William Ludlow “Bill” Richie II was born May 3, 1937 and raised in Houston, TX. In his own words, he had “no first-hand exposure to the Army.” Yet, he did have roots in the Corps through his uncle, for whom he was named. His uncle graduated USMA in 1925 and had a storied career. Because of his closeness to his uncle, Bill wanted to follow his example by attending West Point, and he did. He graduated in 1960. After graduation, he married his sweetheart MaryAda Johnson, whom he had met during his cow year whilst helping her cross the street in front of Grant Hall. As a team, they traveled and enjoyed building their lives together.
In the 1960 edition of the Howitzer, we learned that “(Bill did not) follow the line of least resistance; nor has he found it necessary to fight every obstacle in his path. When he chose to attempt something, he put maximum effort behind it.” Bill lived those words throughout his life. While at West Point, he enjoyed intramural cross country and became the chief engineer at KDET Radio. At night and during study hours, he often worked at the radio station. During a summer trip to military posts prior to graduation, he was impressed by his time at Fort Monmouth, NJ so much that his branch choice upon graduation was the Signal Corps. He carried his love of radio and electronics into his military career.
His roommate at West Point most often was Edward (Ed) Bellis III. They were not only roommates but also good friends with one another. The thing Ed remembers is their sharing conversations with each other during “study time,” when they not only discussed their classes but shared about their lives. Both he and Ed lived one semester in the Lost Fifties while maintaining their connection to their company, G-1. They were pretty much by themselves.
The same thing happened when they were assigned the first two rooms between F-1 and the main body of G-1. Ed remembers some F-1 upperclassmen sliding down the stairs on their mattresses after study hours but before Taps. The tactical officer interrupted the frivolities. Ed and Bill were not involved in the frivolities but enjoyed watching their fun.
As Bill was from Texas and Ed was from Arkansas, they occasionally shared rides back and forth over breaks. Edward enjoyed those times traveling together. Their friendship continued throughout Bill’s life. He and MaryAda visited Ed and his wife, Martha, back and forth throughout their careers and lives.
Bill’s military service spanned 24 years in the Signal Corps. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1984. During his time of military service, he and MaryAda lived in Germany, New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Those places were moves where he was accompanied by his family. He also did two unaccompanied tours: one in Vietnam and the other in Thailand. His last duty assignment before retirement was to the Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK. Bill enjoyed his time at USMA and serving in the Army.
Success continued to follow Bill and MaryAda in the next part of their lives. In Army retirement, Bill used his skills developed as a cadet and in his military career to start his work as a civilian in research and development. Bill moved to Annapolis, MD, where he accepted a position with IIT Research Institute. His next 26 years were spent working as a senior engineer for tactical communications in support of the Army and the Marine Corps. He loved working alongside the military, enabling and supporting their mission. After Bill’s passing, MaryAda downsized and moved near their daughter in Virginia.
Family was important to Bill and MaryAda. In their 54 years of married life, he and MaryAda raised two exceptional children, Bill (1961) and Michele (1964). Both attended and graduated from the University of Notre Dame and served in the military. Their son is an orthopedic surgeon who lives with his wife, Norma, and practices medicine in Albuquerque, NM, not far from where he was born. Their daughter, Michele, an Army combat veteran and SAMS graduate, lives in Fairfax, VA with her husband, Aaron. Between their two children, Bill and MaryAda enjoyed six grandchildren: Matthew, Lauren, Meghan, Patrick, Peyton, and Aengus. Bill and MaryAda built a home in Taos, NM for frequent family gatherings and skiing.
Bill also enjoyed being of service to others. Thus, we are not surprised that he became the president of the Kiwanis Club in Annapolis, the International Club of Annapolis, and the New Providence Club. Yet, his passion was West Point, which remained dear to Bill. Being a dedicated West Pointer in Annapolis, he received a lot of joy from the rivalry between the academies. He was a founding member of the West Point Society of Annapolis. One of his biggest joys was the direct contact he and MaryAda had with the exchange cadets who spent a semester at USNA. From crab feasts and water ski parties to the monthly dinners out in the town, they sought to be warm and welcoming hosts and guides. The best part was their offering assistance and advice prior to the Army-Navy Game. He lived a good, long life in Annapolis.
After a brief, courageous battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, Bill died on July 26, 2014. He was buried at West Point, where he was most at home. In military terms, rest is the highest state of relaxation in troop formation. Bill is now at rest. We say, “Well Done.” These are two words most comforting to a soldier having fallen in a noble effort. This is your reward, Bill. May he rest in peace.
— Ed Bellis