Richard “Dick” Wilkinson, an Extraordinary and Inspirational Senior Citizen

Dick Wilkinson with a backdrop of his Christmas light display.

If you have lived in Redding for a while, you might be aware of his extravagant and awe-

inspiring Christmas light display seen every year on Barrel Court, known as the Big Red Barn. Or you may have been persuaded by his good humor and sincerity to buy a raffle ticket or make a donation to a charity. Dick Wilkinson, also known as Commander and Membership Chairman of the Northern California Chapter of Korean Veterans Association, continues to serve the Redding community and inspire others at the ripe age of 93. He and his wife, Frances, just celebrated 68 years of marriage and Dick recently appeared on the Sovereign Minds Podcast (dated August 29, 2025) to share memories and stories about what life was like in the U.S. during World War II (1941 – 1945). Dick remembers that food, gasoline, and tires were rationed during the war and everyone had a sense of patriotism. His parents had a farm on the eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley in California, where they raised grapes for raisin production that were included in soldiers’ rations. Dick helped his parents pick the grapes and dry them in the sun on racks. He remembers that the national speed limit was only 35 miles per hour so that gas could be conserved. Some people were forced to put their cars up on blocks when they couldn’t buy new tires. Many people grew their own food in their gardens, known as Victory Gardens, and the news was obtained by listening to the radio or going to the theater in town where news reels were shown along with the double feature.

In 1950, Dick enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly after the Korean War broke out and served as an airplane mechanic for land-based patrol squadrons in California, Hawaii, and Kodiak, Alaska. (A life-long passion for airplanes led Dick to obtain his pilot’s license at age 77.) After serving in the Navy for 4 years, he went to college under the GI bill: first in Visalia, CA, where he met his wife Frances, and later to San Jose State University where he received a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In the 1960s, he and his wife Fran bought their first home for $15,990 with $400 down in San Jose. They raised 4 children and Dick worked for several different companies, including IBM, moving back and forth between Santa Cruz and Boulder, CO, over the years. Sadly, a beautiful home they built in the Santa Cruz mountains ended up being destroyed during the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989. Around that time, Dick started his own computer hard-drive engineering business and ran it for 10 years during which time he received six U.S. patents for his innovations. In 1990, he and Fran moved to Redding and purchased the home and barn on Barrel Court. They started decorating for Christmas that year with a few strings of lights, continuing to add more to the display each year. Over the years, the display has won numerous awards, and several family members and friends now help set up and take down the displays. They also decorate for Halloween and include a haunted house. The Christmas display has turned into a major fund raiser for the Salvation Army. Dick and Fran remember how this all came about in one of their written memos:

For many years our lighted home and barn attracted many visitors on foot as well as in thousands of vehicles. To have a little fun, Richard would purchase a few hundred of the large 5” candy canes and hand them to visiting children. On various occasions visitors would offer money to Richard, but he would reply “we do not need any money, please take it to the Salvation Army”.

In early December 2010 we were attending a local meeting. One of the speakers was a retired naval officer named Dick Fyten. Dick was a board member of the local Salvation Army and was requesting volunteers for supporting the Red Kettles that were placed around Redding businesses. After the meeting, Richard confronted Dick Fyten and mentioned that he is often offered money while in the street handing out candy canes. Richard suggested that he was confident he could collect money for the Salvation Army if he had a red kettle to place in his front driveway. The very next day, Richard received the first red kettle from Dick Fyten. That first year Red Barn Red Kettle raised $5,300.93. That was just the beginning.

Over the years, a total of approximately $340,000 has been raised by Dick for the Salvation Army, an extraordinary figure! Other local charities have benefitted from Dick’s help with his skill at selling raffle tickets. Dick is currently selling raffle tickets for prizes to be won at the Marine Corps 250 th Anniversary Ball, which is to be held on Nov. 10 th at the Win River Casino (tickets available through Eventbrite.com, attendees are to bring a new, unwrapped toy to support the local Toys for Tots mission). Another ongoing effort spearheaded by Dick is the all-inclusive dictionary program his veterans’ group is involved in. This program raises money for the purchase and distribution of dictionaries (from the Dictionary Project, a charitable 501(c)(3) organization) for third grade children in Shasta County. These are not ordinary dictionaries in that they include other valuable information such as the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, State Capitals, maps of the world, and multiplication tables, which help to support literacy and youth empowerment, goals that are dear to Dick’s heart.

Please join the Shasta Unfiltered team in congratulating Dick on his many achievements and

contributions to the community! And, if possible, contribute to the Korean Veterans’ dictionary program or to the Salvation Army’s Christmas drive. You will feel good knowing you are making our world a better place.