| Bruce F. Ogden |
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2010
Colonel Bruce F. Ogden, USMC (Ret), 79, died Jan. 7 after a 10-month struggle following a devastating stroke that was
suffered during open heart surgery in March of 2009. He was born Jan. 18, 1930, in Melrose, Mass., to Harold and Hazel
Ogden.
During WWII he accompanied his parents to U.S. Army posts and duty stations in Ohio and Alabama while his father
served on wartime active duty. During this period he acquired a lifelong passion for hiking, camping, boating and fishing,
which contributed to his attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout.
While a student at Western High School in Washington, D.C., Bruce enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on his 17th birthday.
He served as an aviation Ordnanceman in VMF-321 at Anacostia Naval Air Station for two years before earning a competitive appointment
to the U.S. Naval Academy. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1949 and was appointed second lieutenant of Marines upon
graduation on June 5, 1953. He attended the Basic School at Quantico and the Artillery Basic Officers' Course at Ft. Sill, Okla. before
reporting to "B" Battery, 1st Bn, 12th Marines, 3rdMarDiv on the slopes of Mt. Fujiyama in Japan.
He later commanded an 8-inch howitzer platoon on Okinawa, the 1stBn, 11th Marines in Vietnam, and the 11th Marine Regiment at Camp
Pendleton. He served on two occasions at Marine Corps Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; as Officer Selection Officer in Pittsburgh, Pa.;
Assistant G-4 and Recruit Training Battalion Executive Officer at MCRD, San Diego, Calif.; Senior Marine Corps Representative at the U.S.
Naval Academy; and Assistant G-4 (Logistics) Operations at HQ, FMFPac in Hawaii before retiring after 27 years of military service.
Wartime service with the First Marine Division included consecutive assignments as Operations Officer of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 11th
Marines in Vietnam (1965-66), Commanding Officer of 1st Bn, 11th Marines in Vietnam (1970-71), and Commanding Officer, 11th Marine
Regiment at Camp Pendleton (1971). Colonel Ogden's decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with Combat "V", Bronze Star
with Combat "V", the Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, two Presidential Unit Citations, Meritorious Unit Citation, National
Defense Service Medal with bronze star, Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 3 stars, RVN Meritorious Unit Citation, RVN
Civil Action Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Gold star, Vietnam Honor Medal First Class, Vietnam Staff Service
Medal First Class, United Nations Service Medal (Korea) and Vietnam Service Medal. Following military retirement, he worked as a Senior
Systems Engineer with various Department of Defense support contractors for 30 years. He was a life member and past Trustee of the U.S.
Naval Academy Alumni Association and life member of the First Marine Division Association.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 45 years, the former Diane Purdy of Edgewater; two daughters; two sons; and seven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at the Main Chapel of the U.S. Naval Academy. Interment will be held at 11 a.m.
Feb. 22 at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake
www.hospicechesapeake.org
Colonel Bruce F. Ogden, USMC (Ret), 79, died Jan. 7 after a 10-month struggle following a devastating stroke that was
suffered during open heart surgery in March of 2009. He was born Jan. 18, 1930, in Melrose, Mass., to Harold and Hazel
Ogden.
During WWII he accompanied his parents to U.S. Army posts and duty stations in Ohio and Alabama while his father
served on wartime active duty. During this period he acquired a lifelong passion for hiking, camping, boating and fishing,
which contributed to his attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout.
While a student at Western High School in Washington, D.C., Bruce enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on his 17th birthday.
He served as an aviation Ordnanceman in VMF-321 at Anacostia Naval Air Station for two years before earning a competitive appointment
to the U.S. Naval Academy. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1949 and was appointed second lieutenant of Marines upon
graduation on June 5, 1953. He attended the Basic School at Quantico and the Artillery Basic Officers' Course at Ft. Sill, Okla. before
reporting to "B" Battery, 1st Bn, 12th Marines, 3rdMarDiv on the slopes of Mt. Fujiyama in Japan.
He later commanded an 8-inch howitzer platoon on Okinawa, the 1stBn, 11th Marines in Vietnam, and the 11th Marine Regiment at Camp
Pendleton. He served on two occasions at Marine Corps Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; as Officer Selection Officer in Pittsburgh, Pa.;
Assistant G-4 and Recruit Training Battalion Executive Officer at MCRD, San Diego, Calif.; Senior Marine Corps Representative at the U.S.
Naval Academy; and Assistant G-4 (Logistics) Operations at HQ, FMFPac in Hawaii before retiring after 27 years of military service.
Wartime service with the First Marine Division included consecutive assignments as Operations Officer of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 11th
Marines in Vietnam (1965-66), Commanding Officer of 1st Bn, 11th Marines in Vietnam (1970-71), and Commanding Officer, 11th Marine
Regiment at Camp Pendleton (1971). Colonel Ogden's decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with Combat "V", Bronze Star
with Combat "V", the Meritorious Service Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, two Presidential Unit Citations, Meritorious Unit Citation, National
Defense Service Medal with bronze star, Korean Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 3 stars, RVN Meritorious Unit Citation, RVN
Civil Action Meritorious Unit Citation, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Gold star, Vietnam Honor Medal First Class, Vietnam Staff Service
Medal First Class, United Nations Service Medal (Korea) and Vietnam Service Medal. Following military retirement, he worked as a Senior
Systems Engineer with various Department of Defense support contractors for 30 years. He was a life member and past Trustee of the U.S.
Naval Academy Alumni Association and life member of the First Marine Division Association.
Bruce is survived by his wife of 45 years, the former Diane Purdy of Edgewater; two daughters; two sons; and seven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at the Main Chapel of the U.S. Naval Academy. Interment will be held at 11 a.m.
Feb. 22 at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake
www.hospicechesapeake.org
