World War II Honoree

Richard Neil Etter

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Wichita Falls, Texas

Honored By

John C. Burkhardt, SVC MOPH, Chapter 1919, Austin, Texas

DRAFTED INTO THE MILITARY, HE REPORTED TO THE DALLAS, TEXAS INDUCTION CENTER. HE WAS GIVEN A CHOICE OF BEING DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY AND RETURNING AT A LATER DATE TO BE SHIPPED OUT FOR TRAINING; OR JOIN THE MARINES AND SHIP OUT IMMEDIATELY. HE JOINED THE MARINES AND SHIPPED OUT FOR BASIC TRAINING, SAN DIEGO, CA. HIS NEXT TRAINING WAS HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA. ONCE HE COMPLETED THIS TRAINING HE WAS SHIPPED BACK TO SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AND ASSIGNED TO A CASUAL COMPANY, AWAITING ORDERS FOR OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT. SOON HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO HIS FIRST OVERSEAS ASSIGNMENT, ASSIGNED TO AN ENGINEERING BATTALION STATIONED IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. HIS COMPANY WAS THEN LOADED ON CONVOY SHIPS HEADED TO OKINAWA, JAPAN. HIS COMPANY WAS LOADED ON A CARGO SHIP AND THE MARINES WERE ALL ASSIGNED TO QUARTERS IN THE BOW OF THE SHIP. BECAUSE OF THE ROUGH SEAS AND ALL THE TROOPS BELOW DECK BEING SEASICK, HE OPTED TO SLEEP OUT ON THE DECK, UNDER THE STARS. ON APRIL 1, 1945, D-DAY, HE LANDED ON OKINAWA, ENCOUNTERING NO ENEMY CONTACT. ON MAY 5, 1945, THE HEAVY FIGHTING HAD NOT YET BEGUN. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A BULLDOZER WITH ONE OTHER MARINE. THE BULLDOZER WAS FITTED WITH A HEAVY STEEL BOX OVER THE DRIVER. THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO PREPARE A CROSSING OVER A CREEK. IT WAS VERY HOT INSIDE THE BULLDOZER CAGE, SO EVERY HOUR THEY WERE TO ROTATE OUT AND THE OTHER DRIVER TAKE OVER FOR AN HOUR, SO THEY COULD RECOVER FROM THE HEAT. JUST AS HE TRADED WITH THE OTHER DRIVER A VERY LARGE 'BELL MINE' EXPLODED KILLING THE DRIVER AND ALMOST SEVERING HIS LEFT ARM. SOON AID ARRIVED AND THE ONE CHECKING THE BULLDOZER YELLED OUT, 'THIS ONE'S DEAD.' THE ONE CHECKING HIM OUT YELLED BACK, 'THIS ONE'S DEAD TOO.' TO WHICH HE REPLIED, 'NO I'M NOT,' ALMOST CAUSING THE MARINE ASSISTING TO HAVE A CORONARY. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST FIELD HOSPITAL, WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO SAVE HIS ARM AND PUT HIM IN A FULL BODY CAST. HE WAS THEN FLOWN TO THE NAVY HOSPITAL IN GUAM AND THEN TO PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII FOR TREATMENT. BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF HIS WOUND HE WAS TAKEN TO THE NAVY HOSPITAL IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA AND LATER TO THE NAVY HOSPITAL IN COEUR DE LANE, IDAHO, WHERE HE WAS FITTED WITH A NEW, FULL BODY CAST. NEXT HE WAS SENT TO THE NAVY HOSPITAL IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, WHILE THERE THE WAR WAS OVER AND THE MILITARY STARTED CLOSING HOSPITALS. HE WAS THEN SENT TO THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL IN DALLAS, TEXAS, WHERE THEY CUT OFF HIS CAST AND PERFORMED ADDITIONAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES. AFTER RECOVERING FORM THE SURGERY HE WAS TOLD TO GO HOME FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND THEN REPORT BACK. HE WANTED NOTHING MORE TO DO WITH HOSPITALS AND NEVER RETURNED. HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE MARINE CORPS IN JUNE 1946. HE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, MARKSMANSHIP BADGE AND ASIATIC - PACIFIC CAMPAIGN RIBBON.