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Upstarts
[Note: In about 1990, Don Richter's older sister Anita put a request in the
newsletter of the Ninetieth Division Association for anyone who knew anything about the
death of her brother to write and give her what details they had. I intended to send her a
letter, but I procrastinated, knowing that it would have to be a long one to do the subject
any kind of justice. Anyhow, I hate writing letters, and I was busy on another project at
the time. Finally I realized that I owed it to him if not her to tell her what I knew, so I
compromised and called her on the phone almost a year after the initial request. She said
that she had been overwhelmed by the volume of response she had received, especially
from enlisted men, both infantry and artillery, to whom he had been a real hero.
I told her essentially what is in this chapter, and when I got to the "Excuse me,
Bob, I've got to duck," she interrupted.
"But everyone said that was one thing he never did - duck!"
I assured her that was the reason the exact words had stuck with me - because
they were so completely out of character. And I ended by saying, "I think perhaps he was
the bravest man I ever knew. "
And as I reflect on it, I still think so.]
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