Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1942 Lucky Bag:

RICHARD WADE BOND

Dick, Meatball, Ambrose

Battalion Soccer; Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, N; Reception Committee; 1 Stripe

Disk’s career at the Academy is dotted with many colorful battles, including those with visiting teams, the Executive Department, and as with everyone else, the Academic Departments. His slogan, however, is “Don’t Give Up The Ship,” and Dick can’t miss with that behind him. Not yet has Dick decided his branch of the Service, but whatever it is, may we be shipmates soon again.

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The Class of 1942 graduated on December 19, 1941, less than two weeks after the United States entered World War II. The class had previously been scheduled to graduate in February 1942.

Loss

Richard was lost on November 20, 1945 when his aircraft collided with another near NAS Chincoteague, Virginia. (Information from February 1946 issue of Shipmate.) It’s possible he was flying a Curtiss SB2C-4 Helldiver at the time; one aircraft, #20128, “flew into another aircraft’s slipstream, crashed and sank off USS Solomons (CVE 67).” Solomons was operating as a training platform for pilots on the east coast at this time. He was likely still with Torpedo Squadron (VT) 75 (see below).

Other Information

Richard earned his wings at Pensacola during 1943-1944. He had previously served in the fleet during the invasion of Northern Africa as well as in the Pacific.

He was the the first (acting) commanding officer of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 75 in June 1945, as a Lieutenant. He was in this position for 10 days, and then became executive officer. He was promoted to LCDR sometime between July 1st and November, 1945.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

A native or Portland, Maine, Richard moved to Halethorpe when he was 8 years old. He attended Halethorpe School and Catonsville High School.

He enlisted in the Navy and attended the Naval Academy preparatory class in Norfolk. He was appointed to the Naval Academy by the Secretary of the Navy after competitive examination.

In WWII, he served with the fleet in the invasion of North Africa and in five major engagements in the Pacific theater of operations. In 1943, he transferred to the Naval Air Corps. He won his wings at Pensacola and later was stationed at Chincoteague.

Richard’s mother, Lilly Mae “Mazzie,” died in 1927 with her infant daughter Lillian in Salt Lake City, Utah. Richard was survived by his wife Barbara Hudson Bond and 10-month-old daughter Lillian of Norfolk; father Richard, an insurance agent, his stepmother, and brother Army Major William R. Bond. William was with a Ranger battalion when captured at the Anzio beachhead. He was a prisoner of war in Oflag 64 in Germany. About January 21, 1945, he and 200-400 American prisoners escaped while being moved to southern Germany. William later served in Korea.

He was survived by his wife Barbara, daughter Lillian, brother William and father, Richard F. Bond. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Photographs

From the Lucky Bag