Richard Bates Jr.

(Sept. 22, 1966) - Marine private Richard Stanley Bates Jr., 19, was killed Saturday in a Viet Cong ambush near Quangtri, Vietnam.

A Marine lieutenant visited both the home of Richard’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Bates of Margaret Ave., and a close aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Lester Newport of Spring Street.

The telegram said simply that Pfc. Bates died on Sept. 17 of multiple fragmentation wounds while engaged in action against hostile forces.

Bates had been involved in two combat missions prior to last week. So severe were the hardships imposed by those two military operations that his unit was sent back to the Philippines for a week’s rest.