Neil Edward Riley

Private First Class
E CO, 2ND BN, 9TH MARINES, 3RD MARDIV
United States Marine Corps
05 May 1946 - 13 September 1966
Gibsonia, PA
Panel 10E Line 093

3RD MARDIV

9TH MARINES
Neil E Riley

Purple Heart, National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign

The database page for Neil Edward Riley

Neil Riley grew up in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, admiring and wanting to be a Marine. In school he played football, wrestled, and ran track. He loved the woods in Gibsonia and hunted and fished and walked his dog.

He joined the Marines in January 1966 and was only in Vietnam a month when he was killed.

After his death at Phu Bai, Vietnam, his classmates at Richland High School asked a nationally famous sculptress, Janet de Coux, who also lived in Gibsonia, to do a memorial for Neil. She graciously did so just for the amount they collected. The bronze plaque is in front of the high school. It was dedicated May 30, 1967 and rededicated on the new Pine-Richland High School Nov 11, 1994.

This epitaph is on his grave marker:

Neil Riley
Young in living
Died in war
Urgently he lived
Joyous, hopeful
Beloved, loving
His words unspent
Are spoken
"Forever, Oh Lord. Thy word is Settled in Heaven"
May 5, 1946 - September 13,1966
Viet Nam

Dale, left; Neil, right

On leave after Boot Camp with his brother Dale, also a Marine.


PFC Neil Edward Riley, USMC,
is remembered by his comrades in the
2nd Battalion, 9th Marines



A memorial from his Mother and Brother,
Olive Oswald Riley and Dale A. Riley
E-Mail may be forwarded via the
Webmaster@VirtualWall.org
11 Nov 2001



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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)