A Lifetime of Service: Remembering Retired Lieutenant General Richard E. Carey

A memorial service was held for retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Richard E. Carey at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery, here May 5, 2025. 

Carey passed away April 25, 2025, at the age of 97 in Plano, Texas. He was preceded in death by his wife Dena; the two are now reunited in burial. Carey is survived by his five children, Tamara, William, Paul, Robert and Michael, and four siblings, Barbara, Linda, Carol, and Gerald. He also has eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Cole Carey, his grandson, is a U.S. Navy F-18 pilot. 

“It is deeply fitting that Lt. Gen. Carey was laid to rest in the very cemetery he helped bring to life,” said Lt. Gen. Leonard F. Anderson IV, commander of Marine Forces Reserves and Marine Forces South. “His legacy is literally built into the foundation of this sacred ground, where generations of service members now find peace.” 

“It is deeply fitting that Lt. Gen. Carey was laid to rest in the very cemetery he helped bring to life.”Lt. Gen. Leonard F. Anderson IV, commander of Marine Forces Reserves and Marine Forces South

Anderson attended Carey’s memorial service, representing the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric M. Smith.  

“Lt. Gen. Carey’s life was a testament to courage, leadership, and unwavering service to his nation,” said Anderson. “From Korea to Vietnam and beyond, he embodied the values of the Marine Corps and left a lasting impact on Marines and the American people.” 

Carey was born in Columbus, Ohio, and soon after graduating high school commissioned in the V-5 Aviation Cadet Training Program. In this program, Marines and Sailors attended college for two years while in the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve before attending flight training.  

“I specifically designated that I wanted to be a Marine aviator,” said Carey in a 2014 interview with the Korean War Legacy Foundation. “I wanted to be a Marine because of the pride the Marine Corps has. I felt that the Marine Corps was the elite service, and I still think that.” 

However, before Carey completed the V-5 Aviation Cadet Training Program the program was terminated. Determined to serve, Carey then enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1946 and attended boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. 

In 1948, Carey commissioned as an officer and became a rifle platoon commander. Soon finding himself in Korea, where he led a platoon of Marines during the Inchon landing. There, Carey earned a Silver Star, the third-highest military decoration for valor in combat, after an entire platoon of North Korean soldiers surrendered to Carey and his Marines. 

Carey continued to lead his platoon on the front lines of the Korean War until he was injured in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir.  

He was then medically evacuated back to the United States and was awarded a Purple Heart, a medal awarded to service members wounded in combat. 

After recovering from his injury, Carey became a naval aviator in 1953. Carey served in numerous commands and staff positions eventually deploying to Vietnam in 1967. 

During his Vietnam War service, Carey commanded Marine Air Base Squadron (MASB) 13 and Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 115 and flew 204 combat flights, predominately flying the F-4B Phantom, a supersonic fighter and bomber jet. Carey was awarded 16 air medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for his heroism and extraordinary achievement during flight operations. 

In 1974, Carey was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, soon after, he was assigned command of 1st Marine Air Wing and 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade in Japan. 

There, Carey led the efforts of Operation Frequent Wind, the final phase in evacuation of American Forces from Saigon City, Vietnam, marking the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. 

“The efforts of General Carey during the evacuation of Saigon in 1975 have never been fully recognized,” said retired Major General James Livingston. “His leadership helped bring 100,000 people to the United States safely.” 

Eight years later, Carey retired from the Marine Corps; he served 38 years of faithful service. Carey’s service to his country and community, however, did not end. 

===============================

WHO WE ARE: The United States Marine Corps Reserve is responsible for providing trained units and qualified individuals for mobilization to active duty in time of war, national emergency, and crisis or contingency operations. On a day-to-day basis, Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) consists of a talented and dedicated pool of nearly 100,000 Marines able to augment the Active Component in a myriad of ways, to include operational deployments, support to training, participation in bi/multi-lateral exercises with partner nations and allies, and service-level experimentation in support of Force Design 2030 and refinement of new concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures.

MARFORSOUTH HQ HOMEPAGE
www.marforsouth.marines.mil/

MARFORRES HQ HOMEPAGE
www.marforres.marines.mil

FACEBOOK
www.facebook.com/marforres
www.facebook.com/marforsouth

INSTAGRAM
www.instagram.com/usmcreserve
www.instagram.com/marforsouth/

YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/marineforcesreserve1

LINKEDIN
www.linkedin.com/company/united-states-marine-forces-reserve
www.linkedin.com/company/marforsouth/

TWITTER
www.twitter.com/marforres
www.linkedin.com/company/marforsouth/