Chabo's Journal: George Washington 'Blue' Richardson IV, 11-22-48/7-9-04 RIP

Note: This is a continuation of a series of stories written by a central Texas police officer named "Darth Tang", which are being archived by Chabo, with no editing. Read more about this project.

This story was originally posted on July 13, 2004.

I've never written an obituary before, but I feel moved to do so. Blue's in the paper was just a couple lines, and it did no justice to a man I had long since come to respect.

George Washngton Richardson IV was born in Texas, 22 November 1948. His great-grandfather was born a slave, freed in 1861 as a young man, and served in Hood's Brigade, Army of the Confederacy, first as an officer's servant, later as an infantryman, until it laid down its arms in 1865. In later years George I was a founding member of the Confederate Veterans of Texas, and was a district representative to the state committee. George II worked as a blacksmith (as did George I), after having served his country in the 9th US Cavalry (Colored). George III supported his family as a undertaker.

Blue was the youngest of four boys; why his father left the namesake to his youngest is a question never explained. The origins of Blue's nickname is likewise also unclear, even to him.

On his seventeenth birthday, in 1965, Blue dropped out of school to enlist in the US Army; he eventually served 17 months as an infantryman in Vietnam, being medically discharged in 1970 with the rank of Staff Sergeant, and a 20% disability pension for wounds in both legs. Blue's decorations include the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Veitnam Service medal with nine battle stars, the Purple Heart with four oak leaves, the Army Commedation Medal with 'V' device, Bronze Star with 'V' device, and Silver Star.

Following his discharge, and continuing until his demise, Blue supported himself by manual labor, mechanic work, and fence-building. In 1978 he filed with the VA to terminate his military pension, stateing that he had fully recovered from the effects of his wounds. In 1979 his request was granted, although he retained full VA medical benifits.

From his discharge until his demise Blue was well-known to local law enforcement; during this period he was arrested on 164 misdeameanor charges and city ordanance violations; he was found guilty on 162 of these charges. It should be noted that none of these charges involved theft in any way; they were primarily public drunkeness or violation of alcohol statutes; brawling; assault; disorderly conduct; littering; and a few criminal mischief charges. In 1979 and again in 1995 Blue was brought before the Grand Jury on the charge of murder, but in both cases the Grand Jury returned no true bill on the grounds of self-defense. And in truth, neither deceased subject was a loss to the community as a whole nor to Mankind in general.

Blue was well-known for his interest in personal violence, and for being one of the few people in this area who would willingly, and by choice, fight a police officer. Blue has, to my knowledge and department lore, assaulted very nearly every police officer employed by our agency during that time period, as well as several Sheriff's Deputies, two Constables, several Highway Patrolman, and a mailman. The latter was a mistake caused by alcohol.

Blue was also noteworthy in that he was never once filed upon for felony assault on a peace officer, instead, being charged with ordinary assault or resisting arrest. For while Blue would willingly assault a police officer, includeing the occasional sucker punch, he never employed a weapon, nor assited nor was assisted by others. And he never once registered any complaint, formal or informal, regarding the use of force employed against him. Nor was he, drunk or sober, verbally disrespectful to any veteran police officer.

On five occasions Blue received citizen commendations for assisting a officer who was under attack by others. None takes into account that the officer was fighting with persons whom Blue lived amongst, and who might well later seek revenge, directly or indirectly. It is a measure of Blue' personal reputation that despite these activities, no retaliation was attempted more than once.

Blue was accorded the title of 'cop fighter' in police jargon, a rare term of respect accorded by LEOs to a subject who is truely a dangerous yet honorable man. It is a term, in this area, that has fallen out of use, the last of such hard-core men being of Blue's generation.

Blue died in a manner that he would have desired: seated on a park picnic table under a shade tree where he had held court since 1970, a cold forty ounze malt beverage to hand, on a sunny summer day, surrounded by friends. He dozed off, and slipped away, slain by a heart condition he did not know he had, still a strong and respected street warrior. On his person was found his Army dog tags with a gold bridge from an NVA regular crimped around the chain, photos of his family, and photos of himself with twenty-three different police officers, singly or in groups of up to three.

A police honor guard attended his funeral, and our assciation helped pay for his expenses. Our bagpiper played the farwell as the funeral team fired their vollies (live rounds, M-14s) over his flag-draped casket.

He was a good man. I shall miss him; the world seems a far smaller and more ordinary place with his passing. Blue was a warrior, a man with whom you would have felt comfortable covering your back as you entered into a hostile environment. He had dignity, which is all too rare these days, and a sense of honor which one could not help but respect.