Cleo William Byrd was born on September 17, 1922 in Lakeview, Hall County, Texas. He resided Chaves County, New Mexico prior to the war. Cleo served as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot on C-46A "Stork" #42-101152, 1333rd Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

C-46A #42-101152 took off, with a crew of 3, from Kunming, China on a cargo mission to Chabua, India. They are believed to have either run into bad weather or experienced mechanical problems causing them to crash and went missing, it was February 6, 1945. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until April 9, 1945. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines.

Cleo was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is also commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov