Memorial Service
Private Richard Gordon Wright, U.S. Marine Corps, born June 6, 1921, in Sparks, Oklahoma, was buried with military honors on July 18 at Dignity Memorial Park Cemetery in Oklahoma City. The ceremony began at 2 p.m., with cicadas loudly singing in the hot, still air.
Was that unusual?
Yes. Why?
Wright died on November 20, 1943, 81 years ago during WWII on Betio Island in the Gilbert Islands. His remains were not identified until February 8, 2024, by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and returned to Oklahoma City on July 11, 2025 – more than eight decades after his death.
As the service drew near, at least 75 people gathered in quiet respect. Members from American Legions (Posts 19, Woodward; 111, Edmond; 88, Norman; 142, Hominy, and others) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (Posts 4938, Edmond; 7977, Skiatook; 3077, Collinsville; 7180, Owasso, and others) came, as did those with no affiliation.
Although no one knew Wright personally, they came to witness the homecoming of a Marine who served his country with honor and gave his life for future generations.
Charli Ford, one of two historians and archivists of military history at the Hamilton VFW Auxiliary 4938 in Edmond (President Amanda Duncan is the other) gave the eulogy and thanked those who made Wright’s repatriation possible, including “the DPAA (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) for their efforts to recover, organize, analyze and identify the remains of the missing. And a special thank you to Mr. (Narsease) Tolen, Richard’s first cousin, for the donation of the DNA while he was still alive. His DNA was used to positively identify Richard.” Her voice carried pride and emotion while she recounted Wright’s early life. Ford ended with, “After today,” Ford said, “Richard’s journey comes to a close… May we never forget Richard’s sacrifice.”
Chaplain Ed Beesley, a Vietnam War veteran and member of Post 4938, described how well Betio Island was fortified by the Japanese against a large-scale amphibious assault by Americans. Beesley continued, “I want you to understand the Marines did it in three days…it was a fierce battle…which would come to be known in the Marine Corps as ‘Bloody Tarawa.’ What struck me, is…our own Oklahoma Marine was a part of the first wave on that beach landing on the 20th November, 1943…My understanding was that Richard’s landing craft was hit by mortar fire…” Wright’s 2nd Marine Regiment, about 150 men, was almost annihilated that day.
The service concluded with a prayer, seven-gun salute provided by VFW District 5, the playing of taps, and a moving flag folding ceremony followed by presenting it to Ed Zink of Weaubleau, Missouri, who represented the family. Zink is a second cousin to Wright. The crowd slowly, quietly slipped away.
Wright’s family
Zink spoke of his family’s connection to Wright. “My mother’s mother (Zink’s grandmother) was the sister to Richard’s mother. They were sisters…George Ann and Sharon are Richard’s nieces and they knew about him. Their brother was named after him. So, they knew he was missing, they just never expected him to come home.”
“I’m honored to be able to represent the family and to acknowledge his military career, as short as it was.” Zink, a Marine, understands sacrifice. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam and one in Thailand.
He praised the research Charlie Ford and VFW Post 4938 performed. “They’ve done a wonderful job. Charlie…has been unbelievable. She’s been on this case for several years. They went above and beyond.”
Identifying veteran remains
Amanda Duncan said, “We do a lot of work with MIAs, POWs. It is something our post and our auxiliary is very passionate about.”
She explained the meticulous process of identifying remains. “When something like this happens, first of all, they (DPAA) look at the service record and where they enlisted out of.” Other clues: where family lives(d) and where the deceased’s military unit was engaged in battle.
In Wright’s case, a relative was located in just a few days, though the full process – DNA testing, approvals, and transport – can take months. Ford described how she reached out to a family member through the Ancestry website after a relative built Wright’s family tree. “I noticed she had him on the tree… trying to see… what relation she was and if we could find somebody to give DNA.”
Private Wright is buried in the same cemetery as his father, Henry Wright, a World War I veteran, and grandfather and grandmother, William and Eva Wright.
There are 1,185 Oklahoma MIA/POW servicemen awaiting repatriation.
• story by Lt Col Richard Stephens, Jr., USAFR, Ret.
