RAYMOND C. RICHMOND
A Marshall County son comes home

RaymondCarl Richmond

1919–1945

Technical Sergeant · U.S. Army Air Forces
Flight Engineer · B-29 Superfortress

A son of West Virginia. An airman. A prisoner of war. A life of service we will never forget.

View the Homecoming schedule
Enhanced historical portrait of Technical Sergeant Raymond Carl Richmond in uniform, reproduced from exhibit panel 1.
Technical Sergeant Raymond Carl Richmond · Enhanced historical photograph from the family’s exhibit panels.
After 81 years — a homecoming to remember.
Service & sacrifice

Remembering the man.
Honoring his service.

Born October 19, 1919, in Cameron, Marshall County, Raymond later lived in Proctor, West Virginia, with his wife, Alberta C. Richmond. He was 25 years old when he died.

Raymond Carl Richmond served as a flight engineer with the 881st Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), in the U.S. Army Air Forces.

He was aboard B-29 44-69666, known as Z Square 11, when it was shot down on April 2, 1945, during a mission to the Musashino Aircraft Factory in the Tokyo area. Captured and imprisoned, he died in the Tokyo Military Prison fire of May 25–26, 1945.

His homecoming brings Marshall County together to remember his life, honor his sacrifice, and welcome him home to West Virginia.

RANKTechnical Sergeant
ROLEFlight Engineer
UNIT881st Bombardment Squadron
500th Bombardment Group
His journey

From service to homecoming.

Aircraft lost

His B-29 left Saipan on the night of April 1 for a mission against the Musashino Aircraft Factory near Tokyo. After midnight, it was hit by enemy fire. Raymond parachuted to the ground and was captured.

Prisoner of war

Raymond and eight other surviving crewmen were taken to Tokyo Military Prison, also known as Shibuya Military Prison. Ray F. Hopper was held separately and survived the war.

MAY 25–26, 1945

A life sacrificed

Fires from the bombing of Tokyo reached the prison during the night of May 25–26. Raymond and eight members of his crew died there. His official casualty date is May 26, 1945.

Finally identified

The exhibit panels record the identification of his remains by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency on July 7, 2026. For decades, his name was honored in Court 7 of the Courts of the Missing in Honolulu.

Raymond Richmond, identified as number 5 in the crew photograph.
Raymond Richmond, flight engineer · No. 5 in the crew photograph. From exhibit panel 3.
Raymond and his wife, Alberta C. Richmond, standing together outdoors.
Raymond and Alberta C. Richmond · Enhanced historical photograph from exhibit panel 2.
Eleven men and a B-29

The men behind the mission.

Raymond served with these men aboard B-29 44-69666, Z Square 11. The numbered photograph and roster below are reproduced from the family’s exhibit panels.

Eleven crew members in two rows, numbered 1 through 11; the matching names and roles follow. Raymond Richmond is number 5.
Numbered crew photograph supplied by the family, from exhibit panel 4. The aircraft in this photograph is not identified as Raymond’s final B-29.
  1. Edward G. LawAircraft commander
  2. Gerould GiddingsPilot
  3. Donald J. Van DeverNavigator
  4. David R. GerhardtBombardier
  5. Raymond C. RichmondFlight engineer
  6. Robert H. NeadRadio
  7. Harry E. McMillenRing gunner
  8. Maurice MyersLeft gunner
  9. Leonard J. McNeillTail gunner
  10. Thaddeus J. PasternakRadar
  11. Ray F. HopperRight gunner
Exhibit sources and photograph credits

This memorial draws on the ten Raymond Carl Richmond exhibit panels updated for November 11–14, 2026. Photographs were extracted directly from the supplied PDFs: portrait (panel 1), Raymond and Alberta (panel 2), flight engineer (panel 3), and numbered crew (panel 4). Existing enhancements, markings, and embedded credits have been preserved; no new portraits were generated.

Crew names and roles follow panels 4 and 5. The mission, captivity, casualty date, identification, and Homecoming details follow panels 6–10. The historical fire occurred during May 25–26, 1945; the official casualty date given in panel 8 is May 26. Earlier source material for Raymond’s portrait was compiled by Linda Cunningham Fluharty.

Marshall County, West Virginia

Welcome Raymond home.

November 11–14
2026

Join the community in remembering Raymond’s life, honoring his service, and welcoming him home to West Virginia.

Homecoming dates: November 11–14, 2026. Events follow the updated Homecoming exhibit panel. Exact times and final arrangements have not been supplied and remain TBD (to be determined). No event details have been supplied for November 12. Updated October 1, 2026.

Arrival & Veterans Day

Planned: arrival at Pittsburgh International Airport, followed by escorted transport by Grisell Funeral Home to Moundsville and participation in the Veterans Day event.

TBD: arrival time, escort arrangements, event location, and participation details.

Details to be announced

No public event details for November 12 were included in the supplied working schedule.

TBD: any activities, locations, and times.

Public visitation

Planned for the evening at Grisell Funeral Home in Moundsville.

TBD: visitation hours and final arrangements.

Funeral & procession

Planned for midday at Grisell Funeral Home, followed by a procession to Salem Church of Christ, 3401 Bowman Ridge, Glen Easton, WV 26039.

TBD: funeral time, procession details, and final arrangements.

Help spread the word

Download and share the flyer.

Share Raymond’s Homecoming with family, friends, and the community. Download the flyer to print or attach to a message.

Homecoming flyer with donation information · September 30, 2026 · PDF, 12.7 MB

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