Richard Wilson "Dick" THORNTON

Enid News and Eagle Enid, Garfield Co., OK

04-02-2012

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

The memorial service for Richard "Dick" Wilson Thornton, 89, will be 2 p.m. Saturday, April 14, 2012, at Christian Church of the Covenant. Rev. Pat Sutherlin will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home.

Dick was born Oct. 27, 1922, in Redondo Beach, Calif., to John and Emogene (Galusha) Thornton and died Saturday, March 31, 2012, at Oklahoma Veteran Center in Clinton, Okla. He lived in California, Arizona and Vian, Okla., where he graduated from High School. As a 1?4 Cherokee Indian, he was able to attend Bacone College in Muskogee, Okla. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1943 as a Seabee. He served in the D-Day Invasion, June 6, 1944, on Omaha Beach. His unit was based on the beach for three months. Dick built the first latrine on Omaha Beach.

He was then shipped back to the U.S. and sent to Okinawa, ready for the invasion of Japan. While situated for invasion, the Japanese surrendered and the war was over. After the war, he attended Oklahoma A&M in 1946, graduating in 1949.On Nov. 23, 1950, he married Phyllis Perkins in Drumright, Okla. He worked for Hughes Tool (now Baker-Hughes) for 30 years as a senior field salesman. Dick was a wonderful father, grandfather and the light of Phyllis' life.

Survivors include his wife, Phyllis; daughter, Julie McDaniel of Oklahoma City, Okla.; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, and son, Brad Thornton.