PFC Rickey Marson Remembered by Fellow Marine
"I have your name tattooed on my arm." - Jim OBrien
At the corner of 23rd and Price Road in Pampa,Texas is the grave of Marine PFC Rickey Marson. A small military marker competes with thick bermuda grass to remind us a hero rests there. The dates on the sides of the dash say he died young (19) and has rested a long time (since 1968).
Rickey Marson was a party animal. After he finished basic training he came home on leave before going to Vietnam. I met up with Rickey at Caldwell's Drive In one night and he asked me to go partying with him at the club in the basement of the downtown Pampa Hotel. I couldn't believe they would serve alcohol to ;minors, but who was going to turn down a US Marine in the late sixties in Pampa? "Old enough to die . . . old enough to drink." Right?
Well, maybe not, but he also was good friends with the female bartender. Rickey had a lot of good friends who were females. He was like a big brother looking out for his little sisters . . . and he looked out for them well.<
He was proud to be a US Marine. He told me story after story of his training. He related how he was repeatedly asked "Why are you here, Private Marson?" and how he was expected to stand at attention and shout out as loud as possible"To go to Vietnam and kill Vietcong, Sir!"
Four weeks later he was killed in action.
Rifles rang out 21 times. The bugle echoed taps. An honor guard folded the flag with precision. His decorated body was lowered into the ground.
A few years later we lost the war.
They placed his name on a memorial in our nation's capital. There, by proxy, we continue to salute him and the 58,177 others (as of 1997) whose names line those marble walls.
Caldwell's Drive In is gone. The Pampa Hotel was closed and reopened decades later as the Schneider House providing assisted living to elderly.
Hero Marine Rickey Marson still rests.
In 1997 I visited The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I forgot Rickey spelled his name Marson and searched for the name Morrison. I found "Richard Keith Morrison" on East panel 61,Line 14 and mistakenly thought it was my friend.. The directory did not list hometown as Pampa, TX, but I was told the military used the more euphemistic home of record. In the case of PFC Morrison hometown of record was Silver Springs, MD, I let it slide without further question and continued to believe it was Marson.
I recently visited TheWall - USA, an online compliment to The Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Since The Wall - USA was created in 1996 only 5 visitors had left words on the name of Richard Keith Morrison. All five were strangers leaving messages saying that even though they did not know him . . . he was not forgotten.
I left a message with a link back to this page mistakenly telling future visitors he was a hometown hero who was more than an unknown marine from a euphemistic home of record in Silver Springs,MD.
Later, thanks to classmate Doug Carmichael, I was made aware of my error.
I went back The Wall - USA and searched for Rickey Don Marson. Amidst many messages from friends and relatives who have paid their respect over the years I found one particularly touching.
"I was there with you that day 04-07-68. I was by your side when you slipped away. I think daily of you my friend. I have your name tattooed on my arm with in memory of. I will never forget you and that day.One day we shall meet again. Semper Fi my friend.- Jim OBrien
While touched by the knowledge that Rickey Marson was remembered I was saddened to think that an 18 year old from Silver Springs, MD still has never had a single visit from anyone who knew him. I am glad I touched his name on East panel 61, Line 14 of the marble in Washington, DC thinking he was my friend. Has anyone else touched his name? Was anyone there when he slipped away? Does someone have his name tattooed on their arm? I tend to think not.
I wonder where Richard Keith Morrison from Silver Springs, MD rests?
Hometown hero Rickey Marson from Pampa, TX rests at the corner of 23rd and Price Road. His Marine friend Jim OBrien wears his name.
Day is gone. gone the sun.
from the lake from the hill. from the sky.
All is well. safely rest.
God is nigh.
Categories: Classmates, Music, Addictions
Tags: Caldwell's Drive In Rickey Morrison Pampa TX Silver Springs MD Arlington National Cemetery
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Friday, February 05, 2010 10:15 PM
Born Under a Wonderng Star wrote:
What Began as a Patrol Ended Up Major Action
Casualty information from the Vietnam War is often classified anddifficult to obtain, but after publishing the original story on PFC Rickey Marson
I had a crush on Rickey for at least 2 yrs before he left for the marines. We did a lot of partying back then and any time I needed him he would rescue me. His death his me very very hard. He was the first a many young friends I lost to Viet Nam. What a tragedy.
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I just remembered that when the traveling wall came to Killeen TX back in the 70's I made a special trip into the mall to find Ricky's name and when I found it I stood for a couple of hours and cried, a cleansing I had needed for a long time. I read the names of almost all the soldiers on that wall and said a prayer for each of them and their families. Such a sad, sad time in our lives. And now 30 yrs later young men and women are still dying in wars that we wish we could stop. Reminds me of the song "Blowin' in the Wind".
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How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, n how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, n how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before theyre forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,
The answer is blowin in the wind.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, n how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, n how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,
The answer is blowin in the wind.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before its washed to the sea?
Yes, n how many years can some people exist
Before theyre allowed to be free?
Yes, n how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesnt see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,
The answer is blowin in the wind.
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In Viet Nam if you were with the Marines you had buddies. Some of your buddies became what we laughingly called, pardon the language, asshole buddies. You slept together, ate together, drank together, had sex together and covered each other ass. To many guys died stupidly and to many died later stupidly. Though I will give one thought about Viet Nam. The politicians lost that war not the men and women who served there. We were never defeated. Many of us still carry the scares both physical and mental but we never gave up or surrendered. We could have defeated the North Vietnamese if the politicians had let us fight to win. Oh, well, I hope maybe I explained Ricky Marson's friend. Unless you lived it you can't truly explain it. I found out that I could love and hate at the same time. I grew up real fast and had a buddy that is still alive and living in Philadelphia. I love it when the Eagles get clobbered.
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Billy, I started to reply toyour post when I first read it last week, but I couldn't find the words to say what I was feeling. Like Harry Chapin says in one of his songs, "Sometimes words can serve me well, but sometimes words can go to hell."
I can't think of any of our classmates that have seen war from the perspective you have. Dewey and others have certainly paid their dues, but as a corpsman, armed with limited medical supplies, serving on the front lines and expected to perform miracles, I can only imagine what you experienced. Many would not be able to write about it . . .keeping it locked up inside and eating away at their soul until the end.
When I first read in the report above that two Navy corpsmen were killed I thought about you.
Thank you for your comments.
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