Robert Lloyd Piper was born on July 18, 1924 in Spokane, Washington. He was the son of Robert Brown Piper and Olga A. Reynolds Piper. He served in the 378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group as a Second Lieutenant during World War II. On July 28, 1944, flying wing for Red Leader, Piper took off from airfield A-12 in Lignerolles, France on a mission to bomb Villedieu-les-Poêles. Piper was about 200 yards behind when his lead's bombs dropped on the road near Cherence-le-Heron, France. "Red Leader's bombs exploded directly in front of Lieutenant Piper's plane," reported Lt. Stan Stepnitz, the No. 4 man in the flight. "The ship flew through the bomb blast and about a quarter of a mile beyond before it rolled over on its back and crashed to the ground." Piper did not survive the impact. He is now buried in the Greenwood Memorial Terrace, Spokane, Spokane County, Washington, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, Thunderbolts Triumphant, The 362nd Fighter Group vs Germany's Wehrmacht, francecrashes39-45.net