2nd Lt. Richard J. Helbert received part of his primary flight training with the 63rd Army Flight Training Detachment, Class of 1944-D, graduating on 14 April 1944, Douglas, Georgia.

His unit moved to Italy in March-April 1944. based out of Torretto Airfield, Italy. His unit was originally a Pathfinder unit, but did not serve in this capacity. He was serving with the 825th Bomb Squadron, 484th Bomb Group (H), 15th Air Force.

On 9 December 1944, he was one of 10 men killed in action and went missing during Mission 126 to Linz, Austria. He was the co-pilot aboard a B-24J (# 44-41120). This was the only aircraft lost on this mission. According to reports of the time, the aircraft disappeared into a cloud bank and disappeared, believed to have crashed into the Adriatic Sea. The mission had been called back within an hour due to poor weather conditions.

His crew is listed under MACR 10248 for that date.

He is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery Nettuno, Italy.

Crew List: (to be completed from MACR)

2nd Lt. Richard J. Helbert, co-pilot

Helbert, Richard John, II, 2nd Lt