CPL Richard Austin Dickerson

Richard Austin Dickerson was born on 26 Jul of either 1918 or 1919 in Bannister, TX, and died on 7 Dec 1941 due to hostile action in WWII. His parents were Richard Livingston Dickerson (1892-1946) and Annie Elizabeth “Bonnie” Tullis (1902-1908). Per the 1920 US Census, his father was a fireman at a sawmill, and his mother was a housewife. Per the 1930 US Census, his father was a welder in a copper refinery, and the family lived in El Paso, TX. Richard was an only child and had completed two years at Austin High School, where he was a star athlete. He was not married, and It is not known what he did prior to enlisting in the Army Air Corps.

Richard enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 13 Nov 1939 in El Paso, TX. His specialty could not

be determined, and it is not known where he received his initial military training. His service

number was 6296696. He was assigned Headquarters Squadron, the 5th Bombardment Group at

Hickham Airfield in Hawaii. The Group was first organized as the 2nd Group Observation in 1919

and later redesignated the 5th Bombardment Group in Mar 1938 and the 5th Bombardment

Group in Nov 1940. They were equipped with B-17s and B-18s by Dec 1941. During the second

wave of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Corporal Dickerson was between Hangars 4 and 5

on Hickham Airfield. He was seen kneeling and firing his rifle at the Japanese aircraft. During

the Japanese strafing runs on the airfield, CPL Dickerson was hit by a large piece of shrapnel in

the shoulder. A member of the Squadron, SGT Quentin A. Tiege, ran over to him, but he was

dead by the time he got there. The 5th Bombardment Group suffered heavy personnel and

equipment casualties on 7 Dec 1941. The family was notified of their son’s death on 10 Dec

1941.

It is not known where the remains of Corporal Dickerson were initially buried. He was eventually buried at the Hillcrest Cemetery in Lufkin, TX. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

References:

Wikipedia

http://www.ibiblio.org/phha/arizona/history.html#pearlharbor

https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/5th_Bombardment_Group.cfm

https://pacificwrecks.com/units/usaaf/5bg/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_Operations_Group

http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/5th_Bombardment_Group.html

Dickerson, Richard Austin, Cpl