Fred Rinker (1900-1992) was a friend of the family. His was one of the first most impactful deaths of my youth. I was 14 when he passed. The second most impactful would be his wife’s death a few years later, the first, and last time, I attended an open casket service.
Fred fought in World War One in the Battle of Belleau Wood ( https://youtu.be/09yjvF1jxQ0 ) and lied about his age to join the Marine Corps. Former Nevada Governor Mike O’Callaghan had this to say about Fred:
“Fri, Nov 9, 2001 (4:42 a.m.)
Almost 70 years have passed since I learned about the Civil War from veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic. They were then three old men who lived either by themselves or with relatives. One of them had his quarters above a huge granary just a stone's toss from the Mississippi River. All of them led separate lives, but their common experiences in battle brought them together. I benefited from their willingness to tell about experiences that included the battle at Gettysburg. They lighted a fire that made me seek more historical information about the Civil War and other chapters of American life.
My father and his friends would visit about their experiences during World War I, which had ended only 15 or 16 years earlier. When they were talking I would crawl out of my bed and quietly sit on the stair steps listening to their experiences. The curiosity they raised in my mind kept me asking questions of every WW I veteran. The late Fred Rinker of Henderson was the last man who told me of his experiences and kept my attention about what many old-timers called the Great War.
Rinker was a U.S. Marine at Belleau Wood, where his battalion went into battle with 965 men and 26 officers. Several days later Lt. Col. Frederic M. Wise wrote, "Now before me stood 350 men and six officers. For 17 days they hadn't had a hot cup of coffee or a bite of hot food. They hadn't taken off their shoes. They hadn't had a chance to wash their faces, even drinking water had been scarce for days." During World War II Fred served in the U.S. Army.
I had the good fortune to live through WW II and had the opportunity to serve as an infantryman during the Korean War. Most of what I learned about WW II was from the friends and relatives who fought it.”
More at: https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2001/nov/09/where-i-stand----mike-ocallaghan-veterans-today-is/
On May 29, 1975 it was reported that Fred was to attend a war memorial dedication in Henderson and helped unveil the memorial. (Henderson Home News, May 29, 1975 “War Memorial Dedication wet for May 30 Here”).
Fred Rinker also fought in World War II and accumulated numerous medals in both wars, including the Croix de guerre from World War One.
He chose not to be buried in a veteran’s cemetery so that he could be with his wife in death. He and Lois has married right before World War Two so that “someone could get his death benefits.”
Anthony M. Wright
September 3, 2020
#fredrinker #warhero #veteran #battleofbelleauwood
