Ben Wallace enlisted in the Army shortly after his 17th birthday. He volunteered for Airborne school and then served at Ft Bragg until he turned 18 and was eligible to be deployed to Vietnam. He would serve four tours in Vietnam, re-enlisting as each passed so he could continue to serve. Wallace contracted malaria and was returned to the US weighing just 111 pounds. He regained his health, entered college and earned a degree in engineering. He is an avid motorcyclist.