Richard: Graduated from Rossville High School May 1950. Was in Marine Reserve in Chattanooga Tn. While still in high school.
That summer (1950) worked for Coca Cola Bottling Co and didn't go to Marine Summer Training at Camp Lejune, N.C. He was working to go into Forestry training that fall.
The 1st Marine Division was called up for active duty and left Chattanooga Labor Day 1950. Was in training at Camp Pendleton, Calif until Oct shipped to Korea and on front lines Nov 25,1950.
Last letter received: He was watching guard atop a mountain overlooking Chosin Resevoir.
Dec.21,1950 the family was notified he had been killed Dec.7 or 8,1950.
As scouting,when an enemy machine gun opened fire, he never knew what hit him. ( per his best friend, (SPARKY) that knew Richard had not had enough training and had tried to teach him everything he knew.
Quoted by: Sparky 2/28/02
I am Sparky that was with Richard the day that he was killed on Dec. 8,1950. It was snowing very heavily. He was killed about 9 a.m. I carried his body to the road thinking that he would be picked up by graves and registration. Sgt. Eugene Suter (still living in MN.) signed the death certificate. It was about 2 years ago that I received a call from a man named McChesney (sp?) who said that he had dug a trench in which 120 Marines were buried. (I think that this was in Koto-ri by the railroad track). Up until this time I always believed that Richard had been retrieved. Mc Chesney is now deceased but this event haunted him until the day he died. I wrote to Richard's mother from Korea telling her what happened and I corresponded with her for a couple of years upon my return to the states ( 1950-51) This is what I know. Wishing you the best. Sparky
Richard's body has never been returned to the U.S.
His only brother that was one year old at the time, has been trying to get his body returned but to no avail.
Semper Fidelis
Lem (Sparky) passed away 2006.
That summer (1950) worked for Coca Cola Bottling Co and didn't go to Marine Summer Training at Camp Lejune, N.C. He was working to go into Forestry training that fall.
The 1st Marine Division was called up for active duty and left Chattanooga Labor Day 1950. Was in training at Camp Pendleton, Calif until Oct shipped to Korea and on front lines Nov 25,1950.
Last letter received: He was watching guard atop a mountain overlooking Chosin Resevoir.
Dec.21,1950 the family was notified he had been killed Dec.7 or 8,1950.
As scouting,when an enemy machine gun opened fire, he never knew what hit him. ( per his best friend, (SPARKY) that knew Richard had not had enough training and had tried to teach him everything he knew.
Quoted by: Sparky 2/28/02
I am Sparky that was with Richard the day that he was killed on Dec. 8,1950. It was snowing very heavily. He was killed about 9 a.m. I carried his body to the road thinking that he would be picked up by graves and registration. Sgt. Eugene Suter (still living in MN.) signed the death certificate. It was about 2 years ago that I received a call from a man named McChesney (sp?) who said that he had dug a trench in which 120 Marines were buried. (I think that this was in Koto-ri by the railroad track). Up until this time I always believed that Richard had been retrieved. Mc Chesney is now deceased but this event haunted him until the day he died. I wrote to Richard's mother from Korea telling her what happened and I corresponded with her for a couple of years upon my return to the states ( 1950-51) This is what I know. Wishing you the best. Sparky
Richard's body has never been returned to the U.S.
His only brother that was one year old at the time, has been trying to get his body returned but to no avail.
Semper Fidelis
Lem (Sparky) passed away 2006.
Richard: Graduated from Rossville High School May 1950. Was in Marine Reserve in Chattanooga Tn. While still in high school.
That summer (1950) worked for Coca Cola Bottling Co and didn't go to Marine Summer Training at Camp Lejune, N.C. He was working to go into Forestry training that fall.
The 1st Marine Division was called up for active duty and left Chattanooga Labor Day 1950. Was in training at Camp Pendleton, Calif until Oct shipped to Korea and on front lines Nov 25,1950.
Last letter received: He was watching guard atop a mountain overlooking Chosin Resevoir.
Dec.21,1950 the family was notified he had been killed Dec.7 or 8,1950.
As scouting,when an enemy machine gun opened fire, he never knew what hit him. ( per his best friend, (SPARKY) that knew Richard had not had enough training and had tried to teach him everything he knew.
Quoted by: Sparky 2/28/02
I am Sparky that was with Richard the day that he was killed on Dec. 8,1950. It was snowing very heavily. He was killed about 9 a.m. I carried his body to the road thinking that he would be picked up by graves and registration. Sgt. Eugene Suter (still living in MN.) signed the death certificate. It was about 2 years ago that I received a call from a man named McChesney (sp?) who said that he had dug a trench in which 120 Marines were buried. (I think that this was in Koto-ri by the railroad track). Up until this time I always believed that Richard had been retrieved. Mc Chesney is now deceased but this event haunted him until the day he died. I wrote to Richard's mother from Korea telling her what happened and I corresponded with her for a couple of years upon my return to the states ( 1950-51) This is what I know. Wishing you the best. Sparky
Richard's body has never been returned to the U.S.
His only brother that was one year old at the time, has been trying to get his body returned but to no avail.
Semper Fidelis
Lem (Sparky) passed away 2006.
That summer (1950) worked for Coca Cola Bottling Co and didn't go to Marine Summer Training at Camp Lejune, N.C. He was working to go into Forestry training that fall.
The 1st Marine Division was called up for active duty and left Chattanooga Labor Day 1950. Was in training at Camp Pendleton, Calif until Oct shipped to Korea and on front lines Nov 25,1950.
Last letter received: He was watching guard atop a mountain overlooking Chosin Resevoir.
Dec.21,1950 the family was notified he had been killed Dec.7 or 8,1950.
As scouting,when an enemy machine gun opened fire, he never knew what hit him. ( per his best friend, (SPARKY) that knew Richard had not had enough training and had tried to teach him everything he knew.
Quoted by: Sparky 2/28/02
I am Sparky that was with Richard the day that he was killed on Dec. 8,1950. It was snowing very heavily. He was killed about 9 a.m. I carried his body to the road thinking that he would be picked up by graves and registration. Sgt. Eugene Suter (still living in MN.) signed the death certificate. It was about 2 years ago that I received a call from a man named McChesney (sp?) who said that he had dug a trench in which 120 Marines were buried. (I think that this was in Koto-ri by the railroad track). Up until this time I always believed that Richard had been retrieved. Mc Chesney is now deceased but this event haunted him until the day he died. I wrote to Richard's mother from Korea telling her what happened and I corresponded with her for a couple of years upon my return to the states ( 1950-51) This is what I know. Wishing you the best. Sparky
Richard's body has never been returned to the U.S.
His only brother that was one year old at the time, has been trying to get his body returned but to no avail.
Semper Fidelis
Lem (Sparky) passed away 2006.
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