DOB/DOD: April 4, 1966 (Middletown, CT) – February 20, 2007; 40 years old
MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried
CHILDREN: One son, Michael D. Patrick (1996-).
LOCAL ADDRESS: Woodland Street; Manchester
ENLISTMENT: Enlisted in the National Guard in August 1995; entered active duty in March 2004
MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY: 11B20; Infantryman. He was also a 92Y20; Unit Supply Specialist.
UNIT: Company D, 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division; Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Army’s elite White Falcons is a regiment built on readiness, able to deploy within 18 hours of notification and parachute in among the enemy.
FAMILY: Born to Mason L. (1945-2017) and Claudette Y. Muff Ford (1947-2006). One sister, Vanessa Ford Migliore (1965-). One brother, Kevin (1965-).
DECORATIONS: Awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal with ‘V’ device for valor, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal with device, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with device, National Defense Service Medal with device, Iraq Campaign Medal with three devices, Global War on Terrorism Medal (Expeditionary), Global War on Terrorism Medal (Service), Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Valorous Unit Award, Parachutist Badge (Basic), Rifle Badge, Machine Gun Badge, and Combat Infantryman Badge (1st award).
CIRCUMSTANCES: Died from wounds received from sniper fire during combat operations. No other information is known.
OTHER: From sister Vanessa Ford Migliore, “My brother was a huge Red Sox fan, and I was a New York Yankees fan. I remember going to a Red Sox–Yankees game in Yankees Stadium with him. When the Yankees fans would start chanting negative things about the Red Sox, my brother would stand up and direct them like an orchestra maestro. It was all very funny. He was also a big Dallas Cowboys fan. The thing with this deployment is that he didn’t guarantee his return like he did on the other two.” She also said he was “doing what he loved and was peaceful and humble about his life.” High praise from his sibling.
Graduated from Bacon Academy (Colchester, CT); Class of 1984
From The Hartford Courant on February 27, 2007
SERVICES SET FOR SOLDIER WHO DIED IN IRAQ
Funeral services have been scheduled for U.S. Army Sergeant Richard L. Ford of East Hartford, who died Tuesday in Iraq from injuries he received in combat. Calling hours will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church in Colchester, 128 Norwich Ave. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the church. Ford will be interred Monday at 2 p.m. in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The Belmont Funeral Home of Colchester is handling the arrangements. Ford, 40, was in his third deployment to the country when he was wounded by small arms fire near Baghdad. He is the 37th person with Connecticut ties to die in Iraq or Afghanistan since March 2002. He joined the National Guard in 1995 and entered active duty in 2004. Ford was a rifleman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A highly decorated soldier, he had received the Army Commendation Medal with a “V” device for valor, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart, among other honors. Born in Middletown on April 4, 1966, Ford was raised in Colchester, where he graduated from Bacon Academy. He has resided in East Hartford for the past 10 years.
From The Hartford Courant on February 27, 2007
Sergeant Richard L. Ford, 40, of East Hartford, died Tuesday (February 20, 2007) in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries sustained in combat. Born in Middletown on April 4, 1966, to Mason L. Ford of Colchester and the late Claudette Y. Ford of Middletown. Richard was raised in Colchester, where he graduated from Bacon Academy. A resident of East Hartford for the past ten years, Richard joined the CT National Guard in 1995, where he was stationed in Windsor Locks at the Detachment 1, Company G 104th Aviation. He entered active duty in 2004 and was assigned to the White Falcons 2nd Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. A decorated soldier, he had previously served two tours in Iraq. He was a recipient of the Army Medal of Valor, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart, among several other honors. Besides his father, Mason Ford of Colchester, Richard is survived by his 11-year-old son, Michael D. Patrick of Bridgeport; his sister and brother-in-law, Vanessa and Robert Migliore of East Hartford; two brothers, Matthew L. O’Connor of Lebanon and Mason Ford Jr. of California; and grandmother, Marjorie Gordon of Middletown. He also leaves a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Predeceased by a brother, Kevin Ford; a grandmother, Thelma R. Ford; and a grandfather, Carter Ford. An avid sports fan, Richard was thrilled to see his team, the Boston Red Sox, win the 2004 World Series. He was a devoted father and loving brother with strong ties to his extended family. His happy spirit and beautiful smile will be sorely missed by all who’s life he touched. Richard is truly our Hero. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, February 28, from 4-8 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church, 128 Norwich Ave., Colchester. Funeral services with full Military Honors will be held on Thursday, March 1, at 10 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Church. A 2 p.m. graveside service will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, March 5. Belmont Funeral Home of Colchester is in charge of the arrangements.
From Legacy.com
It is so hard to believe that it has already been 2 years. They say time is supposed to heal, but it never stops the tears. Since the day we met, you were my best friend, the man I always turned to, the man I knew would be there ‘til the end. Whenever I needed advice, I came straight to you. But now, when I need help, I don’t know what to do. When things happen in my life, and I’m feeling all alone, I look to the sky and speak to you because I can’t pick up the phone. Even 2 years later, I know that you’re in a better place, but it’s still hard to accept that I’ll never see your face. Until the day we meet again in heaven. To the man who was always so true, you are my hero and my best friend, and I will always miss and love you. — Kat Morgia
I had the absolute HONOR of serving as Richard’s Platoon Sergeant from the day he arrived at 2-325 until the completion of his second deployment in 2006. Were it not for his fierce determination and his unwavering bravery, especially in Mosul, several members of our platoon might not be here today to honor his legacy. It was his fine balance between quiet professionalism and relentless aggression toward those who would do us harm that made him the kind of Noncommissioned Officer others can only aspire to be. Though I’ve not had the honor of meeting his family, I find comfort in the fact that we raise our children to be better than we are. If that is the case, then I know his son is destined to be a man of unequaled character, and for that, the world is a better place. Those who have not served will never know. Those who are too afraid rely on men like Richard.
— Sergeant First Class Jon Cobb
Sergeant Ford is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, 1 Memorial Avenue, Arlington, Virginia; Section 60, Site 8540.
