Randall Lee McElreath

Lance Corporal
FOX CO, 2ND BN, 4TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
02 December 1947 - 12 March 1968
Midwest City, Oklahoma
Panel 44E Line 026

3RD MARDIV

4TH MARINES
Randy McElreath

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Randall Lee McElreath

18 Feb 2002

"To live in the hearts we leave behind,
is never to have died."
(Thomas Campbell, circa 1888)

From his cousin,
Karen Cross-Boatmun
E-mail address is not available.




Randy's brothers' memorial, Reno, Nevada
26 May 2002

Randy, We still miss you!
Your buddy from Monroney Junior High, Midwest City High School 1966, USMC boot camp, and I was with you at Luan Xuam.
I am sorry I could not help you!

Larry N. Linduff
PO Box 10491, Midwest City, Oklahoma 73140
lnlinduff@aol.com

8 Jun 2002

I have known Mac since Monroney. At MWC high, we were the "Magnificent Seven" (before the movie) that included Mac, Larry Linduff, Ronnie Satterwhite, Tim Myers, Brent Thresher, Pat Onstott,and me. The MWC newspaper ran a photo of us swearing in. We thought we were indestructable, and helped each other thru boot camp. My last memory is just after Tet, he was coming back from R&R and I was going to Hawaii. We crossed paths at the "Come & Go" center. He gave me his Oklahoma driver's license, as the drinking age in Hawaii was 20, and I was still 19. It was about to expire and he said he didn't need it. Little did I know. He was one of my best buddies, and I know he rests in peace, knowing we all loved him.

William "Bill" J Burke
Lance Corporal, USMC
wireburketulsa@msn.com

11 June 2002

Randy We All Still Miss You.
You Are The Best Of Us.
The Magnificient Seven Will Live Forever.
I Will Be Glad To Serve With You Again in the Marine Corps of the Lord.

Your Buddy, Ronnie D. Satterwhite
E-mail address is not available.

08 Jan 2003

Though I never knew my uncle Randy, his memory lives on through my father Rick, and my Grandmother Dorothy. I miss my uncle though I was born long after his death. There is a huge piece missing from my father's background of which I will never know or understand. Seeing the support on this page allows me the comfort which comes with the knowledge of caring individuals who loved my uncle.

Long ago Randy was called home to the loving arms of his Father. God Bless those of you who knew my uncle. Thank You for your support and love.

From the nephew he never knew
Brian McElreath
bmac6215@yahoo.com

25 Feb 2003

"The Magnificent Seven"

When last we had contact, I had not yet been to the memorial held on July 20, 2002 at Midwest City HS, for all the boys who perished in Viet Nam in that school district. It was very moving, to say the least.

Attached I am happy to send you a photo of "The Magnificent 7" (self-named, and before the movie! These are the originals!). All were students at MWC HS, and joined the Marines at the same time in 1966. Larry Linduff gave me a copy of this photo, which was also in the Midwest City paper at the time of their induction. I will certainly cherish it always.


They are, from left to right (alternately front and back, zig-zagging), Bill Burke, Randy McElreath, Larry Linduff, Brent Thrasher, Ronnie Satterwhite, Nick Myers, and Pat Onstott. Recruiter unknown.


Four of The Magnificent Seven are in this photo I took at the MWC HS memorial in July ... left to right, Ronnie Satterwhite, Brent Thrasher, Bill Burke, and Larry Linduff.

Karen Cross-Boatmun
E-mail address is not available.

15 Sep 2003

I have been to the wall; this is the True Wailing Wall.
I am from the Class of 1967 and the Class of 1969,
I am from Midwest City, Oklahoma;
Now I am a Citizen of the Great Beyond,
With the few, "We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers,"
I have been one acquainted with the Night,
I have been one acquainted with the Light,
I know the Courage of this Valiant Man,
This of the Bravest Warriors,
His Heroism and Sacrifice will live forever.
The Name of Randall McElreath is now Lord Randall,
Wreathed in Splendour.
His Name will live forevermore;
I have been one acquainted with the Night,
I have been one acquainted with the Light.

From a friend.
mloulowe@jam.rr.com

29 Jan 2004

I knew Randy too. At Monroney and Midwest City High. I did not know until now that Randy died in Vietnam. I am very sorry. I served in the army from 1968 to 1972. His life was too short. I have nice memories of Randy ... and especially his big smile.

Rev. Ernie V. Lassman
7056 35th Ave. NE
Seattle, Washington, 98115
206-526-8820
elassman@aol.com

25 Jul 2005

Randy was the most decent guy I ever knew at MCHS. He always had a smile and I never saw him down.

From a member of the Class of 68,
Steve Hoffman
Edmond, Oklahoma
steven.hoffman@tinker.af.mil

04 Oct 2005

You were born the year after my father and the year before my mother. Though I never knew or met you, we share the same name. The other day my son (Randall Dylan, but we call him Dylan) wore your high school letterman jacket to school and we all marvelled at how small you once were and how good he looked in it. He even said that he wished he could have met you, and I am confident that one day he will get that wish.

My parents have honored your memory with a memorial in their home and with a plaque and flagpole out front. You are our family's reminder that freedom does come with a price! We will forever be grateful for your sacrifice and I look forward to the day when I can finally meet you with our Lord in paradise.

"Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends"
- John 15:13 -

From his nephew,
Randall L. McElreath
rmcelreath@altairnano.com

21 May 2006

Randall Lee McEleath, may God shine all his glory upon your precious soul and grant you eternal peace. This comes from someone who never had the honor to meet you, but I am a brother of Vietnam, even though I wore a different uniform, but saluted the same flag. We were all kids who had to grow into men overnight and what a waste to have left so many behind. Many of us suffer from scarred hearts and souls of brothers we lost.

Your cousin Karen Boatman is a supporter of my son, I'm sure you already know that. Help God to look favorably down upon on all our sons and daughters who carry on the American Way. It would be my honor to meet you someday, troop. God Bless your memory, God bless America!

From a brother in uniform,
Dale Wayne Harding (Sgt)
usafnamvet68@aol.com

28 Mar 2007

We all turn pages in our books of life, not knowing what the next page will have in store. Only, most of us do not dedicate our lives over to something of such magnitude. Thank God there are people like you, people who so selflessly go to battle for our freedoms. Freedoms that too many of us take for granted. My mother, Linda Quick, is your cousin, and you are both up in heaven. Please tell her I love her. I miss you right now and we never even met. I know that you were such a sweet soul, that will linger on with us forever.

From a great cousin,
Micah Quick
itsmeinshawnee@yahoo.com

A Note from The Virtual Wall

From the 2/4 Command Chronology for 12-16 March 1968:
"On 12 March Company F made heavy contact with enemy in the heavily fortified village of Lam Xuan (East), YD 285689. The enemy was supported by artillery, rockets, and mortars. Some of the Marines killed could not be recovered until 15 March. ... On 14 March, this village was subjected to heavy bombardment by air, naval gunfire, and artillery. On 15 March the village was seized by Company E which was later joined by Company F. All bodies were recovered. ... All BLT units returned to Ma Xai Chanh by 0730H on 16 March.

"Totals for this four day engagement were
    Enemy: KIA - 67. Weapons and equipment.
    Friendly: KIA - 17 (one body lost during recovery operations). WIAE- 59."

Fox Company, 2/4 Marines, lost 15 men killed in action during the heavy fighting on 12 March 1968:
  • CPL Jerry W. Fraze, Dallas, TX
  • LCPL Lawrence A. Branigan, Philadelphia, PA
  • LCPL Thomas R. Fleming, Arlington, VA
  • LCPL Randall L. McElreath, Midwest City, OK
  • LCPL Jeffery E. Mead, Janesville, WI
  • LCPL Ralph L. Washington, Portsmouth, VA
  • LCPL Kenneth M. Watkins, Washington, DC
  • PFC James W. Bettis, Tulsa, OK
  • PFC Lenard Coleman, Portal, GA
  • PFC Stephen R. Cunningham, Denver, CO
  • Pfc Louis H. Huff, McKeesport, PA
  • PFC Willie B. Lee, Socorro, NM
  • Pfc Daniel V. Michel, Astoria, NY
  • PFC Edward F. Rogers, Roslindale, MA
  • PVT William L. Holland, Orange, NJ




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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 18 Feb 2002
Last updated 08/10/2009