Richard Thomas Bush was born January 1, 1925 in Utica, NY to Richard Bush (1903-1967) and Vivian Bush (1906-1995). His mother's maiden name was also Bush. His parents were married on November 24, 1922 in Utica, NY. His mom was originally from Amsterdam, NY and she was a laundress. His father was a master machinist for Mutual Box Board, a paper-manufacturing firm in Utica, NY. He had a younger brother William (1934-1978). The family lived on Churchill Ave. in Utica, NY. He attended Kernan School and graduated from Utica Free Academy in 1942. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church and also worked in the Mutual Box Board Company before he entered the service.

Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps on December 14, 1942 with service number 526685 and received his training at Parris Island, S.C., Camp Lejeune, N.C and Camp Pendleton, Calif. He was sent to the Pacific in January 1944 and participated in the battles of Roi-Namur (Feb 1-2, 1944), Saipan (June 15 – July 9, 1944) , Tinian (July 24 – August 1, 1944) and Iwo Jima (February 19 – March 26, 1945). Quite a record of service.

On February 19, 1945, Richard's unit came ashore on Iwo Jima with the first assault waves on the Yellow Beaches. As part of the Pioneer Battalion his Company was responsible for a number of extraordinarily dangerous jobs such as removing mines, unloading ammunition, fuel, water, etc., recovering disabled vehicles and defending the beaches. (For a detailed narrative of what those first hours were like see Chapin pg. 43 – 49). Pfc Bush was killed during the first day's fighting – February 19, 1945.

Pfc Bush was initially buried in the 4th Marine Division Cemetery established on Kazan Retto during the fighting. In February 1949, as the U.S. removed the cemeteries from Iwo Jima, his remains were brought to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii and permanently interred in Section M, Plot 584.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

"1 Utican Killed, Another Is Missing; 3 Service Men Injured or Wounded", Utica Daily Press, March 24, 1945, pg. 3.

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

Brother William's FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215403426/william_j-bush: accessed July 25, 2026), memorial page for William J Bush (1934–1978), Find a Grave Memorial ID 215403426, citing Holy Trinity Cemetery and Mausoleum, Yorkville, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by B Rozpad (contributor 50074804).

Chapin, 1st Lt. John C., USMCR, The 4th marine Division in World War II, History and Museums Division Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. 20380, accessed at https://www.marines.mil/portals/1/publications/the%204th%20marine%20division%20in%20world%20war%20ii%20%20pcn%2019000412800.pdf on July 25, 2026.

Dad's FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71107204/richard_w-bush: accessed July 25, 2026), memorial page for Richard W Bush (8 Jun 1903–28 Nov 1967), Find a Grave Memorial ID 71107204, citing Ballston Spa Village Cemetery, Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, New York, USA; Maintained by sticksandstones (contributor 46888135).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112026536/richard_thomas-bush: accessed July 24, 2026), memorial page for PFC Richard Thomas Bush (1 Jan 1925–19 Feb 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 112026536, citing National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA; Maintained by Jeff Hall (contributor 47296194).

Interment Control Forms, 1928–1962. Interment Control Forms, A1 2110-B. NAID: 5833879. Record Group 92, Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 1774–1985. The National Archives at St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.

Mom's FAG - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71107207/vivian_a-bush: accessed July 25, 2026), memorial page for Vivian A. Bush Bush (15 Nov 1906–12 May 1995), Find a Grave Memorial ID 71107207, citing Ballston Spa Village Cemetery, Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, New York, USA; Maintained by sticksandstones (contributor 46888135).

National Archives at College Park, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD, 20740-6001; Record Group 127: Records of the U.S. Marine Corps; Series: Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries; NAID: 194961352; February 1945 – Vol 10.

Obituary for Vivian A. Bush, Syracuse Herald-Journal, May 20, 1995, pg. 4.

Punchbowl National Cemetery; Section M

"War Department Lists Dead, Missing, Wounded", The Evening Telegram, Herkimer, NY, April 11, 1945, pg. 7.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 0115; FHL microfilm: 2341356

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02862; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 67-87

Supporting Documents