Richard Dudley Kizer was born on August 11, 1921. He was the son of Fred Hoyt Kizer and Nell Burrow Kizer. He attended the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. He resided in Gibson County, Tennessee prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 22, 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents. Richard served as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot on B-25J #43-3961, 82nd Bomber Squadron, 12th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-25J #43-3961 took off, with a crew of 6 & two other B-25's, from Pandaveswar, India on a Ammunition Ferrying Mission to Palel, India. After takeoff they seen by the other B-25's, however due to extreme cumulus clouds, they were eventually not seen again on June 20, 1944. The were believed to be lost either due to the weather conditions or mechanical failure. Richard was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war. Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 11, 1946. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. A cenotaph of him is located in the Oakwood Cemetery, Milan, Gibson County, Tennessee.

Richard was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is 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