Name: Seidler, Richard Louis, AMM3, USN
Local address: 504 Prospect Ave, Lawrence Harbor, NJ (Matawan High School class of 1935)
Richard Louis Seidler was born July 12, 1916 in Newark, the only child of Richard Fred Seidler and Caroline Mathilde Koegel (1884-1943). Prior to marrying Caroline in 1910, Richard’s father, his uncle Frank and their father, Richard H. Seidler (1860-1908) developed the waterfront north of Cliffwood Beach into a 700 acre operation that was involved in fishing, bathing and a restaurant known as “Seidler’s Beach” – a name that was given to the entire area.
Richard attended Matawan Grammar School and graduated in 1931. Upon entering Matawan High School, he did well academically, making the honor roll consistently. As a freshman, he played 2nd base with the varsity baseball team. He apparently enjoyed hunting.
In January of 1934, he was elected vice president of the newly established Matawan Boys’ Athletic Association. He apparently loved sports – local newspapers reported his attendance at several local baseball and basketball events. He was active in school and Boy Scout events and often was cited for perfect classroom attendance. In June of 1935 he graduated from Matawan High School.
In 1936 he was a member of the Phalanx Fraternity, a group of men 19 to 24 years of age associated with the YMCA.
On February 3, 1940, Richard married South Orange resident Barbara Elliot. When he registered for the draft in October of that year, he was described as 6’ tall, 175 pounds, blue eyes, brown hair with a light complexion. He was working for the American Can Company as a machinist in Jersey City at the time.
On September 24, 1943, he enlisted in the Navy. After training at Newport, RI and Norfolk, VA, he was assigned to the USS Franklin (CV-13) and was eventually promoted to Aviation Machinist Mate, 3rd class. Richard’s duties consisted of maintaining and repairing the various fighters, dive bombers and torpedo aircraft of the squadrons assigned to the ship.
In the early morning hours of March 19, 1945, the Franklin was involved in air strikes against mainland Japan, and had maneuvered just 50 miles off the coast, the closest any carrier approached that country during the war. While conducting flight operations, a lone Japanese Yokosuka D4Y Judy dive bomber, undetected by the ship’s radar, dropped two 550-pound armor-piercing bombs on the Franklin. In the ensuing explosions and fire, Richard and over 700 other sailors were killed. Also perishing was another Matawan High School graduate, John Luke Durante. The ship was miraculously saved.
Richard was buried at sea with hundreds of his fellow shipmates.
His wife Barbara remarried Karl Lloyd Olson in 1946 and they had three children. She died in 2013 in Pine River, MN.
Richard’s father’s brother’s daughter is attempting to locate a photograph of Richard.
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