Columbia County Honor-A-Veteran Committee honors Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Richard Irving Mesick 08/23/10
08/23/10
Richard Irving Mesick was born on May 20, 1930 to John and Beatrice (Warfield) Mesick in Spencertown,
NY. He attended Spencertown Academy and graduated Chatham High School in 1948 in three and a half years.
Richard enlisted in the United States Navy on October 14,1948 in Albany, NY. After his basic training at Great Lakes, he trained as a Gunner's Mate, which consisted of the operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of Naval guns, basic explosives, small arms, Naval ammunition classification and safety. It was then at a dance that he met his future wife Edna Vosburgh.
Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Richard Mesick was assigned to the USS Soley (DD 707), which hailed out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and conducted anit-submarine and hunter-killer excercises with Task Force 81 along the eastern seaboard. Assigned to Hunter-Killer Task Force 24 in October 1949, the USS Soley participated
in the Second Fleet excercise in the North Atlantic.
The USS Soley was in the Panama Canal when hostilities broke out on the Korean Peninsula. The USS
Soley, assigned to the 6th Fleet, cruised the Mediterranean and the Northern European coast. It had the honor of representing the United States at the funeral of King Gustavus V of Sweden.
Richard married Edna on December 16, 1951 just before being assigned to the USS Ault (DD 698). As part of the 6th Fleet, the USS Ault cruised the Atlantic visiting England, France, Guantanamo Bay and Norfolk, VA. Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Richard Mesick was honorably discharged at Norfolk, VA October 3, 1952.
In the ensuing years, Richard worked as an insurance salesman, a real estate agent, paint store owner and a self employed painter/contractor. He and Edna raised four children: Pamela, Patricia, Richard W., and Randall. At the age of 40 Richard was stricken with a severe heart condition, which rendered him disabled. However, remaining active in his community, he was a member of the Ghent VFW, the Ghent Fire Company and the Masons.
Richard, 45, died on August 25, 1975 and was laid to rest in the Ghent Union Cemetery. He left behind a wife, four children, and eight grandchildren.
Richard Irving Mesick was born on May 20, 1930 to John and Beatrice (Warfield) Mesick in Spencertown,
NY. He attended Spencertown Academy and graduated Chatham High School in 1948 in three and a half years.
Richard enlisted in the United States Navy on October 14,1948 in Albany, NY. After his basic training at Great Lakes, he trained as a Gunner's Mate, which consisted of the operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of Naval guns, basic explosives, small arms, Naval ammunition classification and safety. It was then at a dance that he met his future wife Edna Vosburgh.
Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Richard Mesick was assigned to the USS Soley (DD 707), which hailed out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and conducted anit-submarine and hunter-killer excercises with Task Force 81 along the eastern seaboard. Assigned to Hunter-Killer Task Force 24 in October 1949, the USS Soley participated
in the Second Fleet excercise in the North Atlantic.
The USS Soley was in the Panama Canal when hostilities broke out on the Korean Peninsula. The USS
Soley, assigned to the 6th Fleet, cruised the Mediterranean and the Northern European coast. It had the honor of representing the United States at the funeral of King Gustavus V of Sweden.
Richard married Edna on December 16, 1951 just before being assigned to the USS Ault (DD 698). As part of the 6th Fleet, the USS Ault cruised the Atlantic visiting England, France, Guantanamo Bay and Norfolk, VA. Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Richard Mesick was honorably discharged at Norfolk, VA October 3, 1952.
In the ensuing years, Richard worked as an insurance salesman, a real estate agent, paint store owner and a self employed painter/contractor. He and Edna raised four children: Pamela, Patricia, Richard W., and Randall. At the age of 40 Richard was stricken with a severe heart condition, which rendered him disabled. However, remaining active in his community, he was a member of the Ghent VFW, the Ghent Fire Company and the Masons.
Richard, 45, died on August 25, 1975 and was laid to rest in the Ghent Union Cemetery. He left behind a wife, four children, and eight grandchildren.
