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Remember...Richard Earl Harvey
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Richard Earl Harvey was born on June 10, 1927, in Kingwood, West Virginia, to George Dewey Harvey (known as Dewey) and Stella Pearl Williams Harvey. The next year, on October 17, 1928, Mr. Harvey, who was a truck driver, died of complications of crushing injuries sustained in an accident near Parsons. He died in Elkins, two days after the event. Mrs. Harvey remarried. By the time of the 1940 Federal Census, the family included Richard Harvey; his mother; his brothers, William and Franklin; his stepfather, Wade Wolfe; and his stepsiblings, Neil and Barbara. They lived in Reno, Preston County. Mr. Wolfe was a farmer.
Richard Harvey attended three years of high school. He registered for the draft on June 11, 1945. He was 18, and it was the day after his birthday. As his occupation, he noted being a high school student and working on the home farm. According to U.S. Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, he enlisted a few months later, on October 29, 1945, at Camp Atterbury, Columbus, Indiana. On his enlistment document, his occupation was described as "skilled occupations in manufacture of electrical machinery and accessories," but his employer and his work as a civilian were not indicated.
By the time Richard Harvey enlisted, treaties with Germany and Japan had officially ended World War II. but the draft remained in place, and the WWII period of conflict continued through the end of 1946. Though the war was officially ended, fighting continued in some areas. No evidence was found to indicate whether Richard Harvey was drafted or whether he volunteered. Richard Harvey was assigned to the Quartermaster Corps, but was eventually placed with Troop A, 11th Squad, 1st Constabulary Regiment. He entered as a private and became a Tech 5.
According to the U. S. Army Center of Military History, "Gradually, soldiers from various units and specialties, elements of the 1st and 4th Armored Divisions, and existing cavalry units that were already conducting similar functions, were reorganized and redesignated as constabulary organizations." Their missions became occupation and peacekeeping in the aftermath of World War II. ("The U. S. Constabulary in Post-War Germany [1946-52]," April 2000, accessed 31 December 2021, https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/constab-ip.html.)
Richard Harvey was stationed in Kassel, Germany in September 1946, when he died. A newspaper death notice reported that his death was due to an accident on September 7 ("Newburg Soldier Killed in Europe," Grafton Sentinel, 12 September 1946); however, the manner of death was due to a gunshot wound, according to information received during the West Virginia Veterans Memorial application process.
Richard's brother, Franklin, also served during World War II. At the time of Richard's death, two additional stepsiblings, Lyle and Carol, were listed as survivors.
| Richard Harvey was returned to West Virginia and buried in Mt. Israel Cemetery in Fellowsville, Preston County. |  Headstone for Richard E. Harvey in Mt. Israel Cemetery. Courtesy of Cynthia Mullens |
Article prepared by Cynthia Mullens
December 2021
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
