A war hero in Vietnam, Richard ‘Rick’ Fields also made a name for himself in Clark County as a volunteer coach in youth football who focused on character development
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
He retired from the U.S. Army 32 years ago, but his friends, even the ones who met him after his service, always called him Colonel.
He earned that rank.
Col. Richard “Rick” Fields earned that respect.
The man had an illustrious career in the military, then chose Vancouver, Washington to be his home post for decades, where he had another tenure of excellence in the field of youth sports.
He worked for years in plastics, manufacturing, and cabinet making in Vancouver and Portland.
But he will be remembered in Southwest Washington for the hundreds of young athletes he coached through Clark County Youth Football and the thousands who heard his booming voice on the microphone as the announcer for Skyview High School football and CCYF playoff games.
Col. Fields died on June 23, a night after giving a speech to a retired military group.
“He’s a warrior for God now. He’s in a very happy place,” said his widow, Martha “Marty” Fields, who was married to Rick for 37 years.
Family and friends from the Northwest are invited to a celebration of life at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 4 at the Fort Vancouver Artillery Barracks in Vancouver. It is one of three such celebrations across the country, allowing for friends to give a final salute. Col. Fields is scheduled to be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 7.
Rick and Marty Fields moved to Clark County in 1997 and remained here until 2019 when they retired to Florida. They often flew back to Vancouver to visit family and friends.
Col. Fields always had time for a soldier, or a veteran. He enjoyed banquets and was often a guest speaker at official gatherings.
In fact, he died in the early morning hours of June 23, just after spending a night with veterans he served with in Vietnam. They were at a 1st Cavalry Division reunion in Louisville, Kent., sharing stories.
“He was in his glory,” Marty Fields said. “He was in full dress-blue uniform. If Rick could have picked a departure point … To be there with those guys, at the end, was huge. He was on top of the world. The man always enjoyed a good entrance and exit. I don’t think he could have picked a better one.”
Fields began his military career when he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve at the age of 17 in 1962. After two years studying at Mankato State College, he was motivated to follow his brother’s path and enlisted in the United States Army.
In 1969, then Staff Sergeant Fields served his second combat tour in Vietnam as a crew chief aboard a “Huey” with the 1st Cavalry. On one dangerous mission, his inflight coordination ensured the safe return of all. It turned out, the helicopter took 70 rounds of enemy fire. On April 6, 1969, Fields was awarded a battlefield promotion to second lieutenant for his bravery under fire and exceptional valor.
After returning from Vietnam, Fields went on to graduate from the University of Nebraska in 1972. He was a walk-on with the football team, as well. Two years later, he completed rotary wing flight school and earned his wings as a helicopter pilot.
From there, he got into command.
As a commander, he often sat with enlisted soldiers during meal times in order to get to know them. He asked his soldiers how things were going at home.
“I wanted to be the leader that I wished I had when I was in their place,” Rick, a former enlisted soldier, explained to Marty one day.
“They loved him for it,” Marty said. “They remembered him. They’d do anything for him.”
Later in his career, Col. Fields was instrumental in the buildup of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, coordinating all the logistics, ensuring all of the needed supplies were shipped to the region. He got the job done months before other officers believed it could be done.
Col. Fields earned several military awards, including the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.
In 2020, the military recognized his lifetime accomplishments and inducted him into the Army’s Transportation Corps Hall of Fame.
While serving his country, he also served his country’s passion to German citizens. He coached American football not only to his sons and sons of other American soldiers but to German youth who were curious about the game. He believed football, and many other sports, contributed to a better society and a better military.
Rick and Marty moved to the Northwest soon after he retired from the Army. They moved to Vancouver in 1997, where he would end up coaching their sons and many others in Clark County Youth Football.
He believed that his philosophy of command would work with coaching, too. Coach Fields always encouraged his players, just like he did as a commander with his soldiers.
“It reminded me of the same thing he did with his troops,” Marty said. “He always said a word to them, to make that connection, so they know he knows who they are.”
Terry Hyde, co-founder and president of CCYF, said his organization got better when Col. Fields joined its ranks.
“He was just an outstanding human being,” Hyde said. “The leadership, the things that he brought to the kids helped them to be outstanding men. The principles that he brought to the table are what you want a coach to instill into their athletes. He wasn’t focused on the wins as much as character development.”
Later, Col. Fields became the president of the local chapter of the National Football Foundation, which handed out thousands of dollars in scholarships to local athletes who also excelled in the classroom.
His obituary notes that Rick Fields was blessed to have two families. In 1963 he married Patricia West. Col. Fields was the proud dad to daughter Michelle Quinn and sons Rick Fields Jr., and Scott Bicknell. There are 12 grandchildren, as well.
Fields is also survived by his wife of 37 years, Marty. They have two sons, Casey and Cody. They both played football for Skyview, with their dad on the microphone at Kiggins Bowl.
A war hero.
A commander.
A scholar.
A businessman.
A community man.
And a football fan to the end.
Col. Rick Fields got so much out of his life, and Southwest Washington benefited from his passions.
Note: The family requests that those who attend Col. Fields’ celebration of life on Sunday wear patriotic colors or the colors of their favorite football team.
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