The Story of U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Rick "Gunny" Hatch
- To listen to Mr. Hatch tell his story, visit VoicesofVeterans.org.
He served two tours in Vietnam and described his experiences as "humorous at times, but scary as hell." Over the 12 years of his service, Mr. Hatch earned the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, and The Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a Combat “V” device for valor.
When “Gunny” Hatch received the rank of Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt), he became the youngest Marine to achieve the rank of Gunnery Sergeant during the Vietnam War.
“Gunny” Hatch also spoke of his incredible experiences of skydiving across Southern California and sometimes with the group that would come to be known as the Navy SEALs. He also discussed the difficult times experienced by Vietnam Veterans after they returned home, as well as his experience with Post Traumatic Stress.
Over the years, “Gunny” Hatch has donated his time and funds to help his fellow Veterans and has generously helped support his local community. Additionally, he has served as the Leader of the Honor Guard at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo, Texas. When asked what advice he would give future generations, “Gunny” Hatch replied, "Do the best that you can, whatever it is. Be the best that you can.”
Voices of Veterans is the first Veteran oral history program undertaken by a state agency and records the stories of Texas Veterans through their time in service and after returning home from combat.
- Veterans interested in including their story in the Voices of Veterans oral history program can contact the VLB at 512-475-1248. (Please note that the Veteran must be a resident of Texas at time of their interview.)
- Veterans can also fill out a contact form at VoicesofVeterans.org.