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Some of this information comes from the biographical file for pilot Ballard, CB-023600-01, reviewed by me in the archives of the National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC.

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THANK YOU!

YOUR PURCHASE OF THESE BOOKS SUPPORTS THE WEB SITES THAT BRING TO YOU THE HISTORY BEHIND OLD AIRFIELD REGISTERS

Your copy of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register with all the pilots' signatures and helpful cross-references to pilots and their aircraft is available at the link. Or use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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http://www.cafepress.com/content/global/img/spacer.gifThe Congress of Ghosts is an anniversary celebration for 2010.  It is an historical biography, that celebrates the 5th year online of www.dmairfield.org and the 10th year of effort on the project dedicated to analyze and exhibit the history embodied in the Register of the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ. This book includes over thirty people, aircraft and events that swirled through Tucson between 1925 and 1936. It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders. Order your copy at the link.

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Military Aircraft of the Davis Monthan Register, 1925-1936 is available at the link. This book describes and illustrates with black & white photographs the majority of military aircraft that landed at the Davis-Monthan Airfield between 1925 and 1936. The book includes biographies of some of the pilots who flew the aircraft to Tucson as well as extensive listings of all the pilots and airplanes. Use this FORM to order a copy signed by the author, while supplies last.

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Art Goebel's Own Story by Art Goebel (edited by G.W. Hyatt) is written in language that expands for us his life as a Golden Age aviation entrepreneur, who used his aviation exploits to build a business around his passion.  Available as a free download at the link.

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Winners' Viewpoints: The Great 1927 Trans-Pacific Dole Race is available at the link. What was it like to fly from Oakland to Honolulu in a single-engine plane during August 1927? Was the 25,000 dollar prize worth it? Did the resulting fame balance the risk? For the first time ever, this book presents the pilot and navigator's stories written by them within days of their record-setting adventure. Pilot Art Goebel and navigator William V. Davis, Jr. take us with them on the Woolaroc, their orange and blue Travel Air monoplane (NX869) as they enter the hazardous world of Golden Age trans-oceanic air racing.

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Clover Field: The First Century of Aviation in the Golden State. With the 100th anniversary in 2017 of the use of Clover Field as a place to land aircraft in Santa Monica, this book celebrates that use by exploring some of the people and aircraft that made the airport great.

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RICHARD HENRY BALLARD

Bethel Courier (VT), June 2,1910 (Source: Woodling)

Richard Ballard was born October 19, 1891 in Barre, VT. The 1900 U.S. Census placed him and his extended family living in Montpelier, VT. Besides his mother and father, he lived with an older brother, his father's parents and a servant. After secondary school, he graduated from the University of Vermont, Class of 1915. The Barre Daily Times (VT), June 14, 1911, left, announced his graduation from the Montpelier High School, one of 27 graduates that year. It appears he dabbled in the U.S. Navy between his junior and senior year. The military register for 1948, which summarized his rank and assigments through that year, listed him as a, "Midshipman U.S. Navy 2 July 09 to 4 Feb. 10." The Washington Post February 6, 1910, and the Bethel Courier (VT, right), June 2,1910 suggested why his Navy career was brief.

Montpelier Morning Journal (VT), December 24, 1912 (Source: newspapers.com)
Montpelier Morning Journal (VT), December 24, 1912 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

Regardless, he enrolled at the University of Vermont upon high school graduation. About a year after enrolling, during what must have been his sophomore year, the Montpelier Morning Journal (VT), December 24, 1912, documented his visit home for Christmas, left

On August 28, 1915 he married Amy Dorothy Farrar (1893-1979). His marriage certification is below. Note that his occupation is entered as "Teaching." Indeed, in the announcement of his marriage in the St Albans Daily Messenger, August 30, 1915, it was stated that after their wedding they were moving to Franklin, NJ where he would teach in a "vocational school."

Ballard Marriage Certificate, August 28, 1915 (Source: ancestry,.com)
Ballard Marriage Certificate, August 28, 1915 (Source: ancestry,.com)

According to his obituary further below, he enlisted in the army in 1917. This was corroborated and followed by his draft registration below.

Richard H. Ballard Draft Registration, June 15, 1917 (Source: ancestry,.com)
Richard H. Ballard Draft Registration, June 15, 1917 (Source: ancestry,.com)

 

The Barre Daily Times, August 21, 1917 (Source: newspapers.com)
The Barre Daily times, August 21, 1917 (Source: newspapers.com)
Montpelier Evening Argus (VT), October 16. 1917 (Source: newspapers.com)
Montpelier Evening Argus (VT), October 16. 1917 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

 

He adjusted well to the military. The Barre Daily times, August 21, 1917, announced his promotion to second lieutenant, left.

And the Montpelier Evening Argus (VT), October 16. 1917, announced his promotion to first lieutenant, right.

 

 

Montpelier Evening Argus July 26, 1921 (Source: newspapers.com)
Montpelier Evening Argus July 26, 1921 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

 

By the 1920 Census, he was based in the Philippine Islands as a 28-year old first lieutenant in a machine gun company, housed with about 100 other soldiers enumerated on the Census form. There was no indication in the Census that Amy was with him.

The same year, he requested a transfer to the air service. The Montpelier Evening Argus July 26, 1921 documented his assignment to flight school at Carlstrom Field, Arcadia, FL, left.

Rutland Daily Herald (VT), October 14, 1924 (Source: newspapers.com)
Rutland Daily Herald (VT), October 14, 1924 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About three years later, the article below from the Rutland Daily Herald (VT), October 14, 1924, below, documented a cross-country flight from Ft. Sill, OK to the northeast and return.

His record of assignments through 1933, below, that I found in his NASM biographical folder (left sidebar), provides further chronology. Note the entry for March 9, 1921 and compare to the news article directly above.

 

 

 

 

Richard Ballard, Vitae Through Ca. 1933 (Source:NASM)
Richard Ballard, Vitae Through Ca. 1933 (Source:NASM)

One item missing from the summary above is in 1925 Ballard was assigned to the field artillary school and commanded the 44th Observation Squadron at Post Field, OK.

About six years after he applied for flight training, captain Ballard landed at Tucson. All totaled he signed the Register three times, the first being on Thursday, February 24,1926 at 2:30PM . On this day he arrived solo in a Douglas O-2 he identified as 25-356. He was based at Ft. Sill, OK, Post Field and arrived at Tucson eastbound from San Diego, CA. He remained overnight, departing the next day at 9:30AM eastbound back to Ft. Sill. Parenthetically, his airplane was written off the books on November 27, 1928 at Chanute Field, IL, either worn out or damaged beyond repair.

His next landing was about eight months later on Sunday, October 3, 1926 at 4:45PM. He was solo in the Douglas O-2C he identified as 26-398. Again he remained overnight, departing the next day at 9:00AM. He was on the same itinerary as in February. Intestingly, his airplane this time was damaged a year later on November 25, 1927 at Uniontown, PA and repaired. It was finally written off the military register June 17, 1930 at Cannon Beach, OR, having flown across the continent at least once.

Almost two years later, on Friday, August 24, 1928 at 3:00PM, he arrived in 28-162, a Douglas O-2H. This time he carried a single passenger, Lt. C.J Kenney. Although his landings were a couple years apart, he was on the same itinerary.

Richard Ballard, Vitae, 1942 (Source:Link)
Richard Ballard, Vitae Through 1942 (Source:Link)

In 1930, the Census placed him in military housing at Ft. Leavenworth, KS with Amy. The 1930-1931 report of the Command and General Staff School at Ft. Leavenworth listed Ballard among the officers who finished the two years' course and who graduated on June 19, 1931.

Ballard went through a string of commands spanning the 1930s and '40s. A thumbnail sketch of his career through 1931 appeared in this 1942 REFERENCE, left.

 

Washington Post, January 11, 1933 (Source:Link)
Washington Post, January 11, 1933 (Source:Link)

 

A short news article from the Washington Post, January 11, 1933 announced Ballard's assignment to Logan Field, Baltimore, MD, left.

He commanded the 6th Composite Group at France Field, Panama Canal Zone, as a Lieutenant Colonel from July 18,1936 to December 31, 1936.

Richard Ballard, Ca. 1940s (Source:Web)
Richard Ballard, Ca. 1940s (Source:Web)

Several news articles appeared during the six months following the beginning of WWII. They described Ballard's role in surveying locations in the northeast to establish new airfields for military use.

In 1940, the Census reported his address as Mitchel Field, NY. At the time, he commanded to 4th Air Division that was based there. He left that job in January 1941 and the Division was moved to Westover Field, MA under a new commander. According to the Census, besides Amy, living with them was Amy's widowed mother, Mary, and a servant, Beatrice Atherton. His occupartion was coded as lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.

Within 18 months, the Air Division would move to England and assume the role of a heavy bombardment wing as part of the 8th Air Force. Indicative of his assignment jumble, in the summer of 1942, Ballard took command of Morris Field, Charlotte, NC.

Ballard also was one of seven officers to command Maxwell Air Force Base during WWII. The Anniston Star reported his first assignment there, November 1945 to January 1946. He served again after the war from February to March 1946. The photograph, right, shows him about that time. He retired from the military in 1955.

R.H. Ballard Grave Marker (Source: findagrave,.com)
R.H. Ballard Grave Marker (Source: findagrave,.com)

 

Anniston Star (AL), November 11, 1945 (Source: newspapers.com)

Anniston Star(AL), November 11, 1945 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

 

 

 

 

Ballard flew West January 9, 1960 at age 68. His grave marker is above. His obituary from the Burlington Free Press (VT), January 11, 1960 is below, right, and his obituary from the Rutland Daily Herald, January 12, 1960 is below left.

Rutland Daily Herald, January 12, 1960 (Source: newspapers.com)
Rutland Daily Herald, January 12, 1960 (Source: newspapers.com)

 

 

 

 

 

Ballard Obituary Burlington Free Press, January 11, 1960 (Source: newspapers,.com)
Brig. Gen. Richard H. Ballard, 68, died Saturday at the Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington alter an illness of three weeks. He was born in Barre on Oct. 19, 1891, son of Smith S. and Alice Griswold Ballard. He attended Montpelier elementary schools and was a graduate of Montpelier High School. Gen. Ballard also attended Waveriy Preparatory School in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Naval Academy, and the University of Vermont, Class of 1915. He was a member of Sigma Phi fraternity. On Aug. 20, 1919, he married Dorothy Farrar of Enosburg Falls. She survives. He enlisted in the military service in 1917 as a first lieutenant and advanced to colonel, the rank which he held when he retired in 1949 from the Air Force. After retiring in 1949, he Joined the Air National Guard at White Plains, N.Y., and after six years service retired as brigadier general. Upon his retirement, the general and his wife returned to Enosburg Falls. He was a member of the American Legion and the Lions Club.

His death certificate is below. He died of a ruptured aortic aneurism. Note the attending physician mistakenly entered the date of death as "1/9/59," a common error near the New Year.

Ballard Death Certificate, January 9, 1960 (Source: ancestry.com)
Ballard Death Certificate, January 9, 1960 (Source: ancestry,.com)

 

Dossier 2.2.23

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THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 02/06/20 REVISED:

 
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I'm looking for information and photographs of pilot Ballard his airplanes to include on this page. If you have some you'd like to share, please click this FORM to contact me.

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Thanks to Guest Editor Bob Woodling for help researching this page.

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