Dick came aboard the Spangler on Nov. 14, 1955 and served until near the end of the ship's decommissioning in 1958. He originated from Castle Rock, WA. I learned recently, sad to say, that he died in 1981 from a horse riding accident. Dick had an infectious smile and loved life to it's fullest. It's probably not a stretch to say he knew every man aboard ship and most still likely remember him. If you have a chance to browse through the 1957 Cruise Book to WESPAC, you'll find that he's the most photographed individual in the book, or certainly close to it. He had that kind of personality! Dick loved to live on the edge and have fun. And how he managed to come out of the service as a QM3 still baffles me, not because of a lack of smarts or effort, but because he was always into one shenanagan or another. He joked that it came from his Indian heritage. While I can't speak for certain on that I can say that he made life aboard the Spangler an enjoyable event!-- Submitted by his shipmate, Wayne Dorough.
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