Jump to content

The Sailor's Scribe-- CPO Richard Milton McKenna "The Sand Pebbles". 55th anniversary of his death, 11/1/2019


aerialbridge
 Share

Recommended Posts

Since there was no USMF in November 1964 when Richard McKenna died unexpectedly at age 51, may he be remembered here 55 years after his death on November 1, 1964, for his singular novel that forever popularized the life of the Yangtze Patrol sailor in China, nearly 100 years ago. Sadly, Richard McKenna didn't live to see Robert Wise's movie adaptation of "The Sand Pebbles" that 20th Century Fox released in 1966, two years after McKenna's death.

 

From the article, "The Enlisted Force's Scribe", USNI, August 2015, by By Senior Chief Petty Officer Dennis L. Noble, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired):

 

https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2015/august/enlisted-forces-scribe

 

FindAGrave including NY Times obituary, 11/2/64:

 

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147625543/richard-milton-mckenna

 

"McKenna and a fellow sailor stop to rest at the fifth of ten stations on the way to the summit of Mount Fuji some time in the 1930s. He tried to see as much of Japan as possible while serving on board the USS Gold Star (1933-37)."

 

"McKenna and his wife, Eva, a librarian at the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill, where McKenna earned his B.A. in English in 1956 with high honors in only three years following his retirement from the Navy in 1953. He wrote the first draft of The Sand Pebbles in pencil. After her husband’s sudden death in 1964, Eva found an old notebook in which McKenna had written a fictitious account of a walking tour of Guam, showing that he had harbored an interest in writing since his early years in the Navy."

 

Fair winds and following seas, Chief. You were the Sailor's Shakespeare.

 

post-18406-0-82772400-1572854090_thumb.jpg

post-18406-0-61316200-1572855876_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...