Vinton WWII POW Gurnie “Tutie” Joseph Richard Returns Home After 84 Years

Vinton, LA [KNGT-FM] - After more than eight decades, a Southwest Louisiana soldier who died as a prisoner of war during World War II is finally coming home.

Gurnie "Tutie" Joseph Richard (Jordan Mothershed Hixson-Snider Funeral Home)

Vinton native Gurnie “Tutie” Joseph Richard, a U.S. Army Air Forces Technician Fifth Grade, was among the American forces captured following the surrender in the Philippines in 1942. Richard endured the infamous Bataan Death March before being held at Cabanatuan POW Camp No. 1 on Luzon.

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According to records, Richard died at the camp on November 26, 1942. He was just 22 years old. Now, 84 years later, Richard will receive the homecoming he never had. Local veterans and residents are being encouraged to join Richard's family for a memorial service and procession honoring his sacrifice.

Highest-ranking positions in each branch of the U.S. military:

Army - Four-Star General -  Chief of Staff of the Army
Marine Corps - Four-Star General -  Commandant of the Marine Corps
Navy -  Four-Star Admiral - Chief of Naval Operations
Air Force - Four-Star General - Chief of Staff of the Air Force
Space Force - Four-Star General - Chief of Space Operations
Coast Guard -Four-Star Admiral - Commandant of the Coast Guard

Funeral Director Jordan Mothershed described the occasion as an important opportunity for the community to stand alongside Richard's surviving family members and remember the local veteran's service.

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The service is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home in Sulphur. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. The funeral home is located at 2051 E. Napoleon Street.

Heather Diehl, Getty Images

Following the service, Richard will be escorted to his final resting place at Big Woods Cemetery in Edgerly. The procession will leave the funeral home and travel west along Highway 90 before continuing onto Edgerly Road and arriving at Big Woods Cemetery.

For Southwest Louisiana, the homecoming represents more than a final farewell. It is an opportunity to honor a young soldier whose service and sacrifice have endured across generations.