Patchogue War Hero Receives Navy Cross Decades After Death

Decades after Lance Corporal Richard David Kaler posthumously received the Navy Cross for his courageous actions during the Vietnam War, his headstone in in Patchogue finally reflects this honor.

A ceremony was held Saturday at the cemetery, attended by Kaler’s family, friends and other veterans, during which a new headstone was placed.

"I want to thank everyone for coming out here 45 years after Corporal Kaler's burial. It shows how much Patchogue cares, and we deeply appreciate it," Bob Kaler, David Kaler's nephew, said during the ceremony.

At the ceremony, Bob was joined by his wife, Eileen, and three daughters.

Lance Cpl. Kaler was a graduate of Patchogue High School. Four years after his graduation, he was killed on July 23, 1966 when he headed directly into machine gun fire by the North Vietnamese to save several of his fellow comrades and the rest of his platoon who were pinned down by the enemy fire.

Kaler was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions several months after his burial, but this was not inscribed on the headstone for decades. Since Kaler was not buried in a national military cemetery, it simply read "PH."

Kaler's headstone now fully reads "Navy Cross - Purple Heart."

Efforts to make this change were led by Tony Schiozzi of Patchogue, a retired NYC police sergeant, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, State Sen. Lee Zeldin, Assemblyman Dean Murray, Marine SSGT John Gallagher of , former Marine Lance Cpl. Richard Boggia (who served with Kaler) and the Veterans Affairs Department.

In addition to the new headstone, the Conspicuous Service Star and the Conspicuous Service Cross were presented to Bob Kaler in David Kaler’s name, which was secured by Murray.

The Kaler family were also presented with Navy Cross medals and a American flag that had to be flown from the U.S. Capitol in Kaler’s honor received from Gillibrand, who was not in attendance. The family had already received the Navy Cross award on Veteran’s Day this year at the North Shore-LIJ Rosen Family Wellness Center.

George Smalling, Chaplin for in Patchogue, read a card during the ceremony from a student from South Ocean Middle School to the Kaler family, and a poem written by a middle school student from Colombia Middle School in Tacoma, Washington which was titled "Freedom is Not Free."

Patchogue Village Mayor Paul Pontieri knew David Kaler.

“He was the toughest guy around, but the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet,” Pontieri said at the ceremony.

Zeldin read a message about Kaler during the ceremony.

"By his daring initiative, valiant fighting spirit and selfless devotion to duty in the face of insurmountable odds, Corporal Kaler was responsible in a great measure for saving many of his comrades and thereby upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service," Zeldin said.

Murray also described Kaler’s actions during the ceremony.

"When you think about what he did, running directly into machine gun fire to save his men," he said, "that is simply amazing."

Editorial note: Patch previously reported that the Conspicuous Service Star and the Conspicuous Service Cross were secured by Zeldin and Gillibrand. The awards were secured by Murray's office and the change has been reflected in the article.