Retired Air Force B-52 navigator honored for decades of service to veterans

It all started by glancing up for Richard Narushoff.

Narushoff, 75, of Monroeville remembers being 3 years old when he saw his first airplane flying through the sky.

“I figured I’d fly someday,” he said. “I guess it’s always been in my mind.”

Those memories came back recently after he was awarded the Pennsylvania Veterans Service Award for his unwavering support of veterans.

Narushoff is the ninth person to receive the award. It was established by the Pennsylvania National Guard in 2019, according to the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

The award comes in the form of a certificate signed by Maj. Gen. Anthony J. Carrelli, the state’s adjutant general, and a bronze medal featuring a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, emblazoned with “For Him Who Shall Have Borne the Battle.”

Narushoff, a Monroeville resident, was nominated for the award by William Roland, the state VFW Department of Veterans Surgeon. When nominating him, Roland noted Narushoff’s work at Veterans Affairs in Downtown Pittsburgh and his volunteer service at the veterans medical centers and various service organizations.

Roland wrote that “Narushoff spent countless hours” helping veterans navigate “claims, appeals and financial concerns” at the Veterans Medical Center in Pittsburgh and the H.J. Heinz Center in Aspinwall.

“He put veterans before himself when they needed him most,” Roland said. “He would take phone calls, emails – all on his own. I just thought he had done a lot of good help for people going through these claims processes, which can be quite the undertaking.”

At the spry age of 18, Narushoff started down the path of military service when he joined the ROTC program at Duquesne University. From there, he received navigator training for B-52 bomber planes and eventually deployed on active duty to Southeast Asia.

He served as a navigator on B-52s until 1971.

Courtesy of Richard Narushoff

A younger Richard Narushoff in his U.S. Air Force navigator suit before a flight in the late 1960s.

The day after his honorable discharge, he began a career also rooted in service at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Downtown Pittsburgh in its adjudication area. Narushoff concurrently served the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and its 112^th Tactical Fighter Group, until retiring from that post in 1995.

He stayed with the VA until 2006, when he retired so he could take care of his wife who had just been diagnosed with cancer. She passed away in 2007. At 62, he could have stayed retired.

He didn’t.

Instead, Narushoff volunteered at the veterans hospital in Oakland. He stayed there until 2017. To this day, he said, he gets calls from people asking for help on medical insurance claims and other issues.

“So I guess I’m still doing it,” he said.

In all, Narushoff has 53 combined years of service — to the country and its veterans.

“He’s more than deserving of that award,” said Ted Novak, one of Narushoff’s best friends.

Novak, 76, of Wilkins said he knew of at least six other friends who had been helped by Narushoff when he worked for Veterans Affairs.

“He went above and beyond the call of duty for these people,” Novak said.

But his service to others didn’t stop at work. Novak’s wife recently underwent 18 sessions of chemotherapy – a process with which Narushoff had grown familiar when his wife went through it.

“He was always checking on us to make sure we had everything we needed. He was always there for us,” Novak said.

Novak’s wife kicked cancer and for the past three years has had Narushoff over for dinner every Sunday night.

This year, those dinners have stopped because of the pandemic. It’s been rough for the friends, who are accustom to doing a lot together. They’ve attended every Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns matchup for the past 20 years. They go to at least four Pirates games and four Penguins games every season.

The friendship goes back to their days at Duquesne University. Novak also participated in the school’s ROTC program. He, too, went to navigator school and ended up flying on B-52 bomber planes in Southeast Asia.

The two served overseas at the same time. Once, they unexpectedly bumped into each other at an officer’s club in Thailand. The two talk about the run-in to this day fondly.

Interactions these days are limited to phone calls and emails.

“I miss people,” Narushoff said. “It’s been difficult.”

Narushoff has four children, 11 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and two dogs. A fourth great-grandchild is on the way in May. Beyond his dogs and the occasional visit from family members, he hasn’t seen much of them. He missed Thanksgiving dinner for the first time this year.

Narushoff said he also loves to travel. He hasn’t gone anywhere beyond local stores since March.

A lifetime of service has taught him the importance of understanding a situation fully and using self-discipline to make good, well-informed decisions.

The award, he said, was a nice bonus during an uncertain time.

“It’s a really nice tribute for recognizing my service to veterans,” Narushoff said. “Who knows with the pandemic how long any of us will be around. It’s nice to have that recognition.”