Richard L. Sherard Chief Warrant Officer · USMC & US Army · 1981 – 2013

Richard Sherard joined the United States Marine Corps before graduating from high school in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He had relatives who had been in the US Army and in the USMC. His thought was that if he had to go to war, he wanted to get the best training available. In August of 1981, he left the comforts of home and made his way to San Diego, California, then to Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD).

Even with a night arrival, a greeting committee met this young man and others . Their loud voices, constant belittling, and presentations of “I’m the Drill Instructor and you’re not” were relentless. At...