Richard Worrell Kapp, Jr.


1966

Arts and Sciences, History

Phi Eta Sigma 1, 2; Young Republicans 3, 4; High Court 4; Numeral Society 3, 4, 5; Oak Haven Ravens 4; Phi Kappa Phi 4

Orangeburg, SC

Marine Corps, Second Lieutenant

M Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force

Purple Heart; Combat Action Medal; Presidential Unit Citation; Navy Unit Commendation; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm, Individual Award for Valor; National Order of Vietnam Medal, 5th Class; Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Mar 18, 1944

Mar 1, 1968

Killed in Action

Sunnyside Cemetery in Orangeburg, SC.

NW

Personal Remembrances

As a member of Second Platoon, Mike Company, Third Battalion, First Marine Regiment, I had the honor of serving in the command of Lieutenant Richard Kapp in the Republic of South Vietnam from mid January 1968 until his untimely death on March 1, 1968. We were members of Battalion Landing Team 3/1. We were originally based on ships off the Vietnam coast as a reactionary force. However, we had landed at the mouth of the Qua Viet River on Dec. 21, 1967 and were not able to return to ship until June of 1968. Our mission on the Qua Viet River was to clear the villages along the river of NVA forces which were trying to shut down the river supply traffic to Dong Ha, Camp Carroll and Khe Sahn in preparation for the Tet Offensive.

The largest village was named Mai Xai Tsi and was divided by a tributary river. Two major battles occurred in this village and were called Mai Xai Tsi-East (Jan 31, 1968) and Mai Xai Tsi-West (Mar 1, 1968). Lt Kapp was the platoon commander at both of these battles. I was a squad leader for Lt Kapp after the battle of Mai Xai Tsi-East.

On March 1, 1968 Lt Kapp led his platoon of thirty-five marines into battle in the North Vietnamese Army occupied village of Mai Xai Tsi, along the Qua Viet river about 10 miles south of the Demilitarized Zone.  The entire Third Battalion was involved in the attack and met heavy resistance. Causalities were heavy and continued to mount throughout the day.  Despite the loss of his platoon right guide, two squad leaders, his radioman, and about a dozen other men, Lt Kapp continued the attack deep into the village. In the late afternoon, Lt Kapp was reorganizing the remaining members of his platoon when an unobserved NVA soldier rushed from behind a structure and fired a burst from his AK-47 automatic rifle.  Tragically, Lt Kapp and his platoon sergeant were killed instantly, but his last spoken words served as a warning to the other members of the platoon, preventing additional casualties.

Lt Kapp’s quietly confident demeanor and lack of fear in the face of extreme personal danger distinguished him as a leader and served as an example to all who served with him.  Although our service together was brief, Lt Kapp's leadership was impressive.  As I mentioned, he was quietly confident, which in turn gave the men of 2nd Platoon confidence in him.  He treated his men with respect, and related his trust in those of us who had been in-country for some time and encouraged us to help the newer guys.  Any doubt of his ability to lead was quickly dismissed by his demeanor.  We were all willing to follow him into battle.

Although there were only eleven survivors in 2nd Platoon of the March 1, 1968 battle, Lt Kapp was remembered and talked about long after his death. I try to honor the memory of all 28 men that I served with that were killed. However, it is only human nature I suppose that causes me to remember some more than others.  Lt Kapp is among those "more".

John Potts
Corinth, MS
December 31, 2009

Dickie Kapp, a Memoir.

When I was fourteen, a new kid moved to our town. He turned out to be a real good kid. He was bright, friendly, and athletic, with an impish smile. His name was Dickie Kapp.

Dickie was a friend to many, but he and I became especially close a couple of years later when we decided to work out and train together in the hopes of playing football for Orangeburg, a perennial AA powerhouse. We lifted weights with our friend Joe Jeffords in the school year and, in the summers, Dickie and I toughened up by working construction. We installed roofing and installation for a home builder the first summer and, the summer before our senior year, we worked for Daniel Construction which was building a tool plant, Utica Drop Forge, outside of Orangeburg. That summer we drove lay-out stakes, hauled block and lumber around the site, and wired together mats of rebar across the bottoms of huge square pits dug out of the clay. At the end of every day, Dickie would come back to the car covered with sweat and grime, but still smiling impishly. Dickie liked hard work. He took pride in whatever he did.

When we were seniors, Dickie played linebacker on the right-side and I played on the left. Dickie was a natural-born linebacker. Pigeon-toed, with short, powerful legs, broad shoulders, and big muscular forearms, he hit like a piston. He started on offense, too. The local paper, The Times and Democrat, described him as “a sixty-minute man when the going gets tough.” I loved having Dickie out there on that field. You could depend on him.

Dickie was not just a good player, he was a leader. He served as a team captain.  He won the award for sportsmanship. He was a school leader too, active in student body affairs and a fine student. Most of all, Dickie Kapp was a wonderful fellow.  People were just crazy about him.

I fell out of touch with Dickie after we graduated from high school, but I was not surprised to hear that he was very popular and doing so well at Clemson. Nor was I surprised to learn that he had gone into the Marine Corps after graduating from Clemson at the height of the Vietnam Conflict. Dickie was a spirited competitor. If he was going to fight, he would have wanted to fight with the best. Semper fidelis.

One day the phone rang in my law school apartment. It was one of those times when the phone rings, and somehow you wish it wouldn’t. Doc Albergotti, one of our high school classmates, was on the line. “Bad news. Kapp got killed in Vietnam.”

Sunnyside Cemetery occupies the southern slope of a bluff running through the center of Orangeburg. Dickie was buried on a plateau at the top of the bluff. From there, the cemetery slopes down toward the Edisto River basin. At the bottom of the hill stretches my own family’s burial plot. Over the last forty years, we have laid to rest some eight of my relatives down there. Most of them had outlived, by decades, the young marine up on the hill.

After each of these occasions, I walk up the hill to visit Dickie’s grave. And every time I look at his gravestone, one thing strikes me anew: he was still a second lieutenant. As a second lieutenant, he could only have been in Vietnam for a few weeks. He was, as they say, “fresh in county.”

Fresh in country, fresh out of Quantico, fresh out of Clemson. He was still just a boy.

A boy, indeed, in terms of his age, but it was certainly no average or ordinary boy, who marched his strong young mind and body and fabulous good nature into the hell of that ambush that day. When Kapp got killed in Vietnam, we lost one of the best. I’m proud to have been his friend.

Daniel T. Brailsford
Columbia, SC
February 6, 2010

Richard Worrell Kapp – High School Years.

Dickie Kapp was the type of young man a father WISHED would come calling on his daughter. As an underclassman in the same small high school in South Carolina and a member of the same church he attended, I can vouch that he was awe inspiring to all of us. Dickie excelled at EVERYTHING he did. He won the most prestigious award given at Orangeburg High School, The Bill Davis Trophy. This trophy is “awarded annually to the person who best displays the qualities of scholarship, athletic ability and sportsmanship. The award has become one of the greatest honors an Orangeburg High School student may receive.”

As a senior, very fittingly, he was King Teen. He also served as Sports Editor for the annual yearbook, was a member of the Block “O” Club and the Senior Boys’ Booster Club. He was a tri-captain for the football team and received the “Most Team Spirit” award. Dickie was also on the Student Council, President of the Key Club. He was a delegate to Boys’ State. He was a member of the Queen of Hearts Court.

While accomplishing all of the above, Dickie was humble. He was never stuck up or even seemed to realize how wonderful he really was. Though small in stature he stood as a giant to all who knew him. The last time I saw Dickie was the summer before his sophomore year at college. I wish I had spent more time with him. Who would have ever thought what was ahead for this beautiful golden boy? He died as he lived, a true American hero. I miss him.

Carolyn Stone Lewis
Columbia, SC
January 17, 2010

Dick Kapp and I were fraternity brothers together in the Numeral Society at Clemson in the mid- to late-'60's. And, he was one classy guy, "First & Finest!" all the way. He was a leader at Clemson, both in our fraternity and on the campus as a whole, where he held a number of campus posts (High Court, fraternity officer, member of academic-leadership groups, etc.), and where he was widely respected for his very strong intelligence and his thoughtful and effective input on any topic of importance. Simply put, when Dick spoke, your best bet was to listen, and listen carefully!

So, he could be very serious at times. But, he also knew the meaning of friendship, and how to have a good time with your friends and, in our fraternity group of friends and brothers, there were always plenty of great opportunities for that! I also remember that Dick and I had some laughs together on another fraternity situation. Dick was a very smart guy, made excellent grades (preparing for Law School, for which he was accepted upon graduation, and thus could have deferred going to Viet Nam), and he thus had a super-high grade-point ratio. And, it so happened that I did pretty well on the grades as well - just lucky, I guess - so he and I had that high-GPR attribute in common.

Anyway, the College was very forceful at the time in wanting the fraternities to have overall above-average GPR's that were as good or better than the overall all-male average GPR, in order to "stay in good stead" with the College and that we were not just "party guys." But, in our group, even though we had GREAT GUYS and fellows that loved to socialize and have a good time, but also were among the leaders on campus (elected office, student organization officers, Blue Key and Tiger Brotherhood and the like), it was also true that a number of our brothers didn't exactly "hit home runs" on their GPRs. So, net net, Dick and I often had to "carry" the entire fraternity "on our backs" for a given semester or two, to keep us "Numbers" out of the "academic doghouse."

Dick enjoyed his college days, both socially and academically, finished Clemson strong, and then applied to and was accepted for Law School, and could have headed there instead of into the service. But, as was his character, he felt it was the right thing for him to do to go serve his country next, so he headed off to be a Marine officer, where he ultimately lost his life. No doubt he died doing what he believed in, and I FULLY SUPPORT THAT, but I'll also always wonder "what might have been" with this great guy and the lifetime of opportunities that were ahead of him. So, clearly, democracy is not "free," and Dick, and the nearly 500 other Clemson men who have given their lives in its' defense, are the (high) price we pay for our freedoms.

But, I digress. So, just to recap, my fondest memories of Dick Kapp are, in a nutshell, that he was "First & Finest!", and, always "a True Gentleman!" I miss him to this day!

Michael J. Maxwell
Atlanta, GA
January 5, 2010

I was a Clemson classmate and fraternity brother of Dick (Dicky to me) Kapp. We were both History majors and had lots of the same classes and studied together and we both graduated on the same day, Saturday, December 17, 1966. Dicky was smarter than me, made excellent grades while I was a struggling C-student, but we both loved history and had fun staying up late quizzing each other before big tests. I would study my fanny off and think we were both equally prepared and he’d make an A and I’d make a B or C and I’d ask, how’d you do that? Our senior year we became closer friends. On graduation day we spent time hanging around Clemson after we received our diplomas and after our families departed Clemson. Neither wanted our college experience to end and talked about what may lie ahead for us both. Dickey had political aspirations and I felt he was gung ho about the military to help build his resume for a possible future run for public office. We vowed to stay in touch but regretfully did not.

After graduation I worked briefly for my dad in Gastonia, NC and then ended up in May ’67 getting a sales job with Procter and Gamble in Kinston, NC traveling a huge eastern NC territory (from border to border) and just totally lost touch with all my Clemson buddies. Then, on a trip home to Gastonia, I was catching up on mail my mother was saving for me which included a Clemson Alumni News Letter.  In the back was a listing of births, marriages, and deaths. When I saw Dick Kapp’s name I thought immediately he had gotten married and screamed out I can’t believe Dicky Kapp got married… then I realized his name was under deaths and I was stunned, it just could not be. I took the newsletter to a bedroom, shut the door and cried; then started calling fraternity brothers, finally connecting with Kim Kimbrell, who told me how Dicky was killed in action very shortly after arriving in Vietnam and about the funeral. Needless to say I was extremely upset that no one notified me about Dick’s deployment, and his tragic passing and missing the opportunity to attend his funeral service. But, as I said, it was mostly my fault as I had selfishly used my hectic schedule and geographic distance as excuses to isolate myself from my fraternity brothers.

Dicky was the best of the best, he did not have an enemy in the world, everyone loved him and I was privileged to call him my friend. To this day I live with the regret that we lost touch so quickly after spending that long glorious graduation day together on December 17, 1966. I have a rubbing of his name from the Vietnam Memorial Wall that I keep to honor his memory. I am so happy that he is being remembered and honored in this way.  God bless Dicky Kapp.

Paul D. Quinn '66
Lancaster, PA
January 6, 2010

I first met Dick in 1958, when we were in the same troop of Boy Scouts headed to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for 3 weeks. We back packed in the Rockies the whole time we were there, and got to know each other quite well. Even at that early age, I knew that Dick was something special. Being from different towns, we lost track during high school, except for brief encounters at the beach. When arriving at Clemson, I was happy to reconnect with Dick, and as fate would have it, we both joined the Numeral Society. Dick was one of the most popular and best loved brothers in our fraternity. I was proud to be his friend.

I never saw or spoke with Dick again after graduation, as I too went right into the military as an artillery officer. When my mother wrote to me about Dick's death, it became one of those life's moments that is forever frozen in time. Now, over 40 years later, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I got the news. It also is one of those wounds that never heal. Dick was a great Boy Scout, a great fraternity brother, and without a doubt, a great Marine!

William P. “Billy” Cate '66
Eastover, SC
January 6, 2010

When I joined the Numeral Society fraternity in 1965, I had the privilege of rooming directly across the hall from Dick Kapp in the fraternity house. Without a doubt, Dick was the most focused, mature, sincere, and all-around nicest person I had ever met. He smiled often and was very low-key in his voice and mannerisms. He was a role model for all his fraternity brothers as studying always came first. In November of 1967, Dick last came to Clemson on a football game week-end and I had the privilege of talking to him on the steps of the fraternity house. He had completed his officer training at Quantico, Virginia and had received his orders to Vietnam. I remember how calm he was in talking about the Marines and his pending tour in Vietnam. He mentioned that law school was possibly on the horizon after his military service. Dick had never changed. During the five weeks he served in Vietnam, I am sure he gave the young Marines in his platoon a clear sense of direction and a sense of calmness under fire that is critical in combat. Dick Kapp was a true leader his entire life.

Stephen L. (Steve) Hixson '69, MA '75
West Columbia, SC
December 29, 2009

Dick Kapp and I were in the Numeral Society at Clemson University.  He was truly the "first and finest" of our group and served in leadership positions in various organizations during his tenure at Clemson - he was just a fine man. Beside the loss of a friend, Dick's loss was tremendous when you think of what he surely would have done with his life - it seems like we often lose our best men in times of war. He was also the first to volunteer with the Marines from our group even though he had a deferment for law school. He believed in what he was doing and what the country was doing and was looking forward to leading a marine platoon even though he was fully aware of the life expectancy of such a position. Right before he left, we had a house party at the beach. Dick had a small MG and we rode there from Clemson and I had the opportunity to spend about 4 hours with just the two of us talking about his deployment, what it meant to him and why he chose to go. It was one of the most memorable conversations that I ever enjoyed and when we arrived, all I could think of was what a good, smart and level headed guy he was and that I, like many others, wished that I could be just like him.

Dave Merry '69
Piedmont, SC
December 30, 2009

What a super guy! The antithesis of me. He was smart, neat and serious and I was the opposite. But we always enjoyed each other’s company and were intrigued by the conflicting lifestyles. He liked my stories. I liked his character. Dick always had a wonderful heart and knew he was put on this earth to accomplish something. He succeeded.

Curtis C Kimbrell '69
Manakin-Sabot, VA
December 30, 2009

Both in High School and in the Numeral Society the name of Dick Kapp was always held in high esteem as a scholar, athlete, and person.

William W. Thraves '67
Seneca, SC

December 30, 2009

 

Dickie Kapp was my first cousin. We were born 5 months apart and, although we did not grow up in the same town, we were always close enough that the families gathered regularly to visit.

My most memorable time with Dickie was when we were about 14 years old and went together to Philmont Scout Ranch and hiked the trails in the mountains of northern New Mexico.  One night on the trail we were sleeping too close to the fire and I suddenly started feeling warm.  Dickie realized that my sleeping bag was on fire.  After extinguishing the fire, Dickie was kind enough to let me sleep in the bottom end of his sleeping bag.  We did not
have that arrangement long as I slept in my bag with a big hole in it for the remaining nights.  It was a wonderful trip and I know a difficult time for Dickie as his father had just died shortly before we made the trip.

Living in Columbia I was able to follow Dickie in high school in Orangeburg, hearing about his football exploits and his academic achievements.  I was a grade ahead of him and entered Clemson a year ahead in the Class of 1965.
We were in different fraternities but were in close touch during our 3 years together at Clemson.  It was during this time I realized what an outstanding person he was and what a great future he had ahead of him.

In the fall of 1966 I entered the US Army.  The following spring I had orders for Vietnam and Dickie was planning on enlisting in the Marine Corps. He volunteered because he felt he was duty bound to serve his country.  He was extremely dedicated in all he did and the Marine Corps was an extension of this dedication.  We met for lunch at my parent's house shortly before I left for Vietnam and this was the last time we were together.

We corresponded several times while both of us were in the service and while we were both in Vietnam for the short time he served there.  Even in his correspondence, when he would write about the severe conditions he was
operating under, he still had his wonderful outlook on life.

I learned in March with a letter from my wife that Dickie had been killed and was distraught that it was too late for me to go home to attend the funeral.  I wrote to Dickie's battalion commander inquiring about the circumstances of his service and death.  I received an extremely nice letter in return.  When I came home after my service in Vietnam, the first thing I did was to travel to Rome GA to see Dickie's sister, Marbeth Abbott, and give her the letter.

Dickie gave his all for us and his country.  He was a Marine and I am sure he would have had it no other way.  One wonders what someone with the character and appeal Dickie carried about him might have become; but we have
to accept that he gave his life for his country and there can be no greater sacrifice.

He was a wonderful person.

Lloyd M. Kapp '65
Columbia, SC
May 11, 2010

 

Dickie Kapp was one of the finest people I have ever known. He and I were from Orangeburg where he was very popular, active in sports, on the honor roll and performed well academically at Orangeburg High School.

After the first semester of our freshman year at Clemson we decided to room together. We moved out of the dormitories and found a place a few blocks off campus in the home of a nice older couple. We spent many hours there, talking, horsing around and studying...mostly Dickie. These were the times that I got to know him best.

I remember his strict study habits, his disciplined approach to everything and the incessant notes and checklists he kept. I remember the little MG roadster that he had. The one we always prayed would get us home, or on a road trip, or just back to Clemson.

I remember going through rush week and the excitement we shared becoming members of the Numeral Society, now Nu Sig Chapter of SAE. It was a perfect fit. We became brothers of a group of Extraordinary Gentlemen and developed many lasting relationships. Dickie participated in the fraternity parties, weekend retreats, road trips and still academically managed to maintain one of the highest grade point averages at Clemson.

What I remember most though was that he was a real people person, one who loved life and everyone he came in contact with. We all felt comfortable with him and wanted to be around him. He had the unique ability to develop a special relationship and rapport with each of us.

Dickie could have been anything he wanted to be and would have had the support of many friends and colleagues to help him get there. We all knew he was destined to do something great in his life. None of us, however, imagined that his destiny would be to give the ultimate sacrifice, his life for us and our country that we all might have a better place to live.

It is a distinct pleasure and privilege to call Dickie Kapp my friend. I miss him and I will always remember him with the greatest respect.

Terry W. Watt
Columbia, SC
March 15, 2010

Additional Information

Lt Kapp’s name is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC on Panel 42E, Line 018.  His name is also listed on the Vietnam Monument at the Orangeburg War Memorial located at the entrance to the Edisto Memorial Gardens in Orangeburg, SC.

After Lt Kapp was killed in action in Vietnam, Orangeburg High School named a scholarship in his honor which is awarded each year to a deserving graduating senior.

Lt Kapp won the “Pledge Award” the year he joined his fraternity, the Numeral Society.  After his death, the Numeral Society (SAE) named their “Pledge of the Year” Award in honor of Dick Kapp.

Lt Kapp was a member of the Marine Corps Officer Basic Training School, Class 6-67, at Quantico, VA, graduating as a Second Lieutenant on November 1, 1967.  According to an article in the November 2002 edition of the Marine Corps Gazette by Lt. Col. Jack Wells, USMCR (Ret), this class sent more Lieutenants off to battle and suffered more officers killed or wounded than any Basic School class since the Korean War.  Forty-three Marine officers from that one Quantico class were killed in action in Vietnam.

After completing Marine Corps Officer Basic Training School, Lt Kapp was sent to Camp Schwab, Okinawa in December 1967, and then to Vietnam in January 1968 where he was assigned as Platoon Leader of 2nd Platoon, M Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines.  His unit was part of the Battalion Landing Team assigned the mission of engaging and destroying elements of the 803rd North Vietnamese Army Regiment which had been interdicting traffic along the Cua Viet River in northern South Vietnam, a vital supply link between the sea and the Marine Corps’ Dong Ha combat base.

On April 25, 2014 a monument was dedicated at the Marine Corps Officers Basic School at Quantico, Virginia in honor of the 50 members of Class 6-67 of that school who gave their lives in service to the United States.  Forty-three members of that class were killed in combat in Vietnam, including 2Lt Richard W. Kapp, Jr. and 1Lt Stephen R. Hilton, both Clemson Class of 1966 alumni.

The following was compiled from an obituary and a second article printed in The Times and Democrat Newspaper, Orangeburg, SC in March 1968, and was provided on January 4, 2010 by Marbeth Kapp Abbott, sister of Lt. Dick Kapp.

Lt R. W. Kapp, Jr

One of Orangeburg’s finest sons has been killed in Vietnam.  The news came home Wednesday that Lt Richard W. (Dickie) Kapp, Jr., 23, was killed last Friday, March 1, 1968, while on patrol near Cuy Biat, South Vietnam.  A graduate of Orangeburg High School, the young officer held one of the most singular honors accorded any young person in this city, the award of the Bill Davis Memorial Trophy for excellence of scholarship, athletic ability, and sportsmanship.

In addition to this coveted honor, Lt Kapp will long be remembered in Orangeburg for his exemplary performances in the game of football and in the classroom.  He served as tri-captain of the Orangeburg Indians in 1961-62 and his many accomplishments as a student included membership in the National Honor Society, Senior Executive Board, and selection as King Teen.  “Dickie”, as he was known all over town, entered the Marine Corps immediately after graduation from Clemson University.

He was born in Orangeburg, a son of Mrs. Margaret Bryant Chesnutt and the late Richard W. Kapp of Orangeburg.  His mother and stepfather, James F. Chesnutt, reside in Burlington, N.C. Other survivors include a sister, Mrs. Clarence (Marbeth) Abbott of Rome, Ga. and a brother, Cullen Kapp of Burlington, N.C.

Funeral services for Lt. Kapp will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer with the Rev. William J. Snow II officiating.  Burial will follow in Sunnyside Cemetery.  Active pallbearers will be Wilbur Hunt, D. D. Salley III, James Fredric, Fulton Dukes III, Robert S. Maier, Jr., Lester Finklestein, Jr., Hayne Culler, Terry Watt, Robert Heckle, and Lt. Frank W. Farnum.

The following article was provided by the family of Marine 2nd Lt. Richard W. Kapp, Jr. It was written by W. Eugene Smith, principal of Orangeburg High School, and later affiliated with the State Board of Education. It was originally printed in the Times and Democrat Newspaper in Orangeburg, SC in 1968.

Final Tribute To A Man

All experienced teachers in the public schools have the privilege of knowing truly worthy open-faced, clear-thinking young men.  Young men who for some reason have the respect of their peers, respect the rule of law, and earn position of merit through competence and diligence.  There is no way to purchase position in the public school – an American institution.

Some young men exert their influence through an obvious eloquence through speech or dramatic flair.  Dick Kapp was not this kind of leader.  His conduct was exemplary, his manner – quietly sincere, a modest but confident application to a task assigned or accepted. Dick earned respect and love by becoming what many of us wish to become – a clean-cut solid thinking, a willing and responsible giver of his talents and strength.

Teachers and students learned to love and respect this steady, attractive doer of good things for the good of those friends and institutions that he represented.  His statements had depth of meaning.  They were heard and respected. His smile had meaning and real warmth — there was no cheap veneer in his make-up.

After graduation and his electing to attend a South Carolina federal land – grant college, this kind of a man had a place in the free competition there.  It was no surprise that his quality of character and honest work were recognized by his classmates.

Again, this quiet, sturdy, young man was honored by positions of trust.  He accepted each challenge with quiet dignity.  As in his earlier high school days, his self-control resulted in a student body disciplined mind and emotions.  His coolness under stress on the athletic field gave stability there. His courageous play as a team leader was consistent and rewarding to all who watched and knew him.

It seems fitting that the last time I saw him was as he left his little unpretentious church just before leaving his country after having completing his training in the United States Marine Corps.

Natural obstacles prevented one of our occasional and brief conversations that I was privileged to enjoy as his teacher-friend following this clear eyed, short-haired, strong-hearted and handsome All-American young man.  I hope that he knows that he gave me the kind of satisfaction that matters.

He alone with other good American boys gave his life for me and our America.  It is good to know that God loves Lieutenant Dick Kapp. He has our warm blessing and thanks.

As Shakespeare said it about another not so great, “He only, in a general honest thought, and common good to all, made one of them.  His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, This was a Man.”

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Extra Documents

‘This Was a Man’ – Vignette written by Kelly Durham for The Echo