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First Randy Draper Scholarship Given

The first Randy Draper Memorial Scholarship was awarded at the Red Oak, Iowa Community High School last week, the scholarship going to Red Oak Senior Paul Werts. Paul was an active participant in athletic activities, music, youth church work and Scouting. The Draper scholarship is given by Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Draper, former Blair residents in memory of their son who lost his life in the service of his country a year ago. The scholarship is to be given annually to a young man demonstrating traits of leadership and patriotism. It is managed by an appointed board of trustees.

Randy was a Senior graduate of Red Oak High School, but attended Blair High through his Junior year.

Randy died July 1, 1968. He had attended the University of Nebraska two years when he joined the Marine Corps.

He was the victim of heat prostration during a nine mile training hike under extreme weather conditions. He was one of a number of casualties in his platoon.

Enterprise 4 July 1968

Randy draper Found Dead On Army Training Field

T. Randall Draper, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Draper of Red Oak, Iowa died Tuesday at the Marine Officer’s Training Base at Quantico, Virginia. He was undergoing routine field training and apparently was overcome by the 100 degree temperature.

Randy and his parents lived in Blair for several years and he attended Blair High School. He graduated from the Red Oak High School in 1966 and later was a student at the University of Nebraska.

Pilot Tribune 8 July 1968

Services For Randy Draper To Be At Red Oak

Services for Randy draper will be held at Red Oak, Iowa early next week. Randy died while in training at Guantico, Virginia military base. He was overcome with the heat and apparently died on the training field.

Randy’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Draper. The Drapers formerly had the Servisoft business in Blair. Randy attended Blair High School and received his Eagle Scout award while in Blair.

The exact time and date of the funeral services were not available as this newspaper went to press on July 6th.

Enterprise 11 July 1968

Services For Randy Draper Were Tuesday

Funeral services for Lance Cpl. Thomas Randolph Draper, 20 year-old Marine Corps Reserve officer candidate, were held Tuesday at the first Congregational Church in Red Oak.

Burial with military rites were at Evergreen Cemetery.

Corporal Draper, a member of the Marine Platoon Leader Corps, died of heat exhaustion last Monday during a training exercise at the Quantico, Va., Marine Base.

He had completed his sophomore year at the University of Nebraska in June and was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was graduated from Red Oak High School in 1966 and had attended high school for three years at Blair, Nebr.

Cpl. Draper lettered in many sports while at Blair High School and also received his Eagle Scout award while at Blair. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Draper, were in the Servisoft business while residing in Blair.

Survivors include his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Draper, and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. George Wood and Mrs. Harry Draper, all of Red Oak.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~