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Richard Evelyn Byrd

Richard E. Byrd
Medal of Honor
Richard E. Byrd cph.3b17378.jpg
Byrd in 1928
Birth name Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr.
Born (1888-10-25)October 25, 1888
Winchester, Virginia
Died March 11, 1957(1957-03-11) (aged 68)
Boston, Massachusetts
Place of burial Arlington National Cemetery
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Navy
Years of service 1912–1927
1940–1947
Rank US-O8 insignia.svg Rear Admiral
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Medal of Honor
Navy Cross
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Flying Cross
Legion of Merit
Congressional Gold Medal

Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the Antarctic Plateau. Byrd claimed that his expeditions had been the first to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole by air. However, his claim to have reached the North Pole is disputed.

Byrd was born in Winchester, Virginia, the son of Esther Bolling (Flood) and Richard Evelyn Byrd, Sr. He was a descendant of one of the First Families of Virginia. His ancestors include planter John Rolfe and his wife Pocahontas, William Byrd II of Westover Plantation, who established Richmond, and Robert "King" Carter, a colonial governor. He was the brother of Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, a dominant figure in the Virginia Democratic Party from the 1920s until the 1960s; their father served as Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates for a time.


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