Richard Mark Bega was born in Merced, CA, the second son of Mark and Alice Bega. Growing up in Merced, Rich showed the characteristics of a leader very early on. He was known as the ringleader of the neighborhood activities and hijinks, to include constructing a wheeled, full-size, functional catapult.

At Merced High, his interests varied over the years, including camping and Boy Scouts, but his passion was running. He lettered in track and cross-country all four years, and was captain of the cross-country team as a senior. Rich’s talent and drive were not confined to running, however. In addition to being class president, he was very serious about his studies. He saw classroom success as the ticket out of Merced.

Rich entered West Point in the summer of 1974 and continued his successful running career. He ran track, indoor track, and cross-country all four years. His training regimen was remarkable and relentless. He rarely allowed himself a day off, taking only one day off between each official season. His study habits shared the same consistency and discipline.

Upon graduation, Rich was commissioned in the Infantry. He completed Airborne and Ranger schools and the Infantry Officer Basic Course before his first assignment with the 7th Infantry Division at Ft. Ord, CA. Subsequent assignments included Aviation school and the 7-17th Cavalry at Ft. Hood before resigning from active duty in 1985. During his Army career, Rich maintained his running regimen and competed in, and occasionally won, local road races, to include the 7th Infantry Division Bayonet 7-Mile Race.

As a civilian, Rich held various business planning and analysis positions at DuPont, Ford, Merrill Lynch, General Motors, Impco Technologies, and Compaq (now Hewlett Packard). While with GM, he frequently traveled to Minnesota and Arizona for extreme weather testing of trucks. He also continued to fly helicopters in the Army Reserves. He then dropped out of corporate life for two years and became a full-time student at the University of Michigan, earning an MBA in 1989.

While in Ann Arbor, Rich developed a passion for Michigan football and enjoyed the college football atmosphere with the tailgating, the crowds at Michigan Stadium, and the post-game revelry. Most of these post Army years were spent in Ann Arbor until his move to Compaq in Houston in 2001. He also continued to run and compete in local road races.

Rich, always the picture of health, died of a sudden heart attack at his apartment in Houston.

Rich Bega was a man of admirable strength of character and even temperament. Probably the most remarkable element of his character was his capacity for hard, daily training for track and cross country while still having the energy, will, and strength to hit the books hard at night in the barracks. I was his roommate for one year, and when I sometimes wavered in my study habits, he would tease me about having to attend escuela de verano (summer school). This same strength of mind and body was exhibited later in life at Ranger School, where he exemplified the toughness and teamwork expected of a good Ranger buddy.

Through it all, he was a good friend. He had keen perspective, was fun loving, and always was even keeled. The tunes emanating from his room at West Point could have been Meat Loaf or Santana, or perhaps General MacArthur’s “Duty, Honor, Country” speech. Whether it was “chicken hawking” at Ike Hall or going to a Michigan football game, he was always ready to share good times with his friends.

Rich Bega was a dedicated runner, a diligent student, and an easy-going friend. It was a short, but full, life. We miss him.

Joe McClendon, Comrades, and Family