Cpl. Fuzzy Runyard

What Unit was Fuzzy in then?

I dont know, fuzzy uploaded this image on the old site, I was hoping he would return and tell us all about himself, maybe he still will. Come on fuzzy lets hear from you

Yeah come on Fuzzy where are you buddy, lets hear about your time in Nam.

Good info there fuzzy, it's also nice to put a face to a name.

Hi Fuzzman, this image of your good self was one of the very first sent into our old site. Its great to have you on board buddy and thanks for the info.

@Razzle RE your question on Fuzzy's unit he had posted this: 1st. Plt. 2nd Squad 1st Fireteam India Co. 3rd. Bn. 26 Reg. 9th MAB 1st MARDIV RVN69

The picture above was one of my favorite shots of him. I think he was 19 in that picture.

CPL Richard Runyard (aka Fuzzy, Fuzzman) was my little brother. He died in June of 2014. Marines and others who knew him can visit him at Riverside National Cemetery in California. RIP and Semper Fi, Fuzzy.

@EOD1971 thank you for that, I have been looking at this pic since 2004 and always wished we had more info about 'fuzzman'

Bombardier: You asked for more about Fuzzman.

Fuzzman, or Fuzzy as we knew him, was seriously wounded by the explosion of a white phosphorous rifle grenade between his feet in 1969 in Vietnam. He was med-evaced to a hospital ship and from there to Guam, where attempts at skin grafts were not successful. He was then sent to Oakland and from there to a naval hospital in San Diego. While in hospital a senior Marine officer asked Fuzzy if there was anything he could do for him. Lance Corporal Runyard replied that he would much appreciate a promotion. It happened. He was medically discharged as a corporal.

I'm attaching one of my favorite photos of my brother, Fuzzy. This was taken by his niece at the funeral of our father, who was also a Marine, in WWII. My other brother and I are also veterans and we dressed in our uniforms or what remained of them, for the burial. We all placed our dogtags on our father's casket. Then we had a little side "formation" of the three of us. Some there said that this was... touching. But it was Fuzzy who called us to attention, to present arms, and reminded us that he was still a Marine.

A few days before this, I had detected what I suspected was a bit of cancer growing on Fuzzy's nose. I was right. He finally listened to me and went to a proper doctor. The cancer was in his nose, in his lungs, in his brain. He lasted until 2014.

I still have his diary. I can't read it without crying.

Semper fi, Fuzzy.

Thank you very much for this information @EOD1971

Stand Easy Fuzzy