WASHINGTON: Gold Star parents Lennie & Susan Nelson son, Ricky, was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while on deployment with the Marine Corps. in Iraq in 2008. They share their son's story, and their story, exclusively with Communities Digital News.
Mr. & Mrs. Nelson, we are honored to have this opportunity to speak with you about this very personal topic about your son, Ricky, who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country. We thank him, and you, for your service.
We welcome the opportunity to share our story with you.
What was your son's full name, and when did he join the United States Marine Corps?
Lennie & Susan: His name was Richard Joseph Nelson. He was the 2nd youngest of our seven children. Ricky's siblings are a sister and five brothers. Our children were raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Ricky joined the Marine Corps Reserve on July 14, 2003.
What kind of young person was Ricky before entering the military?
He was a typical young man; fun-loving and was somewhat of a prankster. He was intrigued by his grandfather (my dad) who served in the Marine Corps. Ricky heard my dad tell stories of his time served in the Marine Corps, and it made a strong impression. Lennie served in the U.S. Army (Vietnam veteran), and Ricky was proud of his dad's service. However, in the end, Ricky chose to enlist in the Marine Corps and follow his grandfather's footsteps.
How much of a difference did you notice in Ricky after he first returned from boot camp?
It was remarkable. I said to myself: "I'm not sure who this man is whom the Marines sent back to us, but he's a lot more mature than the one we sent to them!" (hearty laughter) While on furlough from the Marine Corps, Ricky often took time to return to his former high school and speak proudly about being a United States Marine.
What was Ricky's military unit?
He was assigned to Fox Company, 24th Battalion, part of the 4th Marine Division. His Marine Corps Reserve unit was stationed in Milwaukee, WI (a little less than 50 miles north of Kenosha).
How many deployments did he make to Iraq?
He made two deployments. His first tour in Iraq was in 2004. It was in Anbar province (Triangle of Death) which, at the time, had the most violent and bloody encounters between American and Al Qaeda forces. He and his unit returned home after a successful deployment. His civilian job back home was as a carpenter for a construction company here in Kenosha. His reserve unit was activated and mobilized for another deployment in 2008. Ricky, he had a medical condition (severe asthma) that would have exempted him from making the deployment (and possibly receiving a medical discharge). Asthma is aggravated by the presence of animals, which were numerous in Iraq: cattle, goats, poultry, etc., and it greatly affected him. But despite this, Ricky said: "I can't stay here and watch my guys go back into action; I won't consider it!" So he deployed once again.
Please tell us about that second deployment.
Would you mind telling us about the day the military notified you of Ricky's death?
Well, I saw the military entourage with the CACO (Casualty Assistance Call Officer) as they approached our front door. I knew right away why they came to our house. I opened the door and was immediately overcome with tremendous emotion. Rather than speaking with them, I chose to call my husband (Lennie), who was in our basement when the CACO arrived. He came up, and they gave him the news that I suspected was true.
However, that devastating news hit our entire family with sadness and grief.
Yes, he is survived by his lovely wife, Kristen. As you can imagine, the news of Ricky's death was devastating to her as well. The consolation is that family and relatives, church family, and Ricky's chain of command in the Marine Corps all provided tremendous support to Kristen. As with many others impacted in such situations, she became a widow far too young.
We learned that a Wisconsin newspaper was doing a story about local military reservists who were deployed to Iraq. Are you able to tell us more about that?
Yes. The newspaper was the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and they discovered that Ricky was a reservist on deployment. They interviewed Ricky's wife (Kristen) and thought it would be a great idea to have Kristen send a Care Package (with goodies). The hope was to have the newspaper reporter go to Iraq and be present when the Care Package arrived. Unfortunately, Ricky was not available due to his being out on a mission. Therefore, the reporter was unable to interview Ricky, nor did they get to witness his opening the Care Package.
Indeed there is. The reporter later found out that Ricky was killed in combat, and did a big follow up story on that news. As this follow up story was being put together, the reporter (who also had connections in Washington D.C.) was notified that a documentary was being produced about the lives of civilian soldiers (reservists) deployed to Iraq.
We consider the movie to be top quality and outstanding production. In fact, the movie garnered First Place as a documentary at the 2009 GI (military) movie festival. It was narrated by the late Fred Thompson (former U.S. Presidential candidate, U.S. Senator, and Hollywood actor). The movie gets two thumbs up from each of us!
"Narrated by actor, radio host and former Senator Fred Thompson, Perfect Valor introduces the audience to a Navy Cross recipient recognized for extraordinary gallantry under fire during the assault on Fallujah. A true American hero still haunted by his experience in Iraq. We listen to the family of a fallen Marine as they tell the story of their sacrifice. We hear the harrowing tale of a battalion surgeon who risked his own life to move an aid station forward, into the middle of the fight – a decision that saved thirty lives.
Something that should be noted is that Ricky was the only combat casualty among the military members chronicled in the video. Also, Susan and I were invited to a private screening of the video when it was first released (in Washington D.C.). We (and family members of the other military in featured in the movie) were interviewed after the showing. We met a lot of high ranking military, and also met former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Not long after that, our church in Kenosha (Journey Church) showed the video for our congregation and other citizens in the Kenosha area. Needless to say, the showing of the video was given to a packed auditorium.
What is going on now… since the movie's premiere? Do you attend memorial services?
It's sad that our country is somewhat fractured politically. But I'm happy to say that the year following Ricky's death, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (Democrat) invited us to the state capitol for their annual Christmas memorial event. Governor Doyle presided over the event in 2009 and 2010. Republican Governor Scott Walker has continued the tradition since 2011. Another nice thing is that we got to invite one other couple to join us as guests. We have attended every year since for the past ten years. The memorial event has heavy hors-d'oeuvres, a military band, and special Christmas tree ornaments in honor of each fallen soldier. Later during the event, each family gets to meet privately with the Governor, and they also mingle with other Gold Star families.
Is there any perspective you would like to give to those who will read this article?
Yes. We should remember that Freedom isn't Free! We have a wonderful country, with an outstanding all-volunteer force filled with servicemembers willing to lay their lives on the line for our nation. Those who choose to make a political statement by kneeling when the national anthem is being played at sporting events (particularly the NFL) have the right to do so, but I personally think it's foolish of them to do so. I hold no animus towards them, but I don't think that they fully understand the sacrifice made throughout the ages by our brave men and women who wear the military uniform. Veteran's Day is less than a month away, and we should fittingly remember all who currently serve or have served. But the most somber annual remembrance is Memorial Day, where we honor in remembrance those who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.
Mr. & Mrs. Nelson, on behalf of Communities Digital News (CDN) and our reading audience, we extend our sincere thanks and appreciation for sharing your very special perspective on the memory of your son, Kristen's husband, siblings' brother, and our fallen hero, Richard "Ricky" Joseph Nelson.
You're welcome; it was our pleasure.
Bill Randall is a retired U.S. Navy Command Master Chief and a contributing writer for Communities Digital News.