Arthur Jay Rankin was born March 17, 1939, in Littlefield, Texas. He was raised near Littlefield and attended school until the age of 16 working on the family farm until he was drafted into the United States Army in 1961. He served our country in the Army from 1961 through 1963 and was honorably discharged in 1967, after serving four years in the Army Reserves.

Jay attended basic training in Fort Carson, Colorado. He was there to do his duty, although not by choice, and became frustrated during hourly training formations one night and slung the door off the wall in the barracks. Having grown u...