Richard enlisted in the Army on two separate occasions. His first tour of duty occurred from 1971-1977 and the second from 1981- 1984.
His first enlistment concerned him a little because the war in Vietnam was ongoing, but he knew he would be drafted and wanted to volunteer in order to get into a field he felt comfortable with.
Richard’s father was a West Point graduate who provided military service during WWII and Vietnam, and he knew his father would be proud of him as a result of his own military service. After graduating basic training at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, Richard began his military career in the field of communications. During the course of his almost 10 years of service, he was deployed to Germany two times and was also stationed at Ft. Bragg, N.C. In addition to communications, Richard was also involved in supply.
The transition from civilian to military life was not much of an issue for him because he became acclimated to military life very quickly and enjoyed it. He enjoyed the discipline and believes that the military smooths out an individual’s rough edges.
His fondest memories of the military were his tours of duty overseas. As he says, “You can leave the military, but you can’t take the military out of you.”
Richard has lived in Londonderry since September 2023, and he is enjoying life within the community.
