Page 53 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021 - Online Magazine

marINe corps
korea

had several jobs. About ten
years ago, he served as the golf
assistant coach for five years at
the Holy Cross Catholic School
in Amarillo. He has been an
avid golfer for years, until
he broke his hip about eight
months ago. He is a member
of the VFW and has been
involved with Boy Scouts, the
Civil Air Patrol, and the Texas
National Guard 36th Infantry.
Dick’s greatest accomplishment
is being the founder, along
with Buck McLam, of the
salesman; his mother stayed at home with him and Marine Corps League 15 years
his older sister, Nina Helen. His mom also fixed ago. They have sponsored a golf tournament every
hair for neighbors and friends, making from $.50 to year to provide funds to veterans in need. One story
$1.00 per person. They finally moved in with their involves a young man who worked at the VA. His
grandmother, along with one of his uncles, each wife had cancer, and the MCL was able to provide
family claiming a bedroom as “their” home. Grandma money for him to move to Amarillo so his wife could
had the big room with the quilting frame hanging get better care. Later, this young man contributed
above her bed that she lowered one day a week for money back, to replace what they had given him.
her friends to come and quilt. Although Dick refused the money, the veteran said to
put it in the fund and pay it forward.
For ten years, while in school, Dick was a paper
carrier for the Amarillo Times and then later the The MCL has raised more than $300,000, and the
Amarillo Globe. While at Amarillo High School, Dick distribution of those funds has been facilitated by
was in the Verlene Dixon, a combat veteran herself from both
Distributive Iraq and Afghanistan. Dick plans to work for the
Education veterans as long as he is breathing. He wants the
program and youth to know that they are our future; the country
worked for a belongs to them, but they will need to work together
printer, running to keep America free.
the printing
press. His boss
was a veteran
and printed
the VFW
newsletter.
Dick enjoyed
reading the
news from the
VFW.
After returning
home from
Korea, Dick

Amarillo Senior Link 53