Remember...
Stanley Eugene Riffle
1930-1966
"Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines don't have that problem."
Ronald Reagan
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Remember...Stanley Eugene Riffle
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Stanley Eugene Riffle was born on November 7, 1930, in Columbus, Ohio. His family later relocated to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. His mother was Grace Pearl Hurley Riffle (1897-1980), and his father was Howard Bradford Riffle (1888-1949). He had five siblings: Clell Bradford Riffle (1918-2002), Heber Hurley Riffle (1924-1992), Hilda Emelene Riffle Harshbarger (1929-2007), Marmett Blake, and Hope Meredith. Stanley was married to Betty Jane Hoffman on June 23, 1953, but they later divorced. However, they did have three children: Tina, Teresa, and Melissa Riffle. He was an alumnus of Point Pleasant High School and was a Protestant Christian.
While he was born in Columbus, Ohio, he moved and grew up in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. There were around 3,438 people in Point Pleasant in the 1940s. During this same time, America was dealing with racial tension due to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) being active and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) starting to gain momentum. World War II was also beginning to affect the U.S., and with the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States officially became engaged in the war on December 7, 1941. Stanley Riffle was 11 years old at the time.
Stanley's older brother, Clell, was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. His rank was tech/sergeant, and he was a radio operator on a B-24 Liberator assigned to the 389th Bomb Group. During a combat mission, the B-24, named the "Chattanooga Choo Choo," was shot down on August 1, 1943, over Romania. He and the rest of the crewmembers became prisoners of war (POWs). ("Clell Bradford Riffle," Find A Grave [Memorial Number 37640302], accessed 8 February 2022, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37640302/clell-bradford-riffle.) Stanley's other brother, Heber, served in the U.S. Army and was in the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart. These events could have easily influenced Stanley's decision to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Vietnam War lasted from November 1, 1955, to April 30, 1975. In an attempt to prevent the spread of communism, the United States entered the war with Vietnam. North Vietnamese boats attacked two United States destroyers on August 5, 1964, giving the U.S. president new authority to declare war. By 1969, more than 500,000 U.S. military personnel were stationed in Vietnam. On March 29, 1973, the U.S soldiers left Vietnam. The casualties of the war included over 58,220 Americans, 1.1 million North Vietnamese soldiers, and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers.
Stanley Riffle served in the Marines for 14 years, rising to the rank of corporal (CPL.). He first enlisted in 1948 and re-enlisted on April 28, 1961, while stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. His service number was 1074701, and his Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) was 0311: Rifleman. He served with the 1st Platoon, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force (MAF). ("Riffle, Stanley, Cpl," Together We Served, accessed 8 Febryary2022, https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=51763.) Stanley's company was part of Operation Texas, which lasted from March 20-25, 1966.
Writing for the "Remembrances" page of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund website, W. Killian details the incident in which Stanley Riffle lost his life:
Operation Texas was a U.S. 3rd Marine Division and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) operation Northwest of Quang Ngai, RVN, lasting from March 20-25, 1966. At 6:05 PM on March 21st, operational reserve Marines from Company K, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, and the 2nd Strike Company, 2nd ARVN Division, commenced a search and destroy mission through the hamlet of Xuan Hoa and adjacent areas. While advancing on the objective, both units came under a steadily increasing volume of small arms fire delivered from well-concealed and entrenched positions located just inside a tree line and bamboo fence work that encircled the entire hamlet. Despite the heavy volume of fire, Company K and 2nd Strike Company continued their advance and remained in close contact for approximately two hours. An airborne observer reported two platoons of Viet Cong (VC) withdrawing from Xuan Hoa (1) to the north, and the 2nd Strike Company reported approximately one VC platoon withdrawing from the hamlet to the southeast. Both targets were engaged by artillery and armed UH-1E gunship helicopters with 40 VC reportedly killed. By nightfall, Company K had advanced approximately 150 yards into the hamlet, and the 2nd Strike Company secured its assigned objective and established a roadblock.At this point, the enemy broke contact and withdrew. Results of contact were 27 VC killed, 40 VC killed by supporting arms, and ten VC killed by ground action. Examination of captured materials indicated the enemy was the VC's Main Force. Friendly casualties were 16 from K Company personnel killed, including six Marines and four crewmen in the shoot-down of a HMM-363 UH-34 helicopter (#145802) during insertion. Another 34 men were wounded. The K Company Marines lost during ground action against the enemy included PFC William G. Blanchard, PFC Stephan J. Martin, LCPL Michael G. Murray, CPL Stanley Riffle, CPL Walter R. Shortt, LCPL Walter G. Shults, and PFC Richard D. Swayze; also lost were Navy corpsman HM3 Garold A. Hann and SGT Marvin E. Glassburn from Headquarters Company, 3/1. Unfortunately, CPL Stanley Riffle suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the left shoulder while engaged with the enemy during the assault.
The following day, Company K continued a detailed, systematic search and destroy mission through Xuan Hoa, while 2nd Strike Company advanced on nearby Hill 22. After securing both objectives, the Task Force continued search and destroy operations further East without further enemy contact. ("Stanley Riffle," Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, accessed 8 February 2022, https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/43420/STANLEY-RIFFLE/.) [Killian's narrative is taken from virtualwall.org and U.S. Marines in Vietnam: An Expanding War: 1966 by Jack Shulimson.]
| Cpl. Stanley Riffle's body was recovered and returned to the U.S. He is buried at Suncrest Cemetery in Point Pleasant, Mason County, West Virginia beside his father. Years later, his mother, two brothers, and a sister would all be buried in the family plot. Cpl. Riffle will always be remembered for his duty and sacrifice to our country as he is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 6E, Line 34, in Washington, D.C., and the West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, West Virginia. |
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Cpl. Stanley Riffle earned the following commendations: the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marksmanship Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, and the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal. ("Stanley Riffle," HonorStates.org, accessed 8 February 2022, https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=294811.)
Article prepared by Wyatt Albertson, Sarah Saffer, and Abagail Thaxton, George Washington High School JROTC
February 2022
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.
