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The Story of Texas Tech Legend and WWII Veteran Elmer Tarbox

Today marks the 75th anniversary of a tragic day in American history; the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The incident ultimately led to the United States’ entry into World War II.

Many brave men and women stepped up to serve their country in a time of need. One of them was Elmer Tarbox, a legend on the girdiron for the Texas Technological College Matadors.

Born in 1916, Tarbox was raised in the Texas panhandle town of Higgins. While he loved to play sports, his town didn’t have a football team because it was so small.

But when he enrolled at Texas Tech in 1935 to study business, Tarbox watched the Matador football team and was intrigued, learning as he watched.