- Date Of Birth: March 30, 1925
- Date Of Death: February 17, 2020
- State: Idaho
Richard Victor Bengoechea was born on March 30, 1925, to Victor and Margaret Bengoechea in Jerome, Idaho. Richard or Dick, as everyone called him, was the oldest of 9 children. From an early age, he was taught by his father to be a Basque sheepherder herding sheep in the Perrine Canyon in Twin Falls and the Sun Valley area. It was a lonely life for a young man being alone herding sheep, so he joined the Army and was shipped off to Europe WWII. He missed the invasion of Normandy as his mother died shortly after having her 9th child. Dick was assigned to the 3rd Army under the infamous General George Patton. Although Dick did not say much about the war, he did say General Patton was one tough character. Dick unit stationed in Germany was bombed shortly before the war ended by a German fighter plane that blew up several railroad cars full of explosives.
