Richard Edward Ford was born in Philadelphia, PA, on December 29, 1948, to Edward E. Ford and Jane Hardican. He attended school there until moving to the Long Beach Island, NJ, area when he was about 10. His home of record is Surf City, NJ. While in high school he was a forward on the varsity basketball team during his junior and senior years. He graduated from Southern Regional High School.

Ford enlisted in the US Army and attained the rank of Sergeant (SGT). Ford had assignments at Fort Bragg, NC, Fort McClellan, AK, and Fort Benning, GA, before receiving orders to serve in Vietnam in May 1969. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division and was in charge of the 35th Scout Dog Platoon.

On Sunday, January 18, 1970, he had nearly completed his tour of duty in Vietnam and was due for a homecoming in three weeks. He was killed by a land mine while on a scout dog mission near his Doc Tien base in Binh Duong province, South Vietnam. He was 21.

Instead of the planned happy homecoming at Fort Dix, NJ, there was a funeral. His three-month old daughter, Deborah Ann, would never get to see and know her father except from what others told her. Ford and his wife, the former Dorothy Townsend, were married just 13 months earlier

Sources: Anne Cullen (volunteer) and NJVVMF.
12/17/2024