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CHARLES DAVID RICHARDS was born in
Colorado to Benjamin Harrison and Augusta
Walsh Richards. Later, the Richards family
moved to Dallas, TX, where Dave grew
up, stamping him throughout his cadet and
military career as a “Texan.” Dave chose to be
known as “C. David Richards” and wanted to
be known as a true son of Texas. In 1948, he
graduated from Highland Park High School
in Dallas.
When Dave arrived at West Point in July
of 1950, he was assigned to Company C-1,
and his quick wit and genuine Texas accent
quickly endeared him to his classmates. Dave
had little trouble with academics and graduated
89th in a class of 633. Likewise, Dave
had excellent military aptitude skills; in his
First Class year, he was adjutant of the 1st
Battalion, 1st Regiment. Dave also excelled
in sports. Swimming and water polo became
his passions as a cadet, and he was a member
of the USMA water polo team that captured
the Eastern Intercollegiate Championship in
1952 and 1953.
When it came time to order his class ring,
Dave wanted his to be distinguished from
the rest. He settled on a unique design: instead
of a traditional central stone, the centerpiece
was a crest crafted of white gold. Dave’s
crest was simply the “V” from his pride and
joy a Cadillac convertible and the from
his Omega wristwatch. After graduation and
commissioning in the Field Artillery, Dave
married Mary Elizabeth Lowder of Paris, AR.
In 1963, Dave attended graduate school
and received a master’s degree in electrical engineering
from the University of Oklahoma.
Afterwards, from 1963 to 1965, he served on
the staff and faculty of the Artillery School.
Following that assignment, Dave taught in
the Mathematics Department at West Point
for three years. While teaching at West Point,
Dave coached the cadet water polo team at the
same time that his classmate and former water
polo teammate, Pete Witteried, was the coach
at the Air Force Academy. They arranged a
water polo match at West Point, and Dave’s
troops swam away with the win.
Following his tour at West Point, Dave attended
Command and General Staff College
at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, and then served in
Viet Nam as commander of the 9th Field
Artillery Battalion, for which he earned a
Bronze Star for Valor, two Bronze Stars, 10 Air
Medals (one for Valor), and a Commendation
Medal for Valor.
After Viet Nam, 1970–74, Dave served in
the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , earning
the Meritorious Service Medal and the Joint
Service Commendation Medal. Following
his Pentagon tour, Dave was assigned to the
UN Observer Team in Palestine and earned
the Legion of Merit there. After a tour with
the Combat Development Command
Experiment Center, he retired from active
duty in 1977.
Dave then started his own company,
Richards Analysis, in Santa Barbara, CA.
In 1980, he joined the Circon Company in
Santa Barbara, but soon thereafter he was
involved in a serious motorcycle accident.
During 1994–1995, he served on the Santa
Barbara County Grand Jury. On 9 Dec 1997,
Dave died in Santa Barbara, and his remains
were returned to his beloved alma mater.
Dave is survived by his wife Mary, four of
their five children, and eight grandchildren:
Cherielee Mercer and her son Joshua; Marilisa
Smith and her sons, Taylor and Tristan;
Charles David, Jr., son Benjamin and daughter
Georgia; and Hollyn Wright and daughter
Cassandra. Dave’s daughter Darienne Parker
is deceased, but her daughter Mari and son
Kelton survive him.
Dave’s family, friends, and loved ones miss
him. He lived by West Point’s code of “Duty,
Honor, Country,” and served proudly in the
Long Gray Line.
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