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Richard Eugene Sutherland
RICHARD EUGENE SUTHERLAND
Birth June 24, 1945
Hometown Dubuque, Iowa
Parents Eugene and Marian (Oneyear) Sutherland
Military branch Navy
Early Life
Richard Sutherland was born in Dubuque, Iowa, on June 24, 1945 to Marian (Oneyear) and Eugene Sutherland. He had two younger sisters, Carol and Jeanne. The Sutherland family lived in Dubuque. Eugene Sutherland served as a Navy Corpsman in the South Pacific during World War II.
Sutherland attended Wahlert High School from 1959–61 and Dubuque Senior High School from 1961 until graduating in 1963.
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Sutherland attended UW-Platteville from 1964 to 1965 with the goal of becoming a psychologist.
Military
After a close friend was killed in Vietnam, Sutherland joined the Selected Naval Reserve, Naval Reserve Surface Division (M) at the Naval Reserve Training Center, in Dubuque on Aug. 25, 1965. There, he was advanced to the rate of Seaman Apprentice (SA) (E-3). Before reporting for active duty on Sept. 8, 1966, the only time spent away from his Reserve Unit in Dubuque was time spent at Great Lakes, Illinois from July 16–29, 1966.
Upon reporting for active duty to Naval Station San Diego, California on Sept. 8, 1966, he struck for the Hospitalman (HM) rate. From Sept. 14 to Dec. 22, 1966, he attended Navy Hospital Corps School in San Diego. He attended Field Medical School at Camp Pendleton, California from Jan. 5 to Feb. 7, 1967. Upon completion of training, he cared for hospitalized wounded Sailors and Marines at the San Diego (Balboa) Naval Hospital. After receiving orders and before deploying to Vietnam, he married Cynthia McComish, of Dubuque on Feb. 25, 1967.
Having been promoted to the rate of HN, Hospitalman (E-3), he reported to Vietnam on Aug. 30, 1967 and was assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 2nd Battalion 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. In 1967, the 9th Marines had become involved in some of the bitterest fighting of the war. In September of that year, an outpost at Con Thien, Quang Tri Province, near the DMZ, came under one of the heaviest artillery poundings of the war, lasting 12 days. Elements of the regiment who manned the outpost, believed to be Hill 158, turned back several NVA assaults, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers. With the aid of air and artillery support, the 9th Marines turned the enemy attack into an enemy disaster. During the period of July 16 to Oct. 31, 1967, known as Operation Kingfisher, Marine, including Navy, casualties were 340 dead and 1,461 wounded. HN Sutherland was among those killed when he was struck by enemy artillery fire on Sept. 21, 1967. On that day 2nd Battalion 9th Marines suffered 7 Marines and 2 Navy Corpsman killed.
Hospitalman Sutherland is buried in the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Dubuque.
Among Sutherland’s awards are the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Meritorious Commendation, Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one service star and FMF Combat Operations Insignia, Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, Vietnam Civil Action Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Richard Sutherland’s name appears in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. on panel 26E, line 108.
