Richard Lee Pogue

Portrait of Richard Lee Pogue
Bio

Born in Woodlake, California, October 22, 1916
Graduated from the Woodlake Union High School June 1934
Attended Visalia Junior College, Fall Semester, 1934
Enrolled in the University of California, Davis January 1935
Two-Year Curriculum Graduated May 1938
Married Vivian Palm in June 1942

Military Service

MILITARY HISTORY
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Military Training

Enlisted in the Army of the United States as a Flying Cadet, 30 December 1940.
Dec 1940 to Mar 1941; Air Corps Training Detachment, Ryan School of Aeronautics, Hemet, California.
Honorably discharged, 4 March 1941.
Enrolled for Civilian Pilot Training, Visalia Junior College, 1941-42, and completed a special training program.
Enrolled as Private in the Enlisted Reserve Corps, 15 December 1942.
Honorably discharged, 20 April 1943 when the special training program was completed.

COMMISSIONED Second Lieutenant, AUS, 15 April; accepted appointment and entered on active duty 21 April 1943.
COMMISSIONED First Lieutenant, AUS and Flight Instructor, Air Transport Command, 13 May 1944.

Active Service Assignments

Apr to Jun 1943; Pilot, 52d Ferrying Squadron AAF, Long Beach, California.
Jun 1943 to Jan 1944; Pilot, 90th Ferry Sq, Great Falls, Montana.
Jan to Sep 1944; 557th AAF BU, Gore Field, Montana.
Oct to Dec 1944; Pilot 1403d AAF BU, European Theater of Operations.
Dec 1944 to Feb 1945; Pilot, 1412th AAF BU, ETO.
In Service 2 years, 4 months and 2 days.

Lieutenant Pogue died 11 February 1945 from injuries sustained in an airplane crash, while transporting supplies from England to ETO front lines.

Decorations and Awards

AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL.
AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL.
EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL.
WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL.
AVIATION BADGE ‘Pilot’.

Interment

United States Military Cemetery near London, England.
The Richard Pogue Memorial Chimes in the First Presbyterian Church Woodlake, California, were dedicated on December 23, 1945.

 

Branch of Service