Name: Joseph Vincent Richard Rank: Corporal Service Number: US-3211728 Service: K Company, 323rd Infantry, 81st Division, US Army Date of Birth: July 15, 1892 Place of Birth: Wedgeport, Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: May 29, 1918 Place of Enlistment: New York, US Address at Enlistment: 327 W 126, Manhattan, New York, US Age at Enlistment: 25 Height: 5 feet, 2 inches Complexion: Light Eye Colour: Blue Hair Colour: Brown Occupation: Labourer Marital Status: Single Religion: Roman Catholic Date of Discharge: June 21, 1919 Age: 26 Date of Death: December 10, 1957 Age: 65 Cemetery: Long Island National Cemetery, East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA Reference: X, 1570 Joseph Vincent Richard was the son of Jean N. Richard (1855-1936) and Mary Ann (Reid) Richard (1865- 1927). He was the brother of George Edward Richard (1887-1951), Mary Gertrude Richard (1888-1959), Charles William Richard (1893-1925), Annie Frances Richard (1895-1993), Hattie Ella Richard 1905- 1991), and Agnes Dionysha Richard (1906-1999). Jean (John) Richard and Marian (Mary Ann) Reed were married in Wedgeport on October 11, 1888. All the children were born in Wedgeport. Their father, Jean (John) Richard had a career at sea as a Captain and received a Medal of Honor from the Congress of the United States, for the rescue of the crew of the American fishing schooner J. W. Beatty, off the Grand Banks during a winter storm. As an expression of appreciation, he was presented with a gold watch inscribed by US President Garfield. The Richard family traces its lineage to one of Wedgeport, Nova Scotia’s founding families, Antoine Francois Richard (1770–1813) and Cécile Doucet. Joseph Vincent Richard served in the United States and France during WWI between May 29, 1918, and June 21, 1919, with Company K of the 323rd Infantry Regiment in the 81st Division of the United States Army. The 81st was also known as the Wildcat Division. He served overseas from July 31, 1918, to June 14, 1919. He was promoted to Corporal August 25, 1918, served in France, and participated in the Meuse-Argonne campaign in the Meuse-Argonne sector. The Meuse-Argonne offensive, was fought from September 26, 1918, until the Armistice of November 11, 1918, a total of 47 days, and the largest frontline commitment of troops by the U.S. Army in World War I. When on the night of November 10, 1918, 81st Division commanders received no official confirmation of rumors that an armistice might be signed the next day, the 321st and 323rd Infantry Regiments planned a dawn attack on the main German trench line. At daybreak, the 321st went "over the top" for the first time and attacked enemy trench positions north of Bois de Manheulles, slowly advancing through heavy fog and shell and machine gun fire. At 10:30 a.m. the 323rd began to fight its way through the barbed wire entanglements along the German main trench line into and south of Bois de Manheulles; some Americans entered German trenches, and many were either killed or pinned down under enemy fire. At 11:00 a.m. the firing abruptly stopped when the armistice of November 11, 1918, ended hostilities. Following the armistice, the Wildcat Division marched 175 miles to a rest area and in early June returned to the United States. During the short time the 81st Division was in combat, it suffered 248 killed and 856 wounded. Prior to his WWI Army service, he was employed as a dock laborer and served in the Merchant Navy as a waiter on the SS Matura in 1915. Post-WWI, Joseph served as a seaman for 35 years or more on various vessels. During World War II, he served in the Merchant Navy. In April 1942, when he registered for the US Draft, he was serving as cook on the SS Norluna, a US Liberty Ship. He also served as Chief Cook on the SS William Pepperell, also a Liberty Ship, in 1945-1946. The ship served during the Normandy Landings. Joseph departed Europe via Belgium aboard the William Pepperell and arriving in New York on January 9, 1946. He joined the ship on November 14, 1945. Between 1947 and 1948, he worked as a Seaman aboard the SS General W. H. Gordon—a ship with a varied history, having operated in civilian roles as well as serving both the US Navy and US Army as a troop transport. During his service, he participated in a transpacific voyage from Shanghai, China to San Francisco. Joseph died December 10th, and was interred 3 days later on December 13, 1957, at the Long Island National Cemetery, managed by the National Cemetery Administration of the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sources: findagrave military and family records