Tope, Richard L. 

RICHARD LESTER TOPE

PRIVATE
U.S. ARMY

On July 26, 1920 Earnest (father), Lillian (mother) and Irene (sister) Tope (Dye-Martin) welcomed their new son and brother, Richard L. Tope, into the world. The young family lived in the small town of Decatur, Indiana on Washington Street. Earnest worked at Decatur Casting Company. Richard attended school in Decatur and graduated from Decatur High School in 1938. After graduating high school, Richard was employed by the Bellmont Trucking Company. 

Tope was inducted into the Army on November 19, 1943 at the age of twenty-three. He would start his training on December 10 of the same year. He trained at Fort McClellan in Alabama and upon completion of his training, Private Tope was assigned to Company K, 329th Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division in the United States Army. The 83rd headed to England in mid-April of 1944 and then to France only two months later. His unit would cross the English Channel on June 19, 1944 and landed on Omaha Beach beginning their advance into France. 

Upon landing in Normandy, the 329th Infantry Regiment assisted in the Battle of the Hedgerows as the allies looked to expand their footprint in Brittany. By August, the 329th was tasked with liberating the town of Saint-Malo. 

The Battle of Saint-Malo saw intense combat between Allied forces and German defenders from August 4 to September 2, 1944. Company K played a significant role in this operation and were involved in the siege and assault on fortified German positions, which had been heavily fortified as part of the German Atlantic Wall. The regiment faced strong resistance as they worked to secure the town and the port of Saint-Malo. Their efforts contributed to an overall allied victory and the last Germans surrendered on August 17. 

Private Richard Tope was killed in action near Saint-Malo on August 12, 1944. Details surrounding his death are unknown. His remains were temporarily interred at an American Cemetery in France until the conclusion of the war. A memorial service was held at First Methodist Church in Decatur on December 3, 1944. Private Tope's remains were returned to the United States aboard the USNS Greenville Victory in June, 1948. Private Richard Tope is now interred in Decatur Cemetery along with his sister, niece, and nephew. His sacrifice and patriotism will forever be remembered by the American people.

For his service and sacrifice, Pvt. Tope earned the WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Purple Heart for injuries resulting in death.

Information collected and researched by Cheyenne Mendoza, 2014. 

SOURCES

83rd Infantry Division Documents. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.http://83rdinfdivdocs.org/documents/329th/MR/MR_329_Co_K_AUG1944.pdf

83rd Thunderbolt Division. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. http://www.ncweb.com/users/davecurry/brothers/stmalo.html.

Ancestry. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. www.ancestry.com

“Battle of Saint-Malo.” Wikipedia, 11 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saint-Malo. 

“Decatur Daily Democrat 9 December 1943 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana’s Digital Historic Newspaper Program.” In.gov, 2025, newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19431209.1.3&srpos=7&e=------194-en-20-DCDD-1--txt-txIN-richard+tope------. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

“Decatur Daily Democrat 24 June 1948 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana’s Digital Historic Newspaper Program.” In.gov, 2025, newspapers.library.in.gov/?a=d&d=DCDD19480624.1.1&srpos=5&e=------194-en-20-DCDD-1--txt-txIN-richard+tope------. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Indiana Historical Bureau, comp. Gold Star Honor Roll: Adams County. Bloomington: Indiana War History Commission, 1949. Print. Vol. 1 of Indiana in World War II.

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