Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until January 11, 1946.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Richard served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17E #41-9122, 42nd Bomber Squadron, 11th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Freeborn County, Minnesota prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 9, 1940, prior to the war, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the production of beverages and also as Single, without dependents.

B-17E #41-9122 took off, with a crew of 9 and 8 other B-17's, Henderson Field, Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands on a shipping bombing mission over the Shortland Island area, Western Province, Solomon Islands.

After a successfully bombing shipping B-17E #41-9122 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and believed to have crashed into the Shortland Harbor.

Richard was declared "Missing In Action on this mission during the war.

He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Service # 17001361

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-17E #41-9122:

Carper, Martin L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IL
Gammans, George H ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, RI
Garvey, Joseph A ~ Pfc, Gunner, MA
Hite, La Verne P ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NY
Houx, Frank L ~ Capt, Pilot, WY
Knight, Leonard S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Koch, Ernest L ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Sweigart, Ernest ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Wayne, Richard K ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MN

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until January 11, 1946.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Richard served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17E #41-9122, 42nd Bomber Squadron, 11th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Freeborn County, Minnesota prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 9, 1940, prior to the war, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the production of beverages and also as Single, without dependents.

B-17E #41-9122 took off, with a crew of 9 and 8 other B-17's, Henderson Field, Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands on a shipping bombing mission over the Shortland Island area, Western Province, Solomon Islands.

After a successfully bombing shipping B-17E #41-9122 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and believed to have crashed into the Shortland Harbor.

Richard was declared "Missing In Action on this mission during the war.

He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Service # 17001361

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-17E #41-9122:

Carper, Martin L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IL
Gammans, George H ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, RI
Garvey, Joseph A ~ Pfc, Gunner, MA
Hite, La Verne P ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NY
Houx, Frank L ~ Capt, Pilot, WY
Knight, Leonard S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Koch, Ernest L ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Sweigart, Ernest ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA
Wayne, Richard K ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MN

( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~