Carmichael, Richard H. (Richard Henry), 1913-1983

Richard Henry Carmichael (b. 1913, Hillsboro, Tex.-d. April 14, 1983), U.S. Air Force officer and pilot, graduated from West Point in 1936, and received his pilot wings the following year. He arrived at Hickam Field on the morning of December 7, 1941 with his squadron of B-17s while a heavy aerial attack was in progress. As commander of the 19th Bomb Group, then-Colonel Carmichael participated in more than 25 combat missions against the Japanese. He later assumed command of the 462nd Bomb Group, and in August 1944, during the first daylight raid on Japan, he was shot down and remained a prisoner of war until August 1945. He continued service in the Air Force in the 1950s, adding another 39 combat missions during the Korean conflict. He retired from Air Force service in January 1961.