Richard Hall Jeschke, Jr. – Colonel, United States Marine Corps

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At the start of World War II, Colonel Richard H. Jeschke was the commander of the 8th Marines, and he led that unit in combat in the Guadalcanal operation.

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After this action, Jeschke was flown back to Washington and sent to the Mediterranean in May 1943, to the staff of the VI Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, as Force Marine operations and training officer. In this capacity he participated in the landings at Sicily with the Western Naval Task Force. He also participated in the amphibious assault landing and subsequent operations in Normandy, France, from 1 June to 1 July 1944.

During this period, to keep the Force commander informed, Colonel Jeschke made frequent liaison visits to front-line Army combat units ashore, and was subsequently awarded the Legion of Merit for this service. France awarded him the Croix de Guerre. Colonel Jeschke retired in 1949 and for having been decorated in combat was advanced to brigadier general on the retired list. He died on 15 December 1957.

JESCHKE, JEAN MYERS

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 12/13/1929
  • DATE OF DEATH: 02/09/1985
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 7  SITE 8299-A
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
  • WIFE OF JESCHKE, RICHARD HALL JR  COL US MARINE CORPS

JESCHKE, RICHARD HALL JR

  • COL   US MARINE CORPS
  • WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM
  • DATE OF BIRTH: 07/31/1921
  • DATE OF DEATH: 08/09/2000
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 7  SITE 8299-A
    ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Contemporary press report

Richard Hall Jeschke Jr., 79, a retired Marine Corps colonel who in the 1970s and 1980s did consulting work for Washington area research and development businesses, died of cancer August 9, 2000 at the Hospice of Northern Virginia. He settled in the area in 1969.

Colonel Jeschke, who lived in Arlington, was a native of Chevy Chase, Maryland,  and a graduate of Western High School. He was an electrical engineering graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and received a master’s degree in education from George Washington University.

He entered the Marine Corps in 1942 and participated in the Iwo Jima campaign during World War II. He also served in Korea during the war there, including a tour as a field artillery battalion operations officer.

Before he retired in 1969, his final assignment was as a plans, operations and training officer at Fleet Marine Force Atlantic in Norfolk. His decorations included the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star with a combat “V.”

From 1969 to the early 1970s, he was business manager of the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College. He spent the next decade doing logistics consulting and operations analysis for several businesses, including Potomac Research Inc., ManTech International Corp. and Ketron.

He was a past vestryman at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Arlington.

His wife of 34 years, Jean Myers Jeschke, died in 1985.

Survivors include his wife of 12 years, Kathleen Queally Salata Smith Jeschke of Arlington; three sons from his first marriage, William Hall Jeschke of Vienna, Thomas Ryan Jeschke of Herndon and Robert Gary Jeschke of Winchester, Va.; three stepchildren, Kalman Salata of Chevy Chase, Melinda Salata of Washington and John Smith of San Francisco; and 18 grandchildren.

JESCHKE, RICHARD HALL, JR.

Of Arlington, VA on August 9, 2000. Preceded in death by wife, Jean Myers Jeschke and sister, Margaret Devereux Oldfield. He is survived by wife, Kathleen S. Jeschke of Arlington, VA; three sons, William Hall Jeschke of Oakton, VA, Thomas Ryan Jeschke of Herndon, VA and Robert Gary Jeschke of Winchester, VA; two step-sons, Kalman Salata of Chevy Chase, MD and John Queally Smith of San Francisco, CA; one step-daughter, Melinda Salata of Washington, DC. Also survived by 14 grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and a host of family and friends. Funeral services will be Thursday, August 24, 2000, 9 a.m., at the Old Post Chapel in Arlington, VA.  Memorial donations should be made to the Acute Care Unit of the Hospice of Northern Virginia, 4715 N. 15th St., Arlington, VA 22205.

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