Motivational Man: Dick Rigler
A Passionate Life of Service
It was my great honor and privilege to meet and interview our February Motivational Man, Dick Rigler. The 94-year-old veteran of World War II is a tall handsome fellow with an engaging smile, sparkling eyes, and a quick wit. His visual impairment and walker don’t compromise his zest for living. He has gathered bushels of memories throughout his life.
The first memory he chose to share is one that indelibly shaped his life. He was a mere 18-year-old boy when Uncle Sam summoned him in April of 1943. As a member of the 104th Infantry Division, Dick experienced his first battle in Holland, after which he marched with his troops through Germany and met up with the Russians just south of Berlin. He saw front line combat in Germany and witnessed several of his army buddies killed. Dick recalls: “We were babies when we crossed the Roer River. I was a combat engineer, and it was our job to take the infantry safely across the river in rowboats before dawn with 11 mph river currents.”