Richard I. Moss, Marine Corps Officer, 89

[DGH]

.

Richard I. Moss, a retired Marine Corps colonel, died of renal failure
October 5, 2006, at his home in Washington DC, at the age of 89.

Col. Moss was born in Annapolis, Maryland, and grew up in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1935 but was forced
to resign the next year because of poor vision. He enrolled at the
University of Pennsylvania, where he joined the Reserve Officers'
Training Corps. After receiving a bachelor's degree in 1940, he
received an honor appointment to the Marine Corps Basic School in
Philadelphia.

During World War II, he served on the USS Texas on North Atlantic
patrol and saw action in the Solomon Islands and the assault on
Bougainville Island. After the war, he served with the 4th Marines in
Tsingtao, China, and with the 1st Marine Division in Tientsin, China.
He also was assigned to Joint Nuclear Planning in the Pentagon, was an
instructor at Quantico and served as a battalion commander with the 2nd
Marine Division. He was a nuclear staff officer with the 1st Marine
Aircraft Wing and director of the Tactical School Landing Force
Training Unit for the Pacific Fleet before retiring in 1964.

In retirement, he worked as a consultant on chemical and biological
weapons at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah and as an adviser to the
Department of Transportation on motor vehicle safety. He retired a
second time in 1986.

His first marriage, to Betty Jo Moss, ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Aileen O. Moss of Washington
DC; three sons from his first marriage, Richard T. Moss of Virginia
Beach, Virginia, James I. Moss of Gainesville, Florida, and John N.
Moss of Springfield, Virginia; a son from his second marriage, Geoffrey
R. Moss of Baltimore, Maryland; a sister, Virginia Simmons of Virginia
Beach, Virginia; eight grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

Washington Post