After Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, we continue to reflect on our soldiers and their service in peacetime and in conflict.
I want to remember Charles Fred Rinker, a Devil Dog I knew who passed when I was younger. I reflect on this Veteran who served in both World War One, having falsified his age to join, and World War Two. I remember seeing his helmet that had a bullet in it. The helmet undoubtedly saved his life. He married Lois as he was going into WWII, he said, because he wanted a widow to receive his military benefits over no one at all. Instead of dying in the war, he continued to be married to her for the rest of his life, many decades. He attended some veterans events in his later years, being one of the few to have served in both world wars. He had a display case with his many awards. I don’t remember for sure, but I think he had a Purple Heart and a Distinguished service Cross. I tried looking his name up on line, but could find nothing about him. I’m left with my memories. His funeral was in the early 1990s. Fred is buried in Henderson, Nevada.
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Followup
The investigator in me wouldn’t let it go. I knew there had to me more out there about Fred, even though he passed in the infancy or the Internet, surely more was published. In the comments below, I will post whatever I find. I already found one article where he was present during a commemoration of a memorial. I’ll keep looking. Right now it seems his official first name may have been Charles but he went by Fred. More to come.
