World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Richard Nathan 'Dick' Azar
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Raton, New Mexico
Honored By
Wm. Stegall, honoring Pacific Pilots of the Rue, U.S. 13th Air Forces
JOINED ARMY AIR CORPS TRAINING AT SAN DIEGO FLYING THE RYAN PT-9 AS AN AVIATION CADET IN AUGUST 1941. SENT TO WILLIAMS FIELD, CHANDLER, ARIZONA TRAINING IN THE NORTH AMERICAN AT-6 'TEXAN' GRADUATING IN APRIL 1942 CLASS D. RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION AND PILOTS WINGS. ASSIGNED TO TAFT AND BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIA FLYING THE BT-13. SENT TO COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI AND FLEW THE CURTISS AT-9, HUDSON, VENTURA AND C-45 FOR 6 MONTHS. PICKED UP A NEW B-24 LIBERATOR BOMBER AT DAVIS-MONTHAN ARMY AIRFIELD TUCSON, ARIZONA. IN LATE 1942, SENT TO BIGGS ARMY AIRFIELD, EL PASO AND ASSIGNED A COMBAT CREW AND TRANSFERRED TO TOPEKA AND SMOKY HILL AIR FIELD AT SALINA, KANSAS. AFTER U.S. TRAINING, TRANSFERRED TO HAMILTON ARMY FIELD NORTH OF SAN FRANCISCO AND RECEIVED A NEW COMBAT READY B-24D MODEL AND FLEW HIS CREW TO HICKAM ARMY AIRFIELD, HAWAII. ISLAND HOPPED TOWARD THE PACIFIC WAR THROUGH EASTER AND CHRISTMAS ISLANDS. LANDING AT NOUMEA, NEW CALEDONIA WAS OFFICIALLY ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. 13TH ARMY AIR FORCES 307TH BOMB WING. MOVED TO ESPIRITU SANTO IN THE NORTHERN SOLOMON ISLANDS AND HENDERSON FIELD ON GUADALCANAL. NAMED HIS LIBERATOR BOMBER THE 'MUNDA BELLE'. BOMBING RUNS AGAINST THE JAPANESE INCLUDED RABAUL ON NEW BRITAIN. HIS 307TH WING MOVED TO PORT MORESBY, NEW GUINEA. AFTER PORT MORESBY WAS SECURED, TOOK ITS LANDING STRIP CALLED '4-MILE STRIP'. ONE BOMBING MISSION TOTALED 17 HOURS TO AND FROM FUNAFUTI ISLAND, A JAPANESE STRATEGIC HARBOR CLOSE TO WAKE ISLAND. WITH 50 MISSIONS COMPLETED IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATRE, TRANSFERRED BACK THROUGH SAN FRANCISCO AND ASSIGNED TO SMYRNA, TENNESSEE, COLORADO SPRINGS AND WAS AT GALVESTON, TEXAS WHEN THE JAPANESE SURRENDERED AUGUST 1945. WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED SEPTEMBER 1945. AWARDS: DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS WITH OAK LEAF CLUSTER, 5 AIR MEDALS, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH PACIFIC ATTACHMENT, AMERICAN THEATRE CAMPAIGN, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH CLUSTERS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION. U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS SERIAL NUMBER: O 724506.