In Memory of Sgt Richard Young USMC

80 Years, 80 Miles in His Honor

Hal Young, now 90 years old, will walk to honor his father

Eighty years ago, on June 26, 1944, my father, Sergeant Richard Herman Young, “B” Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division, was killed in action in Saipan during World War II. He was wounded on June 15th, the first day of the invasion, but refused to leave the island. Returning to the battlefield, he saved two Marines before subsequently losing his own life.

At the time of my father’s death, I was about to turn 10. Today, I am 90 years old and determined to walk a total of 80 miles, a mile for each year since my father’s passing, in the locations he visited on his journey to becoming a Marine. Beginning at Parris Island, then continuing to Camp Lejeune, Quantico, and concluding at Arlington National Cemetery, my father’s final resting place.

My greatest wish is to honor my father’s service while encouraging donations that will benefit Marines and their families through scholarships provided by the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Thank you to all those who contribute in memory of my father and in support of my memorial walk.