WILLIAMSBURG — Most people don’t have dances organized in their honor, not to mention most 89-year-olds. But Russell Clark Richardson isn’t most people, and on Saturday the polka-loving Korean War veteran will indeed have a dance thrown for him, where he plans on dancing with the best of them.
“I’ve met a lot of nice people dancing,” Richardson said.
The dance will take place at American Legion Post 236 in Haydenville, of which Richardson is one of the oldest members, on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Although there will be no cover charge, donations will be accepted at the door.
“It’s just going to be a party so Russ can do some dancing for us,” said Sandi James, one of Richardson’s friends who is organizing the dance.
The Eddie Forman Orchestra, Richardson’s favorite polka band, will be playing, and there will be snack food and a cash bar.
“He always plays my favorite number,” Forman said, a song called “La Di Da Oberek.”
Richardson has lived almost his entire life in the Hilltowns. He was born and raised in Goshen, living with his family until a disagreement with his father caused him to go live with the Mollison family on their Goshen dairy farm.
“They treated me very well,” Richardson said.
Richardson graduated from Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, and after being in the workforce for a few years he entered the Army when he was 20 years old. He served in Korea during the Korean War, where he was part of a mortar team.
During an interview at the Legion Post, Richardson produced a photograph of himself as a young man in Korea, alongside a Korean man whom he recalled almost shooting accidentally when the man failed to give a password at night.
“I recognized him,” said Richardson, noting that the recognition came when he had his finger on the trigger and had told the man to halt multiple times.
After he returned from the Army, Richardson lived in Williamsburg, and he’s lived in the same house in town since 1959. He’s had a number of jobs, including working for decades for a company that made imitation leather, for Florence Bank, and cleaning town buildings, and he’s survived both prostate and colon cancer.
An outspoken and loyal fan of the New York Yankees, he recalled with fondness the great Yankee hitter Mickey Mantle. “Greatest switch hitter of all time,” Richardson said.
Richardson began dancing polka around 15 years ago, at one point dancing twice a week.
Last September Richardson had a fall, although not when he was dancing, which he has steadily been recovering from. Initially forced to use a walker, he now uses a cane.
The idea of throwing a dance for Richardson was devised by his friends when they saw he was getting better.
“We’re just sitting around one night and saying “Russ loves to polka, let’s have a polka dance,” said Cliff Clark, another friend of Richardson’s.
The Legion Riders and Sons of the American Legion have helped to organize the party, as have Russ’ many friends inside and outside of the Legion. Some of Richardson’s nieces are also set to attend.
“Just a group of people, having a dance for Russ,” Clark said.