Stephen’s service is eternally honored.
In Loving Memory of
Private First Class Stephen K. Richardson
December 5, 1984 – March 20, 2007
Private First Class Stephen K. Richardson, a young man of exceptional courage and dedication, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country on March 20, 2007, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad, Iraq. He was just 22 years old.
Born in Jamaica, Stephen moved to Connecticut in his early teens, where he attended Bassick High School in Bridgeport and the University of Bridgeport. It was at the university that he expressed his desire to use his education to bring about positive change in his native Jamaica. His professors remembered him as a driven and capable student with a bright future ahead of him.
In 2004, Stephen made the brave decision to join the Army, becoming an indirect fire infantryman. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. His deployment to Iraq in 2006 was his first.
Stephen’s unwavering commitment to serving his country was recognized with the Purple Heart, a Bronze Star for meritorious service, and a Good Conduct Medal. These honors stand as a testament to his bravery and dedication.
Stephen leaves behind a loving family, including his wife, Katana, and their unborn child; daughter Iyana; father, Cedric Hamilton; mother Jacqueline Hamilton-Carby; and grandmother, Ina Jackson. The support of his community, including Representative Christopher Shays and the Connecticut Legislature’s Black and Latino Caucus, ensured that his grandmother could attend his funeral in Jamaica, where he was laid to rest on April 8, 2007.
Private First Class Stephen K. Richardson embodied the values of courage, selflessness, and patriotism. His life, though tragically cut short, serves as an inspiration to all who knew him and to the nation he so bravely served. May his memory be forever cherished, and may his family find comfort in the knowledge that his sacrifice will never be forgotten.
CVB Gallery of Valor Member: Private First Class Stephen K. Richardson 7 July 1985 – 20 March 2007
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I am not a veteran. I am a member of the Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force Auxiliary. But in 1991, personal loss brought me to a place I never left.
Over two decades later, that loss led me to the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown, Connecticut, where I took on the coordination of Wreaths Across America — which grew into the largest and fastest growing veterans program in the state. I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it for them.
In 2016 I founded the Connecticut Veterans Bulletin. Not because I served, but because I believe those who did deserve to be honored, connected, and kept alive.
Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every day. I knew about that number before it became a hashtag. I knew it personally, long before anyone was talking about it.
This publication exists because that number is unacceptable. Because every veteran in Connecticut deserves to know someone gives a damn.
That someone is me.