Byron, Richard Crawford, 93, Captain (ret.) U S. Air Force Reserve, of Arlington MA, died on July 18, 2017, after a brief illness. Born December 16, 1923 in Newton, MA, the son of Edward Joseph Byron and Lillian Mark Crawford of Hagerstown, MD, “Dick” grew up in Milton, MA, attended the Dexter School in Brookline, the Dublin School in Dublin, NH, and The New Preparatory School in Cambridge before graduating from Harvard College in 1950.
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dick joined the U.S. Army Air Corps at age 18. He graduated from flight school as a fighter pilot in December 1942 and in March 1943, found himself in North Africa, flying a P-40 Warhawk with the 324th Fighter Group of the Ninth Air Force, which later that year was transferred to the 12th Air Force in Europe. He served with exceptional distinction in support of the Allied invasion of Italy, first in Sicily, and then at Anzio. He flew missions against the German stronghold at Monte Cassino, and over Rome and Florence. After D-Day, Dick fought his way across France and then into the German Rhineland, where his ideas about preventing friendly fire from the air were integral in the development of new tactics of Forward Fighter Control, which he personally demonstrated in the field, and for which he received special commendation.
By the end of WW II, Captain Byron had flown over 140 combat missions. He earned numerous decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, two Distinguished Unit Citations, and six Bronze Battle Stars under the European Theater Ribbon; several of these medals have Oak Leaf Clusters, which signify multiple awards of each decoration.
Called back to service for the Korean War in the fall of 1950, Dick married Carol Stockton Parsons before shipping overseas. They met in Dublin, NH, where their families summered.
Following the Korean War, Dick taught ROTC at Rutgers University as well as Harvard. He then became a professional painter, studying under R. H. Ives Gammell. He was known for his fine portraits, as well as his landscapes, florals, and still lifes, with additional specialties in aviation scenes and equine art. A talented equestrian, in the 1960s Dick served as Master of the Norfolk Hunt, where his innovations included improved scent application techniques for drag hunting, and the breeding of hounds especially suited for the New England landscape.
Very much a charming and urbane gentleman, Dick was well read and an engaging conversationalist on a wide range of subjects, especially history, politics, and art. He was a jazz aficionado, favoring Big Band music. Other passions included a love of nature, visits to museums and his Siamese cats. Dick was a member of the Harvard Club of New York City, the Harvard Faculty Club, the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America, the Society of Colonial Wars in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Distinguished Flying Cross Society and the American Artists Professional League.
Dick is survived by his wife, Carol; his daughter, Pamela Devereux Byron of Arlington, Massachusetts; and his son, Edward Joseph Byron III, daughter-in-law, Paula, and grandsons, Jeffrey and Andrew, all of Salem, Virginia; as well as many nieces and nephews.
A private burial will take place in September in Dublin, New Hampshire. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory to The Society of Colonial Wars in Massachusetts, 227 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 would be appreciated.