RICHARD C. FAZENBAKER DIXMONT – Richard C. Fazenbaker died peacefully at his home in Dixmont on Oct. 30, 2003. He was born in Piedmont, W. Va., on April 27, 1927, to Benjamin Harrison and Catherine A. (Hughes) Fazenbaker. He moved to Keyser, W. Va., at age four and grew up there along the Potomac River amidst the beautiful mountains of West Virginia. He graduated from LaSalle High School in Cumberland, Md., where he attended on a football scholarship. He attended Potomac State College and then the University of Maryland. He earned his pilot’s license in 1935, and flew out of Mexico Fields. He restored and flew aircraft including different types of OX-5 powered airplanes. He acquired his “Avro” in 1938, prior to enlisting in the Army Air Corp. During his career in the Army Air Corp and Air Force he served in numerous commands including Headquarters Air Force and the Strategic Air Command. He was assigned to the 526th Fighter Bomber Squadron of the 86th Fighter Bomber Group. As a master mechanic and senior airman he was selected from his squadron to attend factory training at Northwestern, learning to assemble the “Invader” A-36. He was a combat veteran with 34 months of service in Africa, Italy, France and Germany. His military awards include the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, the Soldier Medal, three Presidential Unit Citations and eight Major Battle Campaign Awards. After the war he continued his Air Force career serving at numerous Bases throughout the U.S. He served as a flight engineer on B-29’s and on the experimental B-36 at the Air Force Proving Grounds at Eglin Air Force Base. In 1952, he was assigned as the maintenance advisor for the first thermo nuclear tests conducted in the South Pacific. He returned to Eglin to the Air
RICHARD C. FAZENBAKER
