3rd Battalion 26th Marines (Vietnam)

Richard "Rick" Eilert

Born June 4, 1947 in Chicago, he passed away peacefully June 9, 2011 at his home in Lake Zurich, Illinois. Richard was proud to have served in th e US Marine Corps as a member of Mike and Lima 3/26.  Wounded in 1967, he later wrote a book "For Self and Country" which described his time in recovery within the military hospital system. Beloved husband of Cheryl Eilert, nee Hanneman; loving father of Kerrie (Will) Eilert-Ericksen and Scott (Lorelei) Eilert; dearest brother of Janet, Linda, JoAnn, Bob and Mary.  Memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.  There will be a private internment at Arlington National Cemetary at a later date.

Teruo "Skosh" Yorita  

On 1 May 2011, Teruro Yorita passed away after a short illness and hospital stay.

Teruo  was born on 6 March 1945 at the Tule Lake Relocation Center.  After WW II, the family relocated to Japan.  Returning to the US when he was 11, he grew up in Watsonville, California.  After graduation from high school there, he attended Cabrillo Junior College.

Skosh joined the Marine Corps in 1964 and was trained as a radio telegraph operator.  His last assignment in 3/26 was as the India Company battalion radio operator during the September 1967 fighting in the Con Thien area.

Skosh graduated from the University of Oregon in 1971 and went to graduate school at the University of Washington.  He worked as the Branch Manager of the Oxnard branch of the Sumitomo Bank of California.  In 1996 he married Takako Sakaigawa who survives him.  In 2004, the Yorita's relocated to Kent, Washington. 

 The funeral service will be held at the Seattle Buddhist Church on May 14th at 1800.  Military burial was at Tahoma National Cemetary on 16 May 2011.