Robert Bolenius Ritchie – First Lieutenant, United States Army

Robert Bolenius Ritchie

• Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Born January 20, 1927
• First Lieutenant, U.S. Army
• Service Number O-59398
• Died of Wounds
• Died April 3, 1951 in Korea

USMA Class of 1949, First Lieutenant Ritchie was a member of the Heavy Mortar Company, 5th Infantry Regimental Combat Team.

He was Wounded in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on March 24, 1951 and died of those wounds on April 3, 1951.

For his leadership and valor, First Lieutenant Ritchie was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Korean War Service Medal.

KOREA HERO BURIED IN ARLINGTON

Washington, November 30, 1951 – Army Lieuenant Robert B. Ritchie of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was was fatally wounded in Korea last Spring was buried in Arlington National Cemetery today with military honors.

Lietuenant Ritchie, who was graduated from West Point in 1949, was wounded March 24 while serving with the Fifth Regimental Combat Team.  He died on April 3.

RITCHIE, ROBERT BOLENIUS

• 1LT USA
• DATE OF BIRTH: 01/20/1927
• DATE OF DEATH: 04/03/1951
• BURIED AT: SECTION 3  SITE 1930-A
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard