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CPL. RICHARD JAMES CURRIER, JR.
Born on Nov. 2, 1944
From FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
Casualty was on July 24, 1966
in QUANG TRI, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE

Panel 9E - - Line 66

Cpl. Richard Currier, Jr. served with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, India Company. He was Killed In Action during Operation HASTINGS in Quang Tri Province at the DMZ. Richard's name stands proudly on the India 3/5 Wall of Honor alongside the Marines he fought and died with. Semper fi, Brother Marine. We will never forget.

Operation HASTINGS

Childhood Friend

I guess most folks think of Memorial Day as the beginning of summer and a great three-day weekend. It has, as so many holidays, become nothing but an excuse to get out of work and drink beer. On this day I often reflect back on some of the times of my life. The good and the bad ones.

July 24th, 1966 was a very bad day in my life. I received a phone call from my mother informing that my best friend during my childhood years, Richard Currier, had been killed in Viet Nam. My mother also said that Richie's family had requested that I return home and act as a pallbearer at the service. I had to decline as I was at that time stationed in the 282nd Band in Fort Jackson, S.C., and I had just received my orders to go to the 1st Cavalry Band in Viet Nam. I was later lucky, and those orders were canceled thanks to my commander. (I later found that we lost quite a few good musicians over there, particularly the ones attached to the 1st Calvary Band.)

Richie Currier was my best friend during my early childhood years. We both lived in the Victoria Park area of Ft. Lauderdale. We spent almost every day together after school fishing, water skiing and just doing all the things young boys do to have fun. His father, Dr. Currier, was my dentist. He was also a second father to me, always making sure that Richie and I never got into too much trouble.

Dr. Currier would have something planned for Richie and I almost every weekend. We might go out in the boat and fish for Dolphin. (This is how I learned the difference between Dolphin the fish and Dolphin the mammal.) If we didn't do that we might go out dove hunting. (This is when I learned not to pull both triggers at the same time on a double-barreled 12-gauge shotgun.)

Thanks Richie, for all the good times. You'll not be forgotten in my lifetime.

Kurt

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