World War II Honoree

Richard J. Minear, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Sacramento, California

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. Inducted into the United States Marine Corps April 25, 1940 with induction at San Francisco, California. He completed basic training with the Fourth Recruit Battalion Recruit Depot; Marine Corps Base San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was selected for Sea Duty AKA: Soldiers of the Sea. Also assigned to a Marine Detachment in San Diego. Following the training, he was transferred to the USS Arizona Battleship, BB-30 for duty, and based at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii. Sunday Morning, December 7, 1941 the Emperor of Japan and his Naval Aviators launched their well-planned attack on the U.S. Fleet at Pearl Harbor and other military installations on Oahu. The Arizona moored on Ford Island along with her shipmates came under attack, and she was mortally wounded by an armor piercing bomb that ignited the ship’s forward ammunition magazine. Reported missing in action or buried at sea succeeding the attack. In remembrance of the brave, his name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at Honolulu Memorial Location: Honolulu, Hawaii. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his Heroism and ultimate sacrifice.