Richard Rich – Captain, United States Navy

by

“I Once Was Lost, But Now I’m Found …”

rrich-rub

From contemporary press reports:
Wednesday, November 1, 2000

After more than 33 years of waiting, Chris Rich will finally attend his father’s funeral Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery.

Navy Commander Richard Rich was shot down in Vietnam in May 1967, just 15 days before he was scheduled to return home. Chris Rich has been notified that scattered remains found last spring were identified as those of his father. He will accompany the remains to the burial site.

“As hard as it is to live with these bone fragments as him, to hold and to touch them is almost the same thing as being able to go to the casket,” Chris Rich said. “I’ll be able to close this chapter of my life.”

The remains – 30 bone chips and a tooth – were studied at the Army’s Central Identification Lab in Hawaii. Secretary of Defense William Cohen visited the crash site where they were found about 20 miles southwest of Hanoi last spring, bringing attention to the case.

It is the only excavation Cohen has visited since taking office in January 1997, said Pentagon spokesman Larry Greer.

“The commitment that the government has spelled out is, we will seek the fullest possible accounting of all missing in action from all conflicts,”  Greer said.

There are still 1,991 soldiers listed as missing in action from the Vietnam War, according to the Pentagon. Excavations of crash sites are continuing.

Chris Rich’s wife, Dianne, is the daughter of Air Force Techinal Sergeant Thomas Moore, who is listed as missing in action.

“Three decades is a long time to wait to have to bury someone,” Dianne Rich said. “It’s something we wait for – you live for the day to come so you can say goodbye.”

Family members, members of Richard Rich’s squadron and children of other soldiers listed as MIA will attend Tuesday’s service. There will be a 21-gun salute, a playing of tapes and a Navy fly-over.

Chris Rich will break apart an MIA bracelet with his father’s name engraved on it, burying one piece with his father’s remains and placing the other by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

He also will remove a copper bracelet he has worn for 20 years in memory of his father.

“That bracelet is a man,” Rich said. “These were made to remind people they were a prisoner of war or missing in action. When they come home, there’s no reason to wear them anymore.

“He’s home.”

richard-rich-photo-01

RICH, RICHARD
Remains returned. Buried 11/05/00 Arlington National Cemetery

Name: Richard Rich
Rank/Branch: O5/US Navy, pilot
Unit: Fighter Squadron 96, USS ENTERPRISE (CVAN 65)
Date of Birth: 27 October 1925 (New York NY)
Home City of Record: Stamford Connecticut
Date of Loss: 19 May 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 203952N 1054125E (WH718962)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4B
Other Personnel in Incident: William R. Stark (released POW)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 May 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 2002.

SYNOPSIS:

When nuclear powered USS ENTERPRISE arrived on Yankee Station on December 2, 1965, she was the largest warship ever built. She brought with her not only an imposing physical presence, but also an impressive component of warplanes and the newest technology. By the end of her first week of combat operations, the ENTERPRISE had set a record of 165 combat sorties in a single day, surpassing the KITTY HAWK’s 131. By the end of her first combat cruise, her air wing had flown over 13,000 combat sorties. The record had not been achieved without cost.

One of the aircraft launched from the decks of the ENTERPRISE was the F4 Phantom fighter/bomber. The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings, served a multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2), and had a long range (900 – 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission type). The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes. The F4 was selected for a number of state-of-the-art electronics conversions, which improved radar intercept and computer bombing capabilities enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the “hottest” planes around.

When the ENTERPRISE arrived in Vietnam on its second combat cruise, two of its pilots were Lieutenant Commander William R. Stark and Commander Richard Rich. The two comprised the crew of an F4B Phantom sent on a mission over North Vietnam near the city of Hanoi on May 19, 1967. Rich served as the pilot of the aircraft, while Stark was the Radar Intercept Officer (RIO).

During the mission, Rich’s wingman reported that enemy defenses, both anti-aircraft fire and surface-to-air missiles (SAM) were extremely heavy. He and Commander Rich were forced to fly their aircraft at very low altitudes in order to avoid the numerous missiles. While over the target, the wingman observed a missile detonate close behind CDR Rich’s aircraft and he subsequently lost sight of Rich’s aircraft during the violent evasive maneuvering. Visual contact was completely lost and repeated radio calls to CDR Rich produced negative results.

The wingman found no trace of Rich’s aircraft, there were no emergency radio signals, and the wingman saw no parachutes. Search and rescue efforts were impossible due to the high threat in the Hanoi area. Electronic surveillance of the area produced negative results.

In 1973, 591 Americans were released by the Vietnamese from Hanoi, including William R. Stark. Stark had been advanced to the rank of Commander during the years of his captivity. Richard Rich was among hundreds known or suspected to be held captive that were not released. Since that time, the Vietnamese have denied any knowledge of the fate of Richard Rich.

For 23 years, the Vietnamese have denied knowledge of the fate of Richard Rich, even though his aircraft went down in a heavily populated area. There is every reason to believe that Vietnamese could account for Rich, even if he died when
his aircraft went down. On November 11, 1976, the Department of the Navy declared Richard Rich dead, based on no specific information he was still alive. During the time he was maintained Missing in Action, Rich was advanced to the
rank of Captain.

Disturbing testimony was given to Congress in 1980 that the Vietnamese “stockpiled” the remains of Americans to return at politically advantageous times. Could Rich be waiting, in a casket, for just such a moment?

Even more disturbing are the nearly 10,000 reports received by the U.S. relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia. Many authorities who have examined this information (largely classified), have reluctantly come to the conclusion that many Americans are still alive in Southeast Asia. Could Rich be among these? Perhaps the most compelling questions when remains are returned are, “Is it really who they say it is?”, and “How — and when — did he die?” As long as reports continue to be received which indicate Americans are still alive in Indochina, we can only regard the return of remains as a politically expedient way to show “progress” on accounting for American POW/MIAs. As long as reports continue to be received, we must wonder how many are alive.

As long as even one American remains alive, held against his will, we must do everything possible to bring him home — alive.

November 1997
My Name is Christopher S. Rich Son of Captain Richard Rich, USN, MIA since 19 May 1967.

I am an active member of Sons and Daughters In Touch (SDIT). During Veterans Day the Moving Wall was at Knox Berry Farms and a Daughter that was adopted at birth found out that her Biological Father is a MIA.  She came on line tonight asking for help for ANY Information on him. I looked all over the place, many POW Pages and I finally got to yours and got some information for her. Thank you VERY VERY VERY MUCH.

You have helped start the healing proces for another KID.

Thank you again and WELCOME HOME to all my Big Brothers and Sisters here at the Network Sincerly yours, Chris

Captain Rich was the Father of four sons at the time that he was shot down we were 13, 11, 9, 4. This has effect us in different ways, I am the youngest of the “boys” and  am asking questions that the US Government would rather ignore or continue to keep quite. Why would the Government, the one that my Father was so proud of and WANTED to go do his DUTY for. He actually was to old and pulled every string he could to go over to Vietnam, but you know how Fighter Pilots can be, they train their whole lives for combat and will do anything to show that they have the RIGHT STUFF. Thank you, Sincerely, Christopher S. Rich

Update on my Dads Case as of June 1999

On June 15th I arrived in Washington DC for the annual Government Breifings on Our POW/MIA’s.  I arrived a few days early to have some fun and to do some research at the Library of Congress (LOC). While going through one of the reels at the LOC I saw a Live Sighting report dated 1968.  It was a picture of a group of POW’s, location unknown, my Mom stated that it was Dad postiviely.  My Grand Mother on the other hand state that it could not be her son as he was always clean cut, with short hair and always dressed nicley.  I am sorry but I do not know of Many of our POW’s that had a Barber shop in there Camp.  The DIA also confirmed this to be my dad.

Then in 1969 an AP report stated that Pilots shotdown on 19 May 1967, my Dads date, were taken to Russia.  They also mentioned his name.

While going through the one file I have on my Dad, the rest are being copied for me, I noticed several inconsitatncies by Joint Task Force for Full Accountablity or better known as JTF-FA in the Circle. I was told last year that there was no longer any Primary (cases that the government would first try to finish first) and no Alternate cases (cases that the governemnt would attpemt to get to).  But in one of the Documents in my dads new file JTF-FA stated that he was listed as an Alternate site two times.  But there is a problem with that too, see my Dads site is in a ricepaddy and it can only be excavated during the dry season.  But the datres given were during the Monson season.

I had a Friend, Thanks Steve, Attend the Quesion and Answer Session for the Government Briefings.  He asked Brigadier General Tucker these questions for me. GeneralTucker confirmed that yes they had primary and alternate cases on each mission and he did not know why they would schedule my Dads case during a monson season.  Do they really think that the Families do not know when the dry season is if it is part of their case?

General Tucker also told Steve that my Dads case should have been a primary last year and that he will personaly look in to this and get back to Steve and myself. Well that is all now. Thanks for caring Chris

Wednesday, March 15, 2000

Press Release from the Family of Commander Richard Rich, USN

Secretary of Defense William Cohen Uses Dad’s Crash Site as Publicity Stunt.
By Christopher Rich
Son and Primary Next of Kin to Commander Richard Rich, USN

We are extremely grateful for the efforts of the Joint Task Force for Full Accounting for excavating the crash site associated with my father, Commander Richard Rich, USN, during the much publicized visit of the US Secretary of Defense William Cohen to Vietnam.

However, we object to the fact that this recovery operation is being used as a publicity stunt to give the appearance of the Vietnamese governments “full cooperation” on the Prisoner of War and Missing in Action issue.

U.S. Intelligence is well aware of the fact that the Vietnamese could readily account for many missing servicemen but they refuse to do so. Men known to be Prisoners of War were never returned. The remains of men the Vietnamese admit died in captivity have yet to be returned. The U.S. Government should refrain from using recovery efforts to bolster the misconception of Vietnamese “full cooperation,” when in fact Vietnam holds the answers to the fates of many, many POWs left behind alive in captivity.

If remains retrieved from this crash site prove to be our dad, we will have our long sought closure. But we will keep in mind that there are hundreds of American families that the Vietnamese could provide answers for but have not. Those families deserve to have their long sought closure as well. The U.S. Government must press the Vietnamese on the men known to be held prisoner of war and not returned, while continuing efforts to recover remains.

Wednesday, November 1, 2000

Son will see his father buried after 33 years of waiting

AUGUSTA, Georgia – After more than 33 years of waiting, Chris Rich will finally attend his father’s funeral Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery.

Navy Commander Richard Rich was shot down in Vietnam in May 1967, just 15 days before he was scheduled to return home. Chris Rich has been notified that scattered remains found last spring were identified as those of his father.

He will accompany the remains to the burial site. “As hard as it is to live with these bone  fragments as him, to hold and to touch them is almost the same thing as being able to go to the casket,” Chris Rich said. “I’ll be able to close this chapter of my life.”

The remains – 30 bone chips and a tooth – were studied at the Army’s Central Identification Lab in Hawaii. Secretary of Defense William Cohen visited the crash site where they were found about 20 miles southwest of Hanoi last spring, bringing attention to the case. It is the only excavation Cohen has visited since taking office in January 1997, said Pentagon spokesman Larry Greer.

“The commitment that the government has spelled out is, we will seek the fullest possible accounting of all missing in action from all conflicts,” Greer said.

There are still 1,991 soldiers listed as missing in action from the Vietnam War, according to the Pentagon. Excavations of crash sites are continuing. Chris Rich’s wife, Dianne, is the daughter of Air Force Tech Sergeant Thomas Moore, who is listed as missing in action.

“Three decades is a long time to wait to have to bury someone,” Dianne  Rich said. “It’s something we wait for – you live for the day to come so you can say goodbye.”

Family members, members of Richard Rich’s squadron and children of other soldiers listed as MIA will attend Tuesday’s service. There will be a 21-gun salute, a playing of tapes and a Navy fly-over.

Chris Rich will break apart an MIA bracelet with his father’s name engraved on it, burying one piece with his father’s remains and placing the other by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

He also will remove a copper bracelet he has worn for 20 years in memory of his father.

“That bracelet is a man,” Rich said. “These were made to remind people they were a prisoner of war or missing in action. When they come home, there’s no reason to wear them anymore.

“He’s home.”

The Right Thing

A Long Long time ago in a Land Far Far away was a man. A man with a Family, Friends and Comrades. A man with a mission. One he would give his life for, but it would take the Family 33 years. to find out what really happened. Why so long for a man that loved his country and only wanted to do The Right Thing. Help those that could not help themselves. He zigged when he should have zagged. A man that was already to old to go to War, but a man that wanted to do The Right Thing. So he pulled every last string to go, were he thought he could prove himself to himself and to others, because he was shit hot, and was on the Fast Track. His goal by 1974 was to be CINCPAC. He was to help start up a new program, that the Navy was going to start for it’s Fighter Pilots. This program is known to the rest of the world as Top Gun. But all this ended on May 19th 1967, when after being hit by 2 Surface to Air Missiles, and after using the Command Ejection to punch out his RIO but was not  able to punch himself out. He rode it in all the way to the rice paddy. 12ft under it that is. Flying at 1200ft and traveling at 450 knots doesn’t give you that much room to maneuver. 33yrs 5 month and 19 days ago, he is now home. But why did it take so long? Why did it take so much work and hurt to bring him home?

His Wife never had a time to grieve, like most wives she had a family to raise. She tried to find the answers but was met with closed doors. She tried to pen them. for the truth is what drove her, the not knowing is the worst. You can only hope for the best. We all have heard stories how a man came home after missing or thought of as dead for so long.

He had 4 boys and each handled it very differently.

The oldest, felt that he had to take over the manly duties, this is too much for a 13yr old to handle but being the oldest.

The 2nd oldest felt that his dad was dead, case closed. The next oldest boy wrote a letter to LBJ asking him to either bring his daddy home or bomb Hanoi with the A bomb.

The Youngest being only 4 had just only memory, being put in the cockpit of his dad’s fighter plane. See I know these things as I am the youngest of the Boys. I can remember seeing a Navy man come to the door and mom crying. Why did this man make my mom cry? Men aren’t allowed to do that, or this is how I was brought up. You protect the woman as she takes care of you. But Mom was crying but only for a short time as she had to raise “The Boys” or “The Rich Boys”. But 3 of theses boys had to grow up a long on May 19th, 1967. I was to drugged up to really understand what was going on. I can remember having a teacher tell me that my dad deserved to die as he was a baby killer. But I would tell people that my dad was on a secret mission or that he just wasn’t home yet, but he would come home soon. See I am told
that, we, my Dad and I had a very special relationship and to this day that is what brought him home. 33yrs later. Besides keeping him alive, just not with me for many many years because I wanted a Dad; Someone to teach me to play catch or hit a ball, or ride a bike, or how to go on a date and how to ask a girl out, to drive a car, to go to Father and Sons Dinners/days/banquets with. Mom would go with me or have on of our neighbors take me but it wasn’t the same. When I turned 15 I finally understood what happened to dad, as I said earlier I was pretty drugged up during the 1st 28 yrs. of my life. I finally realized that he wasn’t’ coming home, see he was Missing In Action or MIA. I started to tell people that one day he wold come home, I started wearing POW/MIA hats and T-Shirts and Pins, reading books about Vietnam and on POW’s. I told people that we left my Dad behind and had to go get him, as it was only The Right Thing To Do. He wold have done the same for you. Little by little I became more involved in the POW/MIA issue. I remember having been told by many adults to just stop whining and give up, they were all dead anyway, but that just made my resolve even stronger. What hurt a lot was when a Vietnam Vet, they are all my Hero’s, asked me why I was wearing “That Shirt”. I told him why and he told me, so, that only Vets had the right to wear that shirt. That hurt a lot, one of my Hero’s telling me that I couldn’t help bring my Dad home, where he belonged to American Soil. But I kept going, in the Background until 1990 when I met a man that helped mold me into what I am today in this issue. I got my Dads files and he and I went through them with a fine tooth comb one day. He made a Plan of Attack and we started our War, to bring Dad home. So the last 10 yrs. has been a long battle that looked like it was going to where until 1997 when my Family got a report saying that they found the crash site and was just going to give up.

It took hundreds upon hundreds of people to get dads case open again. But the big break occurred in 1999 when my friend, talked to General Tucker of the JTF_FA and got my dad moved up from a secondary site to a primary one. This was a after I was told for a year that it would be a primary site and be done during the dry season as they had to drain the Rice Paddy to get to where they needed to be.

In October 1999 I know dad’s site was to be the 1st secondary site. But after trying to locate a site for 10 days it was now dads turn. So in October 1999 they opened the crash site. I was told that there was a lot of possible human remains, but it was just wood. So in Feb of 2000 they went back to the my dads site to dig some more. I got a call on March 13th that SECDEF Cohen was at my Dads site and was it ok to give my name to the press. I am sure a lot of you remember all the press my Dad Got. They were able to pull 30 bone chips, a tooth, half a pair of Flight Wings and a log of aircraft and personal effects.

In September of 2000 I was told that the Lab (CILHI) had identified his remains by matching dental records with a tooth found at the site. On October 10th, 3 days after I got married to my New Wife, my mom and I were presented the “Blue Book” of the governments proof of Identification. Now 3 weeks later we have buried my Father with Full Military Honors at Arlington National Cemetery. See I finally got my six feet of ground at Arlington.

We Did The Right Thing. Welcome Home Dad. It has been a long time coming.
I love you. Your Son, Chris Rich Written 11/5/00

Monday, October 7, 2002

Two years ago my dad came home. No he didn’t come like most dads do. He didn’t walk through he door, or didn’t get out of the car. Instead he came home in an envelope, all 33 bone chips a tooth and a half a pair of flight wings was all physically left of him. He was found 12 feet deep in a rice paddy outside of Hanoi in Vietnam.  His soul had left a long time ago but the body was still wasn’t home.  Not home until just recently, as he was Missing In Action for 33 and half years. He was forgotten, not by his Family or Friends or Comrades about by the Government that he served for had forgotten him and thousands of others.

This story isn’t about sorrow but about what the truth feels like. While growing up I always thought my dad would come home as he was just on a secret mission, but when the father and son games and the camp outs and the other guys having someone to throw a ball with or to talk to, he just wasn’t there. My Family has something that many others don’t though. That is CLOSURE, my dad, Capt. Richard Rich, was positively identified two years ago this week. There are those out there that do not agree that I did not ask for a MT-DNA sample, that I should have made the government prove to me that the remains before me were actually my Dad’s. After reviewing the evidence that was presented to my Mom, and me I accepted it as my Dad. Yes the identification was a tooth and we know that the US Govt has made some bad identification on just a tooth. This is a good Ident. Those that belittled me and told me that I was weak and should have made the US Government run a MT DNA sample, all I have to say is FUCK YOU. Maybe if the evidence was sketchy, or if the tooth sort of matched, or if the location had more than one F4 in the general area. Than I would have, asked for a better Ident. The case is that I, being the PNOK, was satisfied and if there are those of you, and you know who you are that don’t like what I did or how I did it.  Too bad, you have no right to tell me that I did it wrong because you weren’t here with my family or me. So you might have a loved one that didn’t come home either but you don’t tell anyone else how to run their cases or their lives.

People ask me when I felt like it was over. It wasn’t on March 13, 2000 when Diane and I were awakened at 5am to see if it was ok for the Secretary of Defense to give my name out to the press. It wasn’t when I received pictures for the repatriation ceremony in Hanoi or the one in Hawaii. It wasn’t when Navy Mortuary Affairs called me up to make final arrangements; I found it kind of funny when they asked if we would like a full size coffin. When I said no, it shocked them. For 33 bone chips and a tooth.  Why do we need a full size casket?  Closure didn’t come to me when I had gotten the orders to fly to Hawaii to pick up the remains. Nor was it when we went to CilHi and had the tour and the command briefing, (if you ever have a chance to go to Hawaii, go visit CilHi, it is well worth the trip) or was it when they showed me the remains and the very nice oak urn with the brass nameplate on it. Nor was it when I picked up the remains and held them for some time. No closure still did not come when Diane and I got back on the flight back to Washington DC. The flight to Chicago was packed, we were on a L1011 packed to the gills and to top it off it was a red eye. So we got into Chicago about 5am and killed two hours waiting for the flight in to DC. During this time I am walking around with the box that contained the urn that contained the remains of my dad in it. So our flight is getting ready to leave and we have a whole row of seats. Diane takes the window as I like the aisle for legroom and I strap the box in to the middle seat and put a windbreaker over it. The flight attendant came back to inform me that nothing was allowed on the seat during flight. I explained to her that it was a box that contained an urn that contained my dad. She said she would go and talk with the Pilot.

So the Pilot comes on back and explains to us that due to FAA regulations that nothing is allowed to be on the seat. What he said afterwards floored me, he said, “it would be my honor and privilege if I could place the urn in the cockpit behind my seat.” Well he went out in the cockpit and came home in the cockpit. But that still wasn’t when I felt the closure.

It wasn’t when I handed the urn over to the funeral home, nor when there was visitation hours. Nor was it the day of the services or when I spoke at the services. No it wasn’t when a Navy Captain and Admiral saluted my family as we were walking out. It wasn’t when the Navy Band started to play or when they loaded the Urn in to the caisson. It was when we were walking behind it following the precession to the gravesite. YES WE HAVE A GRAVE SITE, just not a marker or a name on a Wall but we actually have 3 feet in Arlington National Cemetery. It was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders as I was telling Diane this; my Brother Rob pushes me to the left and points down. The horses are well fed
.
But this is what every family member wants, is just the truth. What hurt the most are the not knowing and the lack of empathy that is given to the families of those that are still not accounted for.

I have been asked many of times over the past 10 years if I would give up this issue if my dad were ever accounted for, “as so many others have”. No I haven’t given up on this issue, I just can’t do that, but I don’t live the issue on a personal day-to-day basis. I think the reason why so many family members get out of the issue after their part is done, is just that, their part is done. So yes I am still here but maybe not as loud as before or as much as a knife in the governments side but I am still around. I think someone said it best, as I am a puppy pit bull with basset hound mix.

Why does it take:  So many,  So long,  To make,  So few,  So happy.  Chris Rich,  Proud Son of Capt. Richard Rich. USN, 1945-1967.  MIA 1967-2000.  Remains recovered 3/13/00. Remains Identified 10/10/00.  Buried on American Soil 11/10/00.

RICH, RICHARD
CAPT   US NAVY
WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 10/27/1925
  • DATE OF DEATH: 05/19/1967
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 66  SITE 5276
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

richard-rich-gravesite-01-062703

richard-rich-gravesite-02-062703

richard-rich-gravesite-03-062703

Read our general and most popular articles

Leave a Comment