Richard Paul McElwee (August 26, 1947–August 8, 1994)
By Aaron Presnell and Abigail Padfield
Early Life
Richard Paul McElwee was born in Cumberland, Maryland on August 26, 1947, to Mary Lou and Richard H. McElwee, Jr.1 Cumberland is a rural town in the western part of the state. It was a center of coal production until the the first part of the twentieth-century, when the auto industry moved into the area.2 According to their wedding announcement in the Cumberland Sunday Times shown here, Mary Lou and Richard H. McElwee lived in Romney, West Virginia, at the time of their marriage. Mary Lou graduated from Romney High School and attended college at Madison College in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Before marrying Richard, Mary Lou worked at the Bank of Romney.3 Richard graduated from Fork Union Military Academy and then attended West Virginia University. When he married Mary Lou, he coached all sports at Romney High School.4 Richard Paul was born two years after Mary Lou and Richard were married. He had six siblings: Michael, Valrico, David, Chicago, Steven, Valkaria.5
Vietnam Era Military Service
There is not a lot of information about McElwee’s service in the US Navy. He was either enlisted or drafted on June 12, 1968.6 Though we do not know where he served while in the Navy, we do know he retired as a Seaman (SN) on April 17, 1970.7 As a Seaman, McElwee was assigned general duty deck and administrative work.8 Though we do not know details of McElwee’s service, it is thought that he saw active duty as that is a requirement to be buried in a National Cemetery.9
Post-Service
In 1982, McElwee moved to Palm Bay, Florida. During this time he married and had one daughter, Stefani. He worked as a landscaper and nurseryman.10 McElwee passed away on August 8, 1994 and was memorialized in Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL, on March 9, 1995.11
Endnotes
1 “U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007,” database, Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com (accessed July 27, 2017) entry for Richard Paul McElwee; obituary for Richard Paul McElwee, Orlando Sentinel, August 10, 1994, accessed April 2, 2017, Newspapers.com, “Richard McElwee, Jr. Weds Miss Mary Lou Milleson Here,” Cumberland Sunday Times, February 18, 1945, accessed July 29, 2017, Newspapers.com.
2 “Cumberland History,” National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary, accessed July 29, 2017, https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/cumberland/history.htm.
3 “Richard McElwee, Jr. Weds Miss Mary Lou Milleson Here.”
4 Ibid.
5 Obituary for Richard Paul McElwee, Orlando Sentinel, August 10, 1994, accessed April 2, 2017, Newspapers.com,
6 “U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010,” database, Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com (accessed July 27, 2017) entry for Richard McElwee.
7 Ibid.
8 “Navy Seaman,” Military-Ranks.org, accessed July 30, 2017, https://www.military-ranks.org/navy/seaman.
9 “Florida National Cemetery,” National Cemetery Administration, accessed July 29, 2017, https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/florida.asp.
10 Obituary for Richard Paul McElwee.
11 “U.S. Veterans’ Gravesites, ca. 1775-2006,” database, Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com (accessed July 27, 2017), entry for Richard Paul McElwee;
National Cemetery Administration, "Richard Paul McElwee," US Department of Veterans Affairs, accessed July 29, 2017, https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/NGLMap?ID=5462240
© 2017, University of Central Florida
