Former SH student dies in Iraq

By: HEATHER BOGARD

Lifestyles Editor

DeRidder resident and U.S. Army soldier Sgt. Joseph Avie “Little Joe” Richard III became the fifth casualty of the War on Iraq from St. Landry Parish, when he gave his life for his country in the line of duty overseas Sunday. Neighbor Lois Lee stated U.S. Army officials arrived Monday evening to inform the family of the sad events. The family was told he had been on patrol when his Humvee fell victim to a roadside bomb.

Lee said Richard talked to his mother recently, noting, “He called and told her his best friend had just been killed by a roadside bomb. He told her he wouldn’t be able to call her for the next three days because he was going out on a mission. He said it wasn’t a good mission but promised he’d call her when he got back.”

Joe and Elaine Richard of Grand Prairie and their 27-year-old son’s wife, Monique, are helping each other cope during this difficult time, according to neighbors.

Family friend and neighbor Marilyn LaFleur said Richard was deployed from Fort Polk for a third tour of duty in Iraq back in November as a member of the Fourth Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division. “His aunt asked him why he signed up for a third deployment. He told her, ‘To save my country.’ He was a very fine child,” LaFleur proclaimed.

Recalling him as “a likable, outgoing young man who loved to go hunting with his father,” LaFleur noted, “He was good in school, very bright. All the children liked him.” She also described Richard as a very religious young man, dedicated to both his family and his church, saying, “He loved to pray, he loved St. Joseph. His parents raised him right.”

Richard attended Grand Prairie Elementary School and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1999, before attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and joining the U.S. Army. Sacred Heart Principal Andrew Ducote recalled Richard as a very nice young man, noting, “He was very kind and considerate. Faculty and students all liked him. He was a dedicated person with a strong sense of responsibility. He cared for people.”

As a member of the high school football team, Richard worked with Dr. Tim Fontenot, who remembers Richard fondly. Fontenot said, “He wasn’t the best student or the greatest athlete, but he was a fun kid who was glad to just be a part of the team. He is a good lesson for other students who are quiet and shy. It goes to show that quiet people in the background can stand out in the future.” Fontenot added, “At 27-years-old, he looked out for the younger troops and took care of them. He stood up for what he believed in and what he was taught by his parents.” Fontenot also noted Richard will be a good example for his student athletes in the future. He went on to say, “‘Sweet Joe’ is the first student athlete I worked with to die. He was a Christian, and his family is too. We are saddened by his loss and grieve for him, but we are assured of his new life with Jesus.”