in infamy as we remember the sheer bravery, perseverance, and loyalty our country has built.
