February 7, 1947-July 31, 2017 Richard A. Firmin Sr., 70, a 26-year U.S. Military Veteran and native of Franklin, Louisiana, passed away Monday, July 31, 2017, after a long struggle with multiple health issues. Richard was a proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps, serving multiple deployments during the Vietnam War, doing double duty as a Gunnery Sergeant and a highly skilled technician repairing shot-up helicopters that were damaged during combat missions. He later transferred to the Air Force where, until his retirement, he used his technical skills with the team that kept the F-15 Tactical Defense Fighter Aircraft on 24-hour readiness ...