RIP, to my Uncle Richard Curtis Shaffer (b. 3/24/1939-3/31/2009). He was a cool and unconventional man. He left home when he was seventeen and joined the US Marine Corps (that's him above, scanned from a small photograph my Mom gave me some time ago).
An undated newspaper clipping she also gave me says: "Cpl. Dick Shaffer . . . is currently taking part in amphibious Marine exercises at Viegues, Puerto Rico. He is with the 12th Provisional Marine Brigade and recently departed from Camp Lejeune, N.C. The exercise, known as Brigadelex 3-59, is the third in series of Navy-Marine Corps operations."
From what I've heard in family conversations, my uncle was assigned to the aircraft carrier Franklin D. Roosevelt. A little extra research shows that this carrier was either the first or one of the first in its class to carry jets and nuclear capabilities; in 1958, it helped evacuate Americans from revolutionary Cuba, and it later saw a round of service during the Vietnam War in 1967. By then, my uncle was long back in civilian life and on to new adventures.
Farewell, Richard C. "Uncle Dick" Shaffer, you are truly missed.
Today's Rune: Defense.
9 comments:
And God bless him for his service. That was a nice remembrance.
It is a fine thing the veterans of the nation have performed with their service.
Excellent tribute.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Thank you Erik. My father was a wonderful man, and through things like this, I learn more of him and his accomplishments every day!
THANK YOU ERIK FOR THAT LOVELY TRIBUTE TO MY BROTHER, YOUR UNCLE.
MOM
Thanks all, for the comments.
And a special thanks to Broni and Mom. More to come, I suspect.
Nice send off to your Uncle. God Bless all Vets.
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