War hero’s grave honors

By BOB JACKSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

Richard “Doc” Powell would have been embarrassed by what went on Saturday in Lake Park Cemetery in Boardman.

He was, after all, a modest, unassuming man not given to the limelight, according to all who knew him, including his sister, Pattie Powell Scoville.

“But he would have loved it, too,” Scoville said quietly. “He loved his fellow servicemen.”

What went on in a sun-dappled corner of the cemetery was a special service to honor Powell for his service as a Navy Corpsman during the Vietnam War. He sacrificed his own well-being, and ultimately his life, trying to rescue and treat injured Marines on a blistering hot battlefield.

He died Aug. 29, 1968, exactly 41 years to the day of Saturday’s service. Eight months after his death, he was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his valor. However, due to an oversight, the award was never noted on his gravestone.

Through the efforts of his family; George Adams of Cortland, a Marine buddy who served during the war with Powell; and the Veterans Commission of Youngstown, a new marker bearing the Navy Cross was recently placed on Powell’s grave. Saturday’s ceremony was to dedicate the marker and honor Powell.

Some 250 of Powell’s fellow veterans, friends, relatives and classmates from the Chaney High School Class of 1965 gathered at the cemetery along Midlothian Boulevard.

“I’m speechless about the turnout,” said Byron Weber, who served as 2nd Platoon Commander of Lima Company. “This has been a memorable event. It’s one of those life-altering events.”

Navy corpsmen are assigned to Marine units because the Marines don’t have their own medical personnel. Powell served in the same unit with Adams and Weber.

Weber choked back tears as he recalled the events of the day that led to Powell’s death. There was heavy fighting in an area just south of DaNang known as Dodge City, a stronghold for the North Vietnamese Army, and the 2nd Platoon of Lima Company was called in to help.

“All hell broke loose,” Weber said, noting that an enemy ambush was launched just as his platoon entered the thick jungle. “It was a hot jungle. There was so much confusion. When it was over, seven men were dead, 18 were wounded, and the platoon was absolutely decimated.”

Throughout the horrendous firefight, Powell continually moved from one wounded soldier to another, rendering medical help as best he could. At one point, his left arm was badly injured from a grenade blast, but Powell still did not stop, Weber said.

“I watched him that day. He literally moved from body to body, using his one good arm and pulling bandages with his teeth. I was astounded that he was able to do that.”

Weber said Powell ignored calls from him and other Marines to pull back and get out of the way of enemy fire. At one point Powell saw a casualty who was within 15 meters of an enemy machine gun position. When he moved up to help the fallen soldier, Powell suffered a fatal injury.

Weber and other veterans who served during that era said it’s gratifying to see a fellow soldier being so warmly honored and received. They recalled that it wasn’t always like that.

“We weren’t received at all when we got home,” Weber said. “We got off the plane and were told to get on with our lives.”

“We were looked upon as baby killers,” said Tony Pappagallo, 62. “When we came back [from Vietnam] they didn’t honor us then like they do today. They just saw your [military] patches and looked at you funny.”

Pappagallo was one of about 50 members of Powell’s high school graduating class who attended the ceremony. He served in the Army from 1965-1967 and now lives in Las Vegas.

People came from as far away as California, Oregon, Texas and Florida to attend.

As she looked around after the hour-long service, Scoville said she was overwhelmed by it all, and she believed that her brother would have been as well.

“It’s just amazing to see a turnout like this – to see so many people,” she said. “And it’s from his buddies. This means the world to them.”

Scoville said the events of this weekend, which included a reunion of the 2nd Platoon Lima Company, and the publicity surrounding the grave marker, have brought back some of the painful memories of losing her brother.

“I’ve had my tears,” she said, while still managing a smile. “I just can’t say enough about what all this means.”

Weber said he expected maybe a dozen or so people to show up for the ceremony when he and others first started planning it.

“This is amazing, to look around and see that this means something to so many people,” he said. “After today, all who come by here and walk past [Powell’s] grave will call him a hero, and they’ll know they are in the presence of a giant of a man.”