'QUIET HERO' RICHARD COSBY PASSES AWAY
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THE DEATH OF THE QUIET HERO
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Rita Cosby With Dad Richard Cosby
86 year old Richard Cosby, the father of TV news star Rita Cosby, and the focus of her highly acclaimed bestselling book, passed away June 25th, after losing his final battle to cancer.
Richard Cosby was an incredible and humble man, a true role model and real survivor. As featured in “Quiet Hero: Secrets From My Father's Past,” Cosby became a teenage Polish Resistance fighter against the Nazis. After being seriously injured, he was thrown at the butt of a rifle into a boxcar and hauled into a German POW camp, where he escaped and was saved by US troops. In recent years, he was recognized by the prestigious Medal of Honor Society, and then received the Americanism Award by the Daughters of The American Revolution, for which he gave a riveting speech in Constitution Hall about the vital role of women in of the Warsaw Uprising, who uniquely served as critical messengers and exceptional sharpshooters during the intense fight.
He was so proud that through the popular book, whose followers now span two continents, the world was finally learning about the courage and sacrifice of his comrades who did not survive, and the countless unsung heroes from a great and noble generation of men and women who gave their all in the name of freedom.
I had the honor of meeting and photographing Richard Cosby several times and always was captivated by his vivid accounts of the German invasion, it’s brutal occupation, the cost of human life and the tireless fight for liberty. But I also was drawn to his love of life and family. His wonderful sense of humor and magnetic personality made him a joy to be around. He was so unassuming, so modest, and you'd never know you were sitting in the presence of someone who truly was… a hero, and indeed one of the greatest men I've ever met. Mr. Cosby told me “it was a privilege for him to fight for his homeland of Poland,” and he’d do it again in a heartbeat... if he had the chance. He said, “Millions of voices who stood up against the despicable tyranny of the Nazis were silenced forever in my country,” adding that, “no matter how overwhelming the odds and the struggle, the battle for liberty and your country is always worth the fight.”
Funeral Services for the Quiet Hero Richard Cosby will take place August 3, 2012 at 3pm at Blessed Sacrament Church on Braddock Road in Alexandria, VA 22302.
Link To Richard Cosby's Obituary
In lieu of flowers, please kindly make a donation in Richard Cosby's name to his favorite charity, the USO, which helps wounded troops and their families through a program called Operation Enduring Care.
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