#52Ancestors - Bachelor Uncle Bud Dirst

#52Ancestors – Week 10 – Bachelor Uncle

Loyd Vernon "Bud" Dirst and Lucile Bestwick

                I am proud to share the story of my bachelor uncle.  Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet him for he passed away thirteen years before I was born.  But my mother and grandmother talked about him often so he lived on in their stories. 

                Loyd Vernon Dirst was the younger son of Ordway and Lela (Sunderland) Dirst.  He was born on the 20^th of February 1916 in Nemaha County, Kansas.  Lela had been fourteen years old when she married Ordway in 1910.   The marriage fell apart nine years later.  Lela was on her own with two little boys, Corles and Loyd.  She soon remarried to a widower named Arthur Bestwick.  On September 10^th of 1920 their only child was born, a beautiful, dimpled baby girl they named Kathryn Lucile.  Lucile would be my Nanny (grandmother) one day.

Bud and Lucile as teens

                Loyd Dirst was known to everyone as “Bud”.  No one has told me where that nickname came from.  Bud doted on his little sister and Lucile and Bud were very close.  Bud grew up to be the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. 

                Bud worked as a grocery boy at the local supermarket while attending high school.  He was well known around Hiawatha for being hard working, friendly and quite good looking.  But Bud wanted more. As quickly as he could he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.  He moved rapidly up through the ranks. 

                When he came home on leave, he was a doting uncle to his three nieces – Corles’ daughters Audrey and Loretta and Lucile’s daughter Judi (my mom).  They remember him affectionately as always having time to play with them. 

Bud on leave with Judi and Loretta

                Bud served in many different stations – San Diego, South Carolina, San Francisco, Guam, Pearl Harbor, Japan and finally Korea. Chief Warrant Officer Dirst was the officer in charge of a Military Police Company near Pusong-ni, Korea in November of 1950. 

                On the 29^th and 30^th of November the company was traveling in a road convoy between Koto-ri to Hagaru-ri when they were attacked by a large enemy force.  They were under intense automatic-weapon fire, small arms and grenade fire and seriously outnumbered.  In a flash, CWO Dirst had his unit positioned in the ditch beside the road.  He spent hours moving up and down the line, encouraging his men and passing ammunition.  He observed the enemy movements and kept them at a distance with hand grenades.  He was responsible for several enemy casualties.  After twelve hours of intense battle, CWO Dirst fell with a serious head injury.  One of his men drug him to safety and he was sent to a MASH unit as soon as they were safely able to. 

                Bud survived his injury and was honorably discharged.  He returned home to Hiawatha and lived with his mother.  The doctors had been unable to remove all of the shrapnel and he suffered greatly.  As the shrapnel shifted in position it would cause paralysis. In July of 1952 he was taken to Wadsworth Military Hospital on the base at Fort Leavenworth to undergo further surgery to remove the shrapnel.    He passed away on the 22^nd of July at the age of 36.  He was buried with full military honors at Mount Hope Cemetery in Hiawatha.  He received the Navy Cross posthumously. 

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                My mother and grandmother talked of Uncle Bud quite a lot.  I have passed those stories on to my two sons, hoping that he would always be remembered for the kind, courageous man he was.  He never married and never had children of his own to carry on his legacy, so it is up to my family and my cousins.  We decorate his grave every Memorial Day as we pause to remember. 

Dirst Hall on the USMC Base at Quantico.  Photo Courtesy USMC

                Last year I was shocked when I received a call from a USMC Major at Quantico.  He told me that they were building a new residence hall on the base and if the family would give permission, they wanted to name it after my Uncle Bud.  I was so grateful I cried.  Now Uncle Bud will never be forgotten.  On September 24^th, 2018 Dirst Hall on the Marine Corps Base at Quantico was dedicated.  We sent photos so his image and story are in the building so the young officers that live there will learn of his bravery.  Now my hero, my bachelor uncle will live on forever.