Born to Richard Ralph, Sr. & Frances Etta (nee Collom). He had two older brothers, Gary & Arnold.

Landing Accident Ground Loop Americus, Georgia Cat 3 damage, pilot Lt Richard R Akard, 29-May-43.

PT-17 42-16356 - 56 AFFTD

Assigned to 352FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF.

Transferred to 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron.

Taxiing Accident Boxted/Sta 150 Cat 3 damage, pilot Lt Richard R Akard, Jr 29-Jun-44.

P-47D 42-75528 - 5ERS 65FW 8AF.

The Paris News, October 3, 1944, page 8, column 3; "From an Eighth AAF Fighter Station in England"
From an Eighth AAF Fighter Station in England information has been received that Second Lt. Richard R. Akard flew his Thunderbolt with a fighter-bomber group in a series of devastating attacks on enemy road and rail transport that proved to be one of the biggest air offensives of the war.

Tearing at enemy airfields, supply depots, convoys, marshalling yards, and troop concentrations, in two days, while General Von Kluge's reeling armies were being hammered in France, this group destroyed or damaged the following: 300 railroad cars, 268 army vehicles, 37 locomotives, and 13 aircraft.

Previously, the hard-hitting Thunderbolts set a record for P-47s in the European Theatre by destroying 41 German planes in a single day. In two months following the invasion of the continent, Lieutenant Akard and his flying mates carried out approximately 4,000 operational sorties and dropped close to 500 tons of bombs.

Lieutenant Akard is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard R. Akard Sr. of 47 1/2 Grand Ave. He holds the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.

Ended Tour Duty (ETD)

The Paris News, 7 Oct 1945, page 2, column 4; "An Education Is War Veterans' Goal at PJC"
Holder of the highest rank in the ex-G.I. group is former First Lt. Richard Akard, 203 Grand Ave., who began service in Battery A, 132nd. At the end of 1943, he transferred to the Air Corps. In his nine months overseas, he piloted a fighter plane for 90 missions over Europe. Psychology is his choice for a major, and he plans to go on to Baylor when he is finished here.

Enlistment as Private First Class into Regular Army, Air Corps for Hawaiian Department (per Nat'l Archives online: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=25&cat=WR26&t...)

Discharged from Regular Army, Air Corps (see photo of application for information about his service in Texas National Guard_

Due to injuries sustained in automobile accident which occurred at 3:30 am. He was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, as well as his two brothers & his parents.

Funeral services were held at Fry and Gibbs Chapel & the burial took place in Meadow Brook Memorial Park. Paris, Lamar County
Texas, USA.