Sandow E. Rivardo was born on October 25, 1905 in New York. He resided in New York County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on February 28, 1942 at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York, New York. He was noted as an Engraver and as Single, without dependents. Sandow served as a Staff Sergeant on B-24D (#42-40069), aka, the "The Pregnant Swan", 425th Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, 14th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He was declared "Missing In Action" when the "Pregnant Swan", while enroute from Pandaveswar, India to Kunming, China, went missing near Arunachal Pradesh State, India during the war. His name is commemorated on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery, Taguig City, Philippines. The wreckage of this aircraft was located in September 2008 by Clayton Kuhles of miarecoveries.org near Itanagar, Arunchal Pradesh State, India.

Ssgt Rivardo 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 but his name is inscribed as Sandav.

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