Richard Dale Brostad was born October 26, 1950, in Fairfax, Missouri. He attended elementary school in Omaha and in 1961 His family moved to Waterloo, NE. He was active in football, basketball, and baseball. He was in the letterman’s club all 4 years of high school. Rich graduated from Waterloo High School in 1968. It was a time when young men were either enrolled in college or drafted into the military. Rich followed his 2 older brothers and enlisted choosing the Marine Corps. Rich was a tough young man and the Marines were a perfect fit. He completed his basic training in San Diego CA and then went on to Camp Pendleton where he trained for his time in Viet Nam. He was a Machine Gunner and flew many missions targeting the enemy from a helicopter. Rich served in Viet Nam from February 1969 until October of 1969. He was part of the 3rd Marines, 3rd Battalion group. He had the honor of carrying the United States flag home on the ship as they left Da Nang that October day. He was then stationed in Hawaii where he was part of the Hawaiian Marine Football team. He ended his time in the Marines at Camp Pendleton and was discharged as an E-5 Sergeant in 1972. Rich earned a Good Conduct Medal, Viet Nam Service medal with 2 stars, Viet Nam Campaign medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Gallantry Cross with Palm medal for his time in the Marine Corps. “Once a Marine, always a Marine” and Rich was proof of that. Like so many young men who returned from Viet Nam in that era he never talked about his time there and what he saw and did. This caused him to suffer serious PTSD problems later in his life. Rich was able attend several Marine Corp reunions and connect with his Marine Corps brothers and this helped him with his PTSD immensely.
In 1974 Rich married Karen and they were blessed with 2 wonderful daughters and one granddaughter. They raised the girls in Arlington, NE. Rich received a degree from Metro Tech Community College. However, he spent most of his life working as a machinist and manufacturing supervisor. He retired in 2005 due to his problems with PTSD. Rich was a member of the Arlington Fire Dept., American Legion, Marine Corps League, and Grace United Methodist Church. Rich was an outdoorsman and loved hunting, fishing, cooking barbeque and a cold Budweiser. But the best thing of all was being Taylor’s Papa.
Rich suffered from the effects of Agent Orange for several years and finally passed away at his home in Arlington on August 29, 2017.
