James Malcolm Riggin
Despite warnings about casualties by high ranking military officials, and despite the warnings of our own knowledge concerning war and the resultant casualties the news of a native son being killed in action lays a heavy hand on all who were acquainted with or intimately knew the brave lad who gave his all. Such was the shocking news which reached our county last December 23, when official sources informed H.C. Riggin of the death during action of his son James Malcolm Riggin, more familiarly known by all as "Goober". He was a member of the United States Marine Corp and was on duty somewhere in the Pacific when he was killed. The very fact that he wore the Marine Corp uniform fulfilled the greatest of this young mans ambitions, for a place with the corp was his fondest dream. He was born June 22, 1924, the son of H. Claud and Ila Rogers Riggin and spent all of his early life in Cadiz, he received his primary education in the Cadiz Graded School and entered Trigg County High School in 1939. During his four years at T.C.H.S. he was an outstanding sport star, being the quarter back of the football team for 3 years, 1940, ‘41, ‘42 and participated in basket ball. Possibly the best tribute we know of was given by two of his team mates who said "Malcolm was the toughest and fastest man who has ever played on the Trigg County team, and he was never afraid to go through" --- these same characteristics we have no doubt were displayed in the "game" he was playing at the time of his death.After graduation from T.C.H.S. he entered the mechanical school conducted by the N.Y.A. at Murray, finishing this course he was employed for a short time in a submarine factory in the East. In October 1942 he enlisted in the Marines and took his ‘boot’ training at Paris Island.
In December of 1942 he joined his scrapping buddies who were already making history in the south Pacific and it is known that ‘Goober’ participated in many of the engagements in the Islands of that area, doubtlessly with the same skill and tenacity he displayed during his football career. Surviving are his father and three sisters, Juanita McAtee of Henderson, Dorothy and Reva Mae of Cadiz. This is the second loss the Record has sustained from its official family since November 7, 1942
Submitted By Dorothy Lee, sister of James Malcolm Riggin
