Hospitalman George Franklin Myrick
Birth Date: 19 Aug 1945
Death Date: 17 Mar 1968
Gender: Male Age: 22 Race: Caucasian (White) Home City: Los Angeles Home State: California Religion: Protestant Marital Status: Single SSN/Service #: B817902 Citizen Status: U.S. Death Date: 17 Mar 1968 Processed Date: Apr 1968 Casualty Country: South Vietnam Casualty Type: Hostile Air: Helicopter Air Casualty; E-3; HN; Province: Quang Nam
George the son of Carl C. and Garnet Z.E. Myrick, enlisted in the US Navy on April 19, 1966. He attended Field Medical School in Camp Pendleton CA and then was assigned to the US Naval Hospital in San Diego. With orders for duty in Vietnam HN Myrick was assigned to H&S Company and attached to Company D, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF as a Field Corpsman when he arrived. During Operation Worth, after a frontal attack against enemy forces on Hill 502 that raged most of the day, contact was broken by the enemy. Casualties were gathered and brought to an LZ for medical evacuation.
A CH-46 D from HMM-265 arrived for the medical evacuation, upon lift off the helicopter came under intense enemy ground fire and as it circled away from the LZ it was hit in the rear pylon by a B-40 RPG rocket causing it to crash and burn in a valley below. The entire crew and six wounded survived, nine other wounded men died including HN Myrick who had been wounded in his left leg while treating Marines during the battle and was also being medically evacuated. HN Myrick was presented the Navy Achievement Medal with combat “V” “For outstanding achievement in superior performance of his duties 13 January 1968” and presented the Bronze Star Medal posthumously “For heroic achievement on 6 February 1968 while serving as a Corpsman” (Source: posted OBIT at findagrave.com)
GEORGE F. MYRICK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
When he attended ERHS, George Myrick was not only a dedicated student; he was a leader and an inspiration to others. In classes, he always contributed to the discussions and assisted other students who needed help. George was a friend to anyone who needed a friend. He was a class officer in the ninth grade; became a member of the Knights in the eleventh grade, and was president of that service club in his senior year. He ran cross-country and track, and was the starting quarterback on the varsity football team. George earned multiple letters in each sport, and his teammates voted him co-captain of the track and football teams.
George served in the United States Navy as a corpsman, and was known as “Doc” to the men in the Marine Corps unit to which he was assigned. He was awarded 23 medals for his bravery, courage and exceptional dedication to his “brothers” in Vietnam. He was killed on March 17, 1968; he was 22 years old. The story of George Myrick’s heroism and courage inspired the ERHS Alumni Association to select him as a recipient of the Soaring Eagle Award in 2009. This scholarship was created to honor our friend, George Myrick. We continue to follow George’s example and make each moment of our lives one of conscious and thoughtful living. We challenge the recipient of this scholarship to do the same. Requirements: 3.0 GPA. Award: $1,000 (Source: Eagle Rock High School Scholarship Foundation; Post Office Box 411236, Eagle Rock, California 90041; www.erhsalum.com).
Burial: Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Glendale, Glendale, Los Angeles Co., CA
(Source: Various Information Compiled, Reconfigured and submitted by: Ron Yates)