In Loving Memory of My Father
Richard Joseph McGuire, Sr. ,
aged 91 yrs, 7 months

Born in the Bronx, NYC on December 24, 1918, who passed away peacefully at home in Ft. Collins, CO with wife, Pauline and other family members on July 24, 2010. Richard is survived by his wife, Pauline O'Riley McGuire and 4 children: Patricia Richardson of Cape May, NJ; Richard J. McGuire, Jr. of Virginia Dale, CO; Eileen Murray, of Windsor, CO; and James S. McGuire of Ft. Collins, CO, along with eight (8) grandchildren, nine (9) great-grandchildren, and one (1) stepson, Barry O'Riley. AJ Richard's son, James McGuire,

I would like to honor my Father's memory by relating a few important historical facts that he participated in during his service in WWII. As a Corporal in the Army from 1944-1945 European Theatre of Operations{ETO),he was attached to the Old-Hickory regiment of the 30th Infantry Division. They played a large part in the liberation of - Maastricht, Holland and various other towns. He also participated in the Ardennes Campaign, the Battle of the Bulge and the units to which he was aligned were instrumental in the river crossings of the Rohr and Rhine into Germany.

My Father's stories and recollections of his military experience sometimes far exceed that of which is humanly possible. He was a rifleman carrying an M-I in a frontal Rifle and Mortar Platoon, where he was also a bazooka man during German tank assaults. In the Ardennes, he tells of average temperatures of -17 degrees for 6 weeks straight. In waist deep snow, fully laden with gear and a 60 LB pack, he slept in a frozen, shallow foxhole in two-hour shifts so not to freeze to death, while facing full-on German Panzer and Tiger tank assaults and counterattacks on the front lines. Hard for any one of us to imagine these things!

My Father would not have wanted to be remembered for these heroic encounters, but I believe he should be honored for them because he is a part of history that can never be forgotten.

My Father also suffered injuries and was taken out of action. While on a Recon patrol, a tripwire was triggered, resulting in blown-out eardrums and severe shell shock, followed by short-term amnesia. Fortunately, only the heel of his boot was blown oft: while fellow GIs around him were killed. He woke up in a field hospital behind the lines, and-did not know his name or that he was married With two children. His memory slowly came back over the following weeks.

After all the carnage he had witnessed, he was able to secure a different post. After five months of front-line combat duty, he was relieved and spent the rest of his tenure in recently liberated France and Belgium. In his free time, he traveled the countryside in an Army jeep on loan to him by an Army chaplain.

For the rest of his life, he suffered from post-traumatic shock syndrome, which was not
diagnosed correctly until well into his 70s by the VA. He is an example of the last remnant of a dying breed, the Greatest Generation. May he always be remembered for his sacrifices.

His loving son,

James S. McGuire