Leroy Richard Archible, born in Memphis, Tennessee in July, 1931, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1950. He served in Korea from 1951-1953 and was discharged in 1960 as a Sergeant. His awards include the Korea Service Medal with 4 Bronze Service Stars, the National Defense Service Medal, a Korean President Unit Citation, a United Nations Service Medal, and a Good Conduct Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars.
Mr. Archible, known as “Arch,” settled in the Bronx after his discharge. His dedication to his community and his involvement in civic affairs is extraordinary: 1st vice chairperson of Community Board 3; chairperson of the Parks and Recreation and Historical Research Committees; the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs under Mayor Abe Beame; a member of the Institutional Review Board of Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center; The American Legion Mitchell-Royal Post 1905; the Bronx Chapter of the National Association of Black Veterans; and a historian of Bronx African American History. He was appointed by Governor Cuomo to serve on the statewide Veterans Affairs Commission.
Best known for his work on behalf of other veterans, Arch led an effort in 2008 to have the remains of Cornelius H. Charlton, a Bronx resident who received the V.S. Medal of Honor posthumously, given a proper burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Along with members of Sgt. Charlton’s family and several veterans from the Bronx, Arch oversaw this effort and subsequently formed The Friends of Charlton Garden, a Bronx-based not-for-profit organization that advocates for veterans.
