Private First Class James Richard “Rickey” Maxwell

Early Life

James Richard “Rickey” Maxwell was born on February 20, 1957, in Memphis, Tennessee, but grew up in Center Ridge, Arkansas, a small rural community known for its agricultural roots. He was the son of William Lindbergh Maxwell and Ula Mae Louise Maxwell, and he had four siblings: Paul, Gary, Patricia, and Janie.

James came from a family with a strong military legacy. His father served in the U.S. Army in both Korea and Vietnam. His uncle was a World War II veteran, and his grandfather, William Galloway Maxwell, served in World War I. Tragically, James lost his father at the age of 13, only one day after he retired from the U.S. Army. This may have influenced his decision to enlist in the military a few years later.

Home Front

Maxwell’s hometown was Center Ridge, Arkansas, a small, rural community deeply rooted in agriculture. During the Great Depression, it experienced a shift from cotton and corn farming to livestock production.

By the 1960s and early 1970s, the town was primarily focused on cattle and poultry production, which may have contributed to the war effort indirectly through food supplies. However, Center Ridge was not involved in wartime manufacturing, as it lacked the industrial infrastructure to produce weapons or military equipment.

Despite its small size, Center Ridge holds a unique place in history. It is the location of Woolverton Mountain Cemetery, where resident Clifton Clowers, a World War I Veteran who inspired the 1962 hit song “Wolverton Mountain,” is buried.

Military Experience

James Maxwell enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on October 2, 1974, at the age of 17. He was assigned to Company G, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, and served as a rifleman with the rank of private first class. Maxwell was stationed aboard the USS Okinawa and trained at Camp Schwab Marine Corps Base in Okinawa, Japan.

Maxwell participated in Operation Eagle Pull in April 1975, assisting in the emergency evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel and Cambodian civilians from Phnom Penh as the Khmer Rouge advanced on the capital. Shortly thereafter, he supported Operation New Life, which provided humanitarian aid and resettlement assistance to tens of thousands of South Vietnamese refugees fleeing the fall of Saigon.

Maxwell’s last mission was during the Mayaguez Incident in May 1975, often called the “last battle” of the Vietnam War. The SS Mayaguez, a U.S. merchant ship, was seized by the Khmer Rouge off the coast of Cambodia. In response, Maxwell and 174 other Marines were deployed to rescue the ship’s crew. On May 15, during the initial assault, Maxwell was aboard a CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter that was shot down on approach to the landing zone. He, along with 11 fellow Marines and their Air Force pilot, were killed in the crash.

Commemoration

Lost, then Found

Private First Class James Maxwell was initially listed as Missing in Action after the helicopter crash on May 15, 1975, during the SS Mayaguez rescue mission off the coast of Cambodia. His remains were recovered and identified in 2012, nearly four decades later, through advances in forensic technology and DNA analysis by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA). He was given a full military honor ceremony at Woolverton Mountain Cemetery on August 30, 2012.

Lasting Legacy

James Maxwell is honored with a memorial bridge on Highway 9 north of Morrilton, named the “United States Marine Corps Private First Class James Rickey Maxwell Memorial Bridge.” Fragments of his remains were laid to rest with the other heroes who died during the crash, in a single casket at Arlington National Cemetery on May 15, 2013. He is also memorialized on the Honolulu Memorial at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

For his service and sacrifice, Private First Class James Maxwell was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

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