I joined the Wisconsin National Guard at the age of 14. At 19, I enlisted in the USMC for three years and after my hitch joined the National Guard once again. In 1961, my Guard unit was called to active duty by President Kennedy. I was selected for OCS in 1963 and commissioned that year. I attended the Officers Basic Infantry Course at Fort Benning, Ga and after graduation held many different positions with the Wisconsin National Guard.

        I became a Police Officer in Eau Claire, WI. in 1964 and remained in that position for ten years. During that time, I volunteered for assignment to Vietnam and received a two year leave of absence from the Police Department. After training at Fort Lewis, Washington, I was sent to South Vietnam arriving on January 6th, 1968. I was initially assigned to the 9th Infantry Division as a Maintenance Officer and went on a couple of combat patrols. My burning desire was to be a Military Police Officer, so I requested a transfer to any MP unit. The 18th MP Brigade assigned me to command Company D, 52nd Infantry (Rifle Security), which was part of the 95th MP Battalion, with duties of protecting the main ammunition supply depot in Long Binh.

        In February, 1968, I was assigned in my secondary MOS of Military Police Officer to be Provost Marshal (PM) of the Bien Hoa Province. I replaced Major Karl May, who transferred to Long Binh. As PM I met SSG Donald H. Pruitt, Provost Marshal Operations Sergeant. Don helped me learn how the MP's do things as opposed to civilian Police Departments. We became friends as we worked closely together.

        My tour was interrupted after a few months when I learned that my first wife had been seriously injured in a furnace explosion, which required me to return to CONUS on emergency leave. I was replaced as PM during my emergency leave, and upon return to Vietnam, was assigned as Commander of Company C, 52nd Infantry Battalion with the 716th MP Battalion in Saigon.

        Don came to visit me in Saigon and brought some of my personal items from Bien Hoa in addition to a nice plaque from the 95th MP Battalion. In September, 1968, I was assigned to be an Intelligence Officer with the 716th MP Battalion, a position I held until my departure from Vietnam in January, 1968.
 
         After my release from active duty, I returned to the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Police Department and was promoted to Sergeant in charge of a shift. I eventually moved east of Eau Claire, Wisconsin and became a Jail Administrator for a year and a half. I was approached by the Mayor of New Richmond, Wisconsin and asked to accept the position of Chief of Police of a small Police Department for that city, a position which I  held for 28 months. During this time, I was still in the Guard, and accepted a NCOIC position as Army Guard Reserve Recruiter. After having a heart attack, I was retired from the Guard in May of 1968.
 
         After holding several security jobs with lousy pay, we had moved to Milwaukee, WI and back again in search of better employment. I worked as a Juvenile Officer in a Detention Center for a period, then in 1992 after our move back to Milwaukee, gained an appointment as a Public Safety Officer with Marquette University. I stayed in that position for 7 years and after more heart problems, decided to hang it up.
 
         I have been volunteering my time at the Veterans Hospital since 2000. I am happily married to Pearl, my wife of 22 years. This wonderful lady and I share our families of two sons from my first marriage and four children from her previous marriage. They are all wonderful and have very good jobs. Don Pruitt and I maintain contact by email and by phone after losing contact back in the early 1980's. We share a great friendship of over 37 years.

CPT Richard Flynn, 179th MP Detachment, 95th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade.