When Richard Fossett Metcalf was born on April 4, 1898, in Winthrop, Massachusetts, his father, Benjamin, was 27 and his mother, Maude, was 24. He had one sister. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I as a Corporal in the 101st Infantry Regiment, 26th Infantry "Yankee" Division. Cpl. Metcalf with his unit was moving up to occupy the town near the Chateau-Thierry area when they were shelled by German artillery. Cpl. Metcalf was hit by shrapel in his leg and knocked to the ground. When he sat up to tend to his leg wound, he was hit again in the head and killed. He is now buried in Winthrop Cemetery, Winthrop, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.