A Marine's Story: Private First Class Richard Norman Olbert



Private First Class Richard Norman Olbert was born on September 25, 1919, in Durango, Colorado.

He enlisted in the US Marine Corps on January 8, 1942, in response to World War II, a mere month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Assigned to Carson's Marine Raiders, Private First Class Richard Olbert deployed to the Pacific Theater.

During the August 17-18, 1942, raid on Makin Island, Private First Class Richard Olbert, with nine other Marines, were stranded on the island and captured by enemy forces.

Private First Class Richard Norman Olbert was executed on October 16, 1942.  He was never recovered and is memorialized on the Roll of the Missing in Honolulu, Hawaii.

(Sergeant Richard Allard, Private John Irwin Kerns, Private Alden Curtis Mattison, and Corporal Joseph N. Gifford  were other US Marines captured that day)

(Sergeant Dallas Henry Cook was also a casualty of the raid)


* Read about a.d. elliott's Everyday Patriot Project here*


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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

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Location: Durango, CO, USA

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