Rank: Private First Class
Unit: Howitzer Battery, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 36K – Tactical Wire Operations Specialist
Awards: Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Note: Operation Akron
Enlisted by: Selected Service
Date of birth: 18-Aug-1946
Hometown: Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Marital status: Married to Patricia W. Richards
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Start of tour: 23-Aug-1966
Incident date: 19-Jun-1967
Date of casualty: 16-Jul-1967
Age at death: 20
Cause of death: Hostile, died of wounds. Grenade. Multiple fragmentation wounds.
Charles H. Richards Jr died as a result of metal fragment wounds received in a combat operation. (24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh)
Ten Blackhorse troopers died as a result of this incident:
SP4 Raymond Desmond Crowder Jr
SP4 William Jerry Dillon
PFC Edward Lee Fails Jr
SP4 Russell Louis Filiberti
SP4 Blaine Wilson Landers
PFC Bobby Louis Murphy
PFC Charles Howard Richards Jr
SSG Wayne Thomas Schumacher
SP5 William Norman Scott
PFC Leonard Vito Tedesco
Location of fatality: Unknown, South Vietnam
Place of interment: Oak Spring Cemetery, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
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