Veterans History Project: Richard S. Ryder, U.S. Navy machinist's mate third class

In Early 1942, Richard Ryder and a few of his buddies went to the local recruiting office in Parkersburg, W. Va.. They were ready to sign up. It didn’t much matter which branch of service they were going into. Like so many young men at the time, they wanted in the fight. The recruiter told the young men to wait a few months until they finished high school and were old enough, then they could join up.

Richard was already in college at Purdue University in Indiana. He was studying mechanical engineering and took classes in a unit called the V-12. This was an Officers Candidate Schoo...