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Richard Earl Duncan (1932 - 1953)

Private Richard Earl Duncan
Born in Great Falls, Cascade, Montana, United Statesmap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 10 Nov 1951 in Augusta, Lewis and Clark, Montana, United Statesmap
Died at age 20 in Sanae-dong, GWA-IL-GUN, South Hwanghae, North Koreamap
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Profile last modified | Created 2 Jun 2019
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Private Richard Duncan served in the United States Army in the Korean War
Service started: 16 Oct 1952
Unit(s): Co. A, 14th Inf. Regt., 25 Div.
Service ended: 29 May 1953
Roll of Honor
Private Richard Duncan was Killed in Action during Korean War.

Biography

Richard Earl Duncan was born in 1932 at Augusta, Montana, the son of Earl John Duncan and Margaret Pearl Stevenson.[1][2]
On the 10th November 1951, he married Miss Mary Katherine McBratney in Augusta.[2]
Richard enlisted for military service with the US Army in October, 1952. On the 29th May 1953, Private Richard Earl Duncan was killed in action near Sanae Dong in Korea, aged 20 years 9 months.[3] A memorial headstone was erected in Augusta Cemetery, Augusta, Montana.[4]
Private Richard Earl Duncan was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery and the Purple Heart, posthumously.[3][4]
Obituary, published in The Independent Record (Helena, Montana), 16 July 1953:
Funeral Services for Korean War Victim Richard Duncan Will Be Held in Augusta on Monday.
Funeral services for Pvt. Richard Duncan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl J. Duncan of Helena who was killed in action in Korea last May 29, will be held at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon in the Community church at Augusta.
The body is due to arrive at the Croxford mortuary in Great Falls Friday evening and will be forwarded to Augusta for the services. Burial will be in the Augusta cemetery.
Pvt. Duncan was the husband of Mary K. Duncan who now resides with her parents in Augusta.
He was born Aug. 30, 1932, in Great Falls and attended grade school there. He also attended junior grades in Havre and two years of high school in Augusta before moving to Helena with his parents. He was graduated from Helena high school in 1950.
He worked at Canyon Ferry dam and resided here with his wife until he was inducted into the army Oct. 16, 1952.
Private Duncan received his basic training at Camp Roberts, Calif., and returned home last March on leave. He was shipped overseas in April and had been in combat for about a month when he was killed near Sanae Dong, Korea.
His parents have learned since that the young soldier was in a trench when an enemy artillery shell burst directly above, killing him instantly.
The Bronze Star medal for valor and the Purple Heart have been awarded posthumously to Private Duncan.
Survivors in addition to his widow and parents include a brother, Raymond Duncan of LaGrande, Ore.; a sister, Ronna Duncan of Helena; his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Duncan of Canyon Ferry, and his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Stevenson of Great Falls.[3]

Sources

  1. State of Montana (USA). Birth Index, 1870–1986. Richard Earl Duncan, born 30th August 1932 in Great Falls, Cascade County. Certificate no. GF 10464. Original record: Montana Birth Index, 1920-1986. Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Helena, Montana. Index online at ancestry.ca (accessed by Alison Kilpatrick by subscription, 2019-06-02).
  2. 2.0 2.1 State of Montana (USA). County Marriages, 1865–1987. Richard Earl Duncan, male, white, age 19 years 2 months 10 days, born in Great Falls, son of Earl John Duncan and Margaret Pearl Stevenson. Mary Katherine McBratney, female, white, age 19 years 10 months 10 days, born in Great Falls, daughter of Clifford Samuel McBratney and Mary Elizabeth Hughes. Marriage solemnized 10th November 1951 at Augusta, Lewis and Clark County. Certificate no. 17451. Original record: Montana, County Marriage Records, 1865-1967. Montana State Historical Society, Helena, Montana. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed by Alison Kilpatrick by subscription, 2019-06-02).
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Independent Record (Helena, Montana), 16 July 1953 (pg. 11). “Funeral Services for Korean War Victim Richard Duncan Will Be Held in Augusta on Monday.” Digital image online at newspapers.com (accessed by subscription, and extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 2019-04-29).
  4. 4.0 4.1 Headstones for Military Veterans, 1925–1963. Richard Earl Duncan; enlisted 16th October 1952; not discharged (killed in action); service no. US 56 120 301; state of Montana; grade: Private; medals: Purple Heart, Bronze Star; branch of service: Army, Co. A, 14th Inf. Regt., 25 Division; born 30 August 1932, died 29 May 1953. Headstone: no emblem; flat granite marker; shipped to Croxford Mortuary, Great Falls; cemetery: Augusta Cemetery, Augusta, Montana. Applicant: Mrs. Mary K. Duncan, Box 52, Augusta, Montana, 4th August 1953. Archival ref. B/L WY 2228513, ordered 15th November 1953. Original record: Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941. Microfilm publication M1916, 134 rolls. ARC ID: 596118. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, Record Group 92. National Archives at Washington, D.C. Digital image online at ancestry.ca (accessed by subscription; extract by Alison Kilpatrick, 2019-06-02).

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Comments: 1

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I corrected the KIA category since he was in the US Army. (KIA is not for the place of death, but for the country served.) :-)

Wanted to be sure it was correct for this young hero.

Natalie

posted by Natalie (Durbin) Trott