Veterans History Project: Richard S. Ryder, U.S. Navy machinist's mate third class

In Early 1942, Richard Ryder and a few of his buddies went to the local recruiting office in Parkersburg, W. Va.. They were ready to sign up. It didn’t much matter which branch of service they were going into. Like so many young men at the time, they wanted in the fight. The recruiter told the young men to wait a few months until they finished high school and were old enough, then they could join up.

Richard was already in college at Purdue University in Indiana. He was studying mechanical engineering and took classes in a unit called the V-12. This was an Officers Candidate School available at Purdue. He got through the first two semesters alright and was in his third (semester) when the need to get into the military came back. By then, his older brother was a paratrooper in the U.S. Marine Corps, and his younger brother was a soldier in Germany.

He sought to get out of the V-12 program but the administrators told him that was only possible if he flunked out. He accomplished that. In November 1943, Richard signed up to become a member of the U.S. Navy.

He entered “boot camp” at Great Lakes Naval Station. He went through the usual courses of instruction. One area started as a problem in rifle marksmanship. Richard was left handed. The only way he could hit the target was by shooting differently than others. Finally the people running the rifle range let him do it his way and he was successful. The training was completed in ten weeks.

Immediately following graduation, Richard succumbed to Scarlett Fever. The illness required hospitalization for one month. He said that this exact time was when penicillin was introduced to people in need. Four times a day, he was given shots to curb the sickness. He said, “it was a pain in the ---“, literally! As he had to wait for his follow-on assignment, he helped new recruits with reading and writing.

The situation was a tough one for Richard. He was originally set to train further in submarine warfare. After healing, all the sub slots had been filled. The next best training was on PT boats. The young sailors learned the characteristics of the ships and the various jobs while aboard. This training took place in Rhode Island. There were U.S. spotter planes in the sky that radioed information about a sighting of an enemy submarine. The crew of the PT boat would swing into action, move into the assigned area and drop their charges.

When this training piece was completed, Richard was assigned duty in the Pacific. The Navy sent him aboard a troop train from Rhode Island to California. In Arizona, the steam engine pulling the train was not strong enough to climb a couple of mountains. The men on the train had to get off and hike over the top of the elevation, then re-board so they could make it.

Once in California, he and thousands of others boarded a troop ship and headed toward the Philippine Islands. In order to make the trip safely, the ship headed north from San Francisco, and went far enough that Richard and others could seen the tips of glaciers! One of his jobs on the troop ship was to help paint the tops of boilers. The items were wrapped in asbestos and the men painted over it. Richard said that because of that assignment he got to eat much better than those not working.

When the troop ship finally dropped off its charges, they had made it to the Philippines. Here, Richard was assigned to the USS Landing Craft, Support (LCS) 58. At first, their duties including mine-sweeping. As the ship encountered the bobbing mines, the men shot rifles at the detonation device. When the item was hit, the mines would explode. The LCS 58 was part of a Navy Group that was sent to the Island of Borneo. The LCS 58 was armed with 20mm and 40mm anti-aircraft and a three-inch cannon. It had some fighting capability but as the group neared Borneo, the battleships, destroyers, and cruisers took over the duties. It was significant to be a part of that. Richard’s job was to keep the engines running. The machinists did not have additional work as gunners.

While aboard LCS 58, he and others looked forward to the daily (or so) mail call. During his entire time in the US Navy, Richard kept in close touch with a young lady he met in Ohio. Their courting took place through V-Mail. (He later married the lady and remained together for 68 years). Thanksgiving arrived while the ship was at Borneo. Instead of chicken or turkey, the main entre arrived as a load of mutton, wrapped in gauze. Richard said it was difficult to enjoy.

Richard said that the Group was slated for the seas of Okinawa and onto Japan. The dropping of the atomic bomb changed those plans. The group headed for Shang-Hai. While there, the local workers painted the entire hull of their ship. And there was some shore leave so the men could relax some. Richard said that he might have over-relaxed a bit by consuming too many adult beverages. He missed the assembly of getting the men back out to their ship. Luckily, the “skipper” was a forgiving man and when he rejoined his crew, his mis-deeds were soon forgotten. Richard met a local man and they became friends. The man invited Richard to his home for a meal with he and his wife. The man wanted to share a delicacy or special meal with Richard. The delicacy was “leg of lamb.” They remained friends anyway.

The duration of this entire assignment, was at least two years. There were lots of card games and dice games. Richard was not a stranger to any of these pastimes. On the return trip home the ship needed supplies. As things work, a big game of craps was underway. Richard said he was $3,000 ahead by 0500 hours. He stopped playing to eat and since he had money, he wired a good bit of it back to his parents so he could obtain a wedding ring. When he returned to the game, his luck had changed. The rest of his winnings went away. Dang.

The LCS 58 headed to Hawaii, then to the coast of California and on to Astoria, Oregon. The ship was de-commissioned there, sent on to moth-ball status. The sailors then were sent across the northern part of the country on a troop train.

While on the troop train was underway, it had to make stops. At one of the stops, a rail strike was in progress. The troop train full of soldiers and sailors were minding their own business when they were approached by several upset men who were carrying 2x4 pieces of wood. The approachers were union men and they thought the people on the trains were strike breakers. Just in time, the shore-patrol (Navy police) stopped the angry mob and “splained” who was who. The angry men backed off. They went to a local bar and bought out all the available liquor and brought it back to the train where they patched things up and thanked the servicemen for their service!

The train went on its way, finally arriving at Great Lakes Naval Station. Richard was paid about $78 back pay, got his medals, and was discharged.

He went back to Ohio. As he neared his parent’s home, he saw a small group of men on a corner. One of them was his older brother, also on his way home. Richard ran at the man and jumped on him, happy to be back!

Richard wasted no time in getting his money and buying a pretty ring for his wonderful girlfriend! In not much time, they were married.

Richard went back to Purdue University and graduated in mechanical engineering in 1948. He used the G.I.Bill to make that affordable. He also used his service to get a loan for his first home – it was hard to beat 4 percent!

Richard is now at Sloan Estates. He’s a tall man, slender, and always wears his World War II cap when he goes out. He’s a life member of the American Legion. Ensconced on a wall of his apartment is a 10x14 picture of his ship, USS LCS 58.

MM3 Richard Ryder, good job! Thank you for your service!

Editor’s note: This story is one of many American Veteran accounts published between the Memorial Day weekend and Veterans Day. The writer, who is from Sidney, is conducting the interviews as part of the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project.