Sergeant Richard Stumpf served honorably for six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was an Amtrack Mechanic with Amphibious Assault Vehicles, a combat veteran of the Persian Gulf War, and went on to fulfill his military career dream, serving as a Drill Instructor and Marine Combat Instructor of Water Survival at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina.

Richard was a dedicated, fearless, often hilarious, and unforgettable Marine—devoted to God, Country and Corps. He loved animals, cooking, and anything outside or in the water. He was about to become a new father, but tragically, he died several days before his only child was born.

“In the true spirit of the Marine Corps motto of Semper Fidelis, may we faithfully carry on his legacy as a devoted patriot, and may he be remembered for how he lived, loved, served, and trained and made Marines,” recalled his wife Carla Stumpf Patton.