That a Man Lay Down His Life for His Friend
That a Man Lay Down His Life for His Friend
From - COSTA MESA , CALIFORNIA
CPL - E3 - Army - Regular
4th Infantry Division
19 year old Single, Caucasian, Male
Born on Aug 22, 1947
His tour of duty began on Sep 15, 1966
Casualty was on Feb 15, 1967
in KONTUM, SOUTH VIETNAM
HOSTILE, GROUND CASUALTY
GUN, SMALL ARMS FIRE
Body was recovered
Religion BAPTIST
Panel 15E - - Line 36
Submitted by
David Heesen
heesendr@beloit.edu
acquaintance
1318 So. Orchard St.
Janesville, WI 53546 USA
I remember Rick because he made his presence known in jr. high Sunday school class as First Baptist, Costa Mesa. I was in the class with him. He had blond hair. He grew up fast when he had a bad car accident, killing a small child. He took life more seriously after that. Then I heard he had died in 'Nam.
Thank you, Rick, for the price you paid. You're a true hero in my book.
Monday, September 11, 2000
Submitted by
Chris Meador
chedmed@aol.com
friend
23022 Ashfield
Lake Forest,CA 92630 USA
I went to school with Rick from 8th grade until I last saw him at Orange Coast College. I lived on Del Mar around the corner from him. We were not close friends, but always friendly. Rick was always a nice guy to be around. The last time I spoke with him, he was happy he was doing well in college. As I recall, he was never a great student before, so doing well in college was something he was proud of. He was excited about the way things were going in his life and very happy. The next thing I heard was of his death in Viet Nam. Whenever I think about the war, I always think of Rick and how young he was and how happy he was when I last saw him.
Tuesday, April 06, 1999
September 20, 2000
Roscoe Speak
206 Lillian Place
Costa Mesa, CA 92627-4616
Dear Mr. Speak:
I don't think you remember me but I am the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Heesen, who now live in Bandon, Oregon. As a teenager I attended First Baptist Church in Costa Mesa. One of my earliest memories was a particular junior high Sunday school class. In that class was your son Ricky. That's about all I remember of Ricky. He seemed like such a genuine little fellow--all boy.
Later on I learned that he had died in Vietnam. That's why I'm writing you today. This past weekend a half-size replica of The Wall visited our town. I made it a point to visit it and look for Ricky's name (Eric B. Speak, age 19). I knew it was on there because I found it listed on the World Wide Web (www.thewall-usa.com). Sure enough, there he was. The next day my two daughters visited The Wall with their class and located Ricky's name also.
So, just wanted you to know that we were thinking of Ricky. We are thankful for the great price he paid. In our book, he is a hero.
Sincerely,
David R. Heesen
P.S. If you have a photograph of Ricky (preferably in uniform), I would love to borrow it. It would help much for my daughters to put a face with the name. I would return it to you pronto.
3 Oct 00
Dear David,
We were glad to recieve [sic] your letter and that you remember our son Eric.
My wife Evelyn and I are both retired. I'm 80 and Evelyn is 74. Eric was the oldest of our three children. Our daughters have given us six grand children that we adore!
I don't know if you were aware that Eric (Rick) gave his life in the act of saving a fellow soldier! He was awarded, posthumously, the Silver Star! Yes, he was a hero!
We have visited the memorial wall in D.C. Many friends and relatives tell us that they too have located his name on the wall.
This past summer we recieved a call from Atlanta, Ga., from a medic that had been in Eric's unit. He looked us up on the Internet and called us.
Thank you for remembering our son. My penmanship indicates my 80 years have taken its toll. I'm still active and thankful that the Lord has blessed our family.
Sincerely, Roscoe & Evelyn Speak
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