This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Deborah Fowler Baatstad-Family
to remember
Fowler, Richard Edward, Jr., RADM.
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Contact Info
Home Town New Orleans, LA
Last Address 3400 Whitner Way Sanford, FL
Date of Passing Apr 23, 2001
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Wall/Plot Coordinates 66 6471
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
After his Navy service, Richard Fowler owned and operated Dollar Rent-a-Car franchises in Orlando and taught corporate financial management at the University of Central Florida. He was a member of the Friends of the St. Johns and was active in trying to preserve the rural setting of his SilverLake neighborhood in the shadow of the booming Orlando-SanfordInternationalAirport.
He was a crew chief for Habitat for Humanity in SeminoleCounty and Rutherfordton County, N.C., and served on the board of the Sanford Zoological Society during its early years. He also was active in St. Peter's Episcopal Church.
Other Comments:
Navy Cross
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Battalion: Fighting Squadron 15 (VF-15)
Division: U.S.S. Essex (CV-9)
General Orders: Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin No. 338 (May 1945)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lieutenant, Junior Grade Richard Edward Fowler, Jr., United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane in Fighting Squadron FIFTEEN (VF-15), attached to the U.S.S. ESSEX (CV-9), in action against enemy Japanese surface forces over the Sibuyan Sea during the Battle for Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Islands on 25 October 1944. In the face of heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Fowler participated in a vigorous and determined attack on enemy ships, pressing home his attack to low altitude and making a direct hit on a Japanese battleship, contributing to the sinking of that enemy warship. Undaunted in the face of relentless, devastating anti-aircraft fire, he rendered gallant service during the bitterly fought engagement in which all carriers, a light cruiser and a destroyer of the enemy's task force were sunk and heavy bomb and torpedo damage inflicted on battleships and other important naval units. By his daring airmanship, exceptional courage and steadfast devotion to duty through a perilous assignment, Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Fowler contributed materially to the sinking of this valuable enemy fighting unit and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
