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Rick Warke's Vietnam War uniform on display at Canadian War Museum (2007)
They left off the ammunition pouches and added the flak jacket (which Risk
said he did not wear), the M16 and the boots.
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Rick Warke came from Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.
Prior to joining the USMC, Rick served with:
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395 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets
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657 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Cadets
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418 Squadron Search and Rescue
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2nd Battalion, North Saskatchewan Regiment
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Saskatchewan Dragoons (Moose Jaw, SK)
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Rick joined
the United States Marine Corps to fight in the Vietnam War. He originally served with
2nd Force Recon in the latter part of the war, but arrived just as these
units were being disbanded. He was then assigned to a BLT (Battalion
Landing Team). One operation he mentioned was in the An Loc area. He
mentioned the helmet and flak jacket were usually only worn in the base in
case of attack, but not in the field. In Vietnam Rick was one of those in
his unit designated as snipers. The sniper selection in the war zone was
less formal - basically, who has experience with shooting large bore rifles?
Who has hunted big game?
His camouflage uniform and webbing was obtained by me from Rick soon
after he returned and I later donated it to the Canadian War Museum. It is
now on display representing the approximately 10,000 Canadians who served in
the Vietnam War.
After returned to Canada, Rick served with:
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the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada (where I met him)
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the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI),
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then the US Navy on the USS Sperry.
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As a Water Safety Survival Instructor
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Later still he ended up as a Sniper Instructor in Okinawa with the USMC.
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Rick now lives in the United States.
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