Richard Evelyn Byrd - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Richard E. Byrd was born on October 25, 1888 in Winchester, Virginia. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1912 and served during World War I. On May 9, 1926, with Floyd Bennett as his pilot, Byrd navigated the first plane to fly over the North Pole. Byrd combined his love for flying and exploration concentrating his efforts on the exploration of Antarctica. During his exploration of Antarctica he established the research base known as Little America and made the first flight over the South Pole in 1929. From 1928 until 1956 Byrd lead several expeditions to explore Antarctica. He made his last flight over the South Pole in 1956. Admiral Richard Byrd was awarded the Medal of Honor for the courage he displayed in making the first flight over the North Pole in 1926. Admiral Byrd died on March 11, 1957 in Boston Massachusetts. He is resting in Section 2 – Grave 4969 in Arlington National Cemetery.

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Description: Richard Evelyn Byrd was born in Winchester, Virginia on October 25, 1888. He attended the Virginia Military Institute before transferring to the United States Naval Academy where he graduated in 1912. He learned to fly during World War I, and his passion for flying never waned. His passion allowed him to develop many pioneering techniques for navigating airplanes over the open ocean including the use of bubble sextants. On May 9, 1926, with Floyd Bennett as his pilot, Byrd navigated the first plane to fly over the North Pole. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for the achievement. In 1927 Byrd flew across the Atlantic with a crew of three, just one month after Charles Lindbergh made the first solo flight across the Atlantic. Although the 42-hour flight crash-landed on the coast of France, Byrd and his crew were safe. After this, Byrd became interested in exploring Antarctica. From 1928 to 1930, Byrd led his first Antarctic expedition. Its main purpose was to map a large part of the continent. Byrd established a research base called Little America. During this exploration, Byrd and a crew of three made the first flight over the South Pole in 1929. In 1930, at the end of the first expedition, he was made rear admiral of the US Navy. From 1933 to 1935 Byrd returned to Antartica. He then spent five months alone in a hut 120 miles south of Little America to study inland temperatures. He endured temperatures as low as -76 degrees F. Due to a clogged chimney, Byrd became very ill before being rescued by a tractor party. On his third Antarctic mission from 1939 to 1941, Byrd made more flights and discovered the southern limit of the Pacific. In 1946-47, he commanded a project to discover and map large areas of Antarctic territory called Operation High Jump. During this mission, he made his second flight over the South Pole. In 1955, Richard Byrd directed Operation Deep Freeze, the first phase of United States operations in the Antarctic. In 1956 Byrd made his last flight over the pole. Admiral Richard E. Byrd died on March 11, 1957 in Boston Massachusetts. Admiral Byrd is resting in Section 2 – Grave 4969 in Arlington National Cemetery. Date of birth: 10/25/1888 Date of death: 03/11/1957 Area of notoriety: Exploration Marker Type: Headstone Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daily - 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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