Kenwood resident Paul Richard received a plaque in recognition of his service in the Navy during WWII. Richard was among ten Veterans that were honored at a special Veterans Day Ceremony at The Kenwood on Thursday, November 9.
Richard is 96 years old and lives at The Kenwood Senior Living Community in Minneapolis with his wife of 68 years. He has many interesting recollections as a 3M Machinist Mate in the Navy during World War II.
Mr. Richard unfortunately lost his mother at four years old, then his father at eight years old. His aunts and uncles in New York raised him. He graduated from Ramsey High School in New Jersey.
“I popped out of high school, and popped right into the Service,” he said. “I was 18 years old.”
He was trained at Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois. Great Lakes has been turning civilians into seamen and seamen into Sailors for more than 100 years. From its founding in 1911, Great Lakes has maintained its position as the Navy’s largest training facility.
Mr. Richard was assigned to work as a machinist at Naval Air Station Moffett Field located south of San Francisco. He and about 40 others worked in a dirigible hangar that could accommodate three football fields. He had a vitally important job for the entire war.
Post war, the Navy helped him attend college at the University of Missouri and at the University of Wisconsin. He married Majorie and the couple have two children – Brian and Diane.
He is an author of two published books – one about the German army (non-fiction) and a fiction book with a theme of cowboys. He is also an avid fan of military music.
The move to the Kenwood Retirement Community was perfectly timed.
“I like the privacy, and the staff is top-notch,” Mr. Richard said about life at the Kenwood. “We’re keeping busy and behaving.
Looking back at his 96 years, Mr. Richard said, “Look at what we’ve been through!”
The Kenwood Senior Living, located in the Lowry Hill neighborhood within the Calhoun-Isles community, is a rental retirement community which provides independent living and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
For more information, call 612-360-2013.
