Page 15 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

wwii
Korean War

taken to sick bay, he was just picked up by the other other pretty well.” After only
men. “I should have been drawing disability, but the three weeks of dating, Troy and Libby married. They
accident was not in my records.” He has suffered raised three daughters and a son. The Rich’s were
from a bad back for the rest of his life. married for 62 years before Libby’s death in February
of 2010.
Rich was a jack-of-all-trades. He also drove a 2-1/2 ton
6X6 truck as part of the 408th Airborne Quartermaster Even in his later life, Troy continued to be a daredevil.
Company. Part of Troy’s job was moving equipment On a trip to the Royal Gorge, he got too close taking a
around. Once, a former Kamikaze pilot was working picture and “had to crawl on my hands and knees to
with him. He told Troy that he “was forced to do it, keep from falling into the gorge!” Once, a vehicle he
and that the pilots were given opium before the flight. had jacked up on blocks slid on top of him and pinned
If you did not do as ordered, your family would be him to the ground. “Fortunately, I was on my back
disgraced and shunned.” Fortunately, the war ended, with my arms up and was able to slide myself out
and the young Japanese pilot did not have to fly the from under the tractor, but it tore all the hide off my
suicide mission. Troy also became a qualified glider back.”
pilot before his tour in Japan ended in the fall of
1946. After a long train ride from California, he was Now 92 years old, the adventurous Mr. Rich can look
discharged at Ft. Sam Houston near San Antonio on back and be thankful he survived so many close calls
December 7, 1946. Back home in McAdoo, he used during his long life. His many brushes with death
his savings “to buy a Ford coupe and a Ford tractor. I have only served to enhance his appreciation for life.
was ready to be a farmer.”
Troy met his future wife, Libby, literally by accident.
He and a date were heading home from a movie in
Spur when they “came upon a car that had hit a steer.
It was a family of a dad, a mom and a young girl. I
could barely squeeze them in my car. The young girl,
Libby, sat close beside me, and we got to know each

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Troy went on the 2013 Honor
Flight with his Navy veteran
granddaughter Tina Hall as his
guardian. He particularly enjoyed
seeing the famed Enola Gay at Abernathy | Colorado City | Crosbyton | Lorenzo | Lubbock | Slaton | Snyder
the Udvar Hazy Air and Space
Museum hurstfs.com

Lubbock Senior Link 15