Major John A. Richardson Usa (Ret.)

Major John Alden Richardson, USA (Ret), of Havre de Grace, MD, a ninth generation direct descendant of Pilgrims John Alden, Priscilla Mullens and Thomas Rogers of the Mayflower, died 2 August 2012 of cancer at his home. He was 85 years old.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota 7 April 1927, Major Richardson was the son of the late Harry Alden and Anna Louise Mayer Richardson.

A veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, he enlisted in the US Navy on his 17th birthday and served on the Destroyer Escort USS Formoe in the Pacific Area of Operations completing over six years of naval service.

Richardson was recalled by the 13th Navy District at the time of the Korean War, transferred to the US Army ROTC at Seattle University and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1953. He served in Korea where he was assigned as Assistant Ammunition Officer at Headquarters, Eighth United States Army.

In 1957, he was assigned to USA Combat Developments Command where he authored FM 9-6, Ammunition Service in the Field of Operations.

In 1971, then Major Richardson served as Senior Advisor with Military Assistance Command in Pleiku, Vietnam and was cited for heroism in the Battle of Quang Trang. He retired from the Army in 1972.

He then worked for five years as a Rehabilitation Counselor for the Maryland State Department of Education receiving a Master of Education degree in Counseling from Western Maryland College. He resigned as a Supervisor 1 at Catonsville State Hospital to join the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a Supervisory Counselor on the Navaho Indian Reservation in Greasewood, Arizona.

He thereafter transferred to the Ordnance Center and School at Aberdeen Proving Ground as an Education specialist where he received the Commander's Award for Civilian Service for the development of a Basic Skills and Knowledge curriculum for the Ordnance School.

After retirement from Civil Service in 1988, Major Richardson was active in community affairs, including Meals on Wheels, CASA of Harford County and Harford County PTA. He sang in the APG Edgewood Area Chapel choir for over 30 years, taught religious education and was a lector and Eucharistic minister. In 2002, he was honored as the Aberdeen Proving Ground Retiree Volunteer of the Year.

Among his military decorations were the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, WWII Victory Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea), Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal and Vietnam Staff Honor Medal.

With his wife of 58 years, he completed five genealogy books and for six years was the genealogist for Thomas Rogers Society, Inc. He was also a past president of the Aquila Hall chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and a member of the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Catholic War Veterans, Knights of Columbus, and Alden Kindred in America.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Marian Louise and brother, George Nathaniel.

Major Richardson was married in 1954 to the former Connie Farro of Havre de Grace. After residing in Edgewood for several years, he and Connie retired to her hometown. In addition to his wife, he is survived by eight children: daughters, Rosanne Mosberg and her husband, David of Highland, Maryland and Marian Stewart and her husband, Gary of Forest Hill, and sons John Alden-Richardson and partner, Joseph Carpenter of Washington, Paul Richardson and his wife, Elizabeth of Silver Spring, James Richardson and his wife, Michelle of Joppa, Thomas Richardson and his wife, Susan of Hayward, Wisconsin, Robert Richardson of Edgewood and David Richardson and his wife, Rayna of Bel Air. He is also survived by 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial was concelebrated on Tuesday, 7 August at the Edgewood Post Chapel, Aberdeen Proving Ground with Chaplain (MAJ) Jonathan K. Morse officiating. Concelebrants were Msgr. (LTC Ret) Joseph J. Lizor, Fr. (LTC Ret) John J. Bauer, Fr. Francis X. Callahan, Fr. (LTC Ret) Louis M. Dytkowski.

Pallbearers were grandsons John A. Richardson lll, Michael J.Richardson, Thomas M. Richardson, James E. Richardson, Christopher A. Wilkinson and Michael Flurry.

Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Maryland Right to Life, P.O. Box 2994, Annapolis, MD 21404-2994.