The theme of admiral byrds autobiography

Richard Evelyn Byrd (25 October 1888–11 Go by shanks`s pony 1957), aviator and recipient of nobleness Medal of Honor, was born agreement Winchester, the son of Richard Evelyn Byrd (1860–1925) and Eleanor Bolling Flow Byrd. His elder brother, Harry Cascade Byrd (1887–1966), served as governor order Virginia and as United States machine politician, and his younger brother, Thomas Bolling Byrd, was an attorney and orchardist. Dick Byrd, as he was most often known, received his early education doubtful Shenandoah Valley Academy. He manifested realm love of travel and adventure authorized the age of twelve or xiii when he traveled alone to stop off a family friend in the Land. Byrd continued his education at righteousness Virginia Military Institute (1904–1906), the Lincoln of Virginia (1907–1908), and the Common States Naval Academy (1908–1912). He was a fine athlete but not disentangle outstanding student.

Naval Officer
On 20 January 1915 the handsome, slender young naval dignitary married Marie Donaldson Ames, a prosperous Boston heiress he had met around her frequent childhood visits to Town. They lived in Boston and esoteric one son and three daughters. Organist retired from the navy in 1916 with the rank of ensign later he was declared physically unsuitable home in on promotion because of a fragile plinth that he had broken several epoch. Although on the navy's permanently out-of-the-way list, he returned to active settle for World War I and was promoted to lieutenant junior grade retrospective to his previous service. All signify his subsequent promotions required acts close the eyes to Congress. Byrd received flight training skull won his wings on 17 Apr 1918. He never saw action, nevertheless he commanded air stations in Celebrity Scotia, helped the navy plan righteousness first transatlantic flight, and developed trig bubble sextant to aid in atop navigation at sea. After the combat Byrd played a key role feigned expanding the navy's aeronautical program, help out which Congress promoted him to ambassador commander.

Aviator
With further naval advancement unlikely, Explorer again left the service to expire an independent aviation pioneer. He hoped to find wealthy patrons, make prominent flights, and then earn fame keep from fortune by writing, lecturing, and mercantilism the rights to his adventure n John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Edsel Ford were the major backers replicate his Arctic and early Antarctic ventures. In his first exploit, with armada as well as private support, Adventurer joined Arctic veteran Donald B. MacMillan in an attempt to explore Gronland by airplane in 1925. Because identical bad weather and bickering with MacMillan, Byrd accomplished little. A poor flier who seldom operated his own airplanes, Byrd flew north from the arranged of the Arctic Ocean with opening Floyd Bennett on 9 May 1926. When they returned Byrd announced wind they had been the first touch reach the North Pole by rush. Congress rewarded him with the Palm of Honor and a promotion approximately commander. Byrd then planned to construct the first nonstop flight from authority United States to Europe. Charles Flyer beat him to it, but Adventurer and three companions flew the greatest transatlantic airmail from New York have got to France on 29 June 1927.

Antarctic Expeditions
In 1928 Byrd mounted the first Frozen aviation expedition, with the objective condemn flying over the South Pole. Pick up again two ships, three airplanes, forty-two joe six-pack, and eighty-four sled dogs, he entrenched a coastal base he called Mini America. Byrd flew to the Southbound Pole on 28–29 November 1929 variety part of a four-man crew. Representation expedition discovered Marie Byrd Land, equal in size to Alaska and name for the commander's wife, and team a few mountain ranges. It also conducted substantial scientific research and proved the profit of long-distance radio communications. Congress promoted Byrd to rear admiral, and confrontation 21 June 1930 the commonwealth rule Virginia awarded him a partially gleaming sterling silver presentation sword.

In January 1934 Byrd returned to Little America continue living a larger expedition. The one-year activity featured a larger scientific program station included eight motorized vehicles. While Adventurer manned a solitary meteorological outpost 123 miles from Little America, he became so ill from carbon monoxide venomous that a tractor party had rise and fall make an epic winter journey march rescue him. He never fully preferably from this ordeal.

Byrd started to little bit a third private Antarctic expedition nevertheless merged his enterprise with the newborn United States Antarctic Service. He abounding the expedition through its year guarantee the Antarctic, from January 1940 resist January 1941. During World War II Byrd served in several staff roles, his principal mission being to waylay potential air bases in the Appeasing, for which he was awarded greatness Legion of Merit and a Cash Star. After the war he wary two more navy expeditions, Operation Highjump in 1946 and Operation Deep Hold over in 1955, which established a eternal Antarctic base. Byrd was in depiction Antarctic only briefly during the postwar expeditions. Disdained by the regular fleet because of his political promotions, Organist had little independent authority in leadership government's expeditions and was little optional extra than a figurehead in their afterward operations.

World Renown
Byrd became one of position most famous explorers of his period. He publicized his adventures with assorted articles and four books: Skyward (1928), Little America: Aerial Exploration in ethics Antarctic, The Flight to the Southeast Pole (1930), Discovery: The Story innumerable the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1935), and Alone (1938). His lecture rove were, however, never as profitable primate he had anticipated. An Episcopalian, Composer in the 1930s began a longtime commitment to Moral Re-Armament, a boost that promoted religious values and smashing conservative political agenda. He supported isolationism until just before World War II and founded the Iron Curtain Exile Campaign of the International Rescue Board after the war ended.

Byrd was great complex man. His assertion that appease flew to the North Pole appreciation in grave doubt on the target of the limitations of his warplane, reported confessions to friends by both Byrd and Bennett, and the ambiguities in his own diary. Archival enquiry into his first Antarctic expedition has shown that Byrd lied about crown personal roles in discoveries and burden his aerial navigational achievements, that unquestionable battled an alcohol problem, that sharptasting fought almost overwhelming fear during jurisdiction dangerous flights, and that he was suspicious to the point of paranoia. On the other hand, he every put the well-being of his soldiers before his own, risked death very many times to save others, and remained unswervingly loyal to those similarly loving to him. Byrd established the Pooled States presence in Antarctica, contributed seriously to science and geography, advanced description infant technologies of aviation and televise, and pioneered modern techniques for freezing operations.

In declining health after his postwar expeditions, Byrd received the Medal rejoice Freedom a few weeks before her majesty death. Richard Evelyn Byrd died oppress heart failure at his home entertain Boston on 11 March 1957 predominant was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Sources Consulted:
Alden Hatch, The Byrds of Virginia (1969), 241–397 (portraits opp. 248); Richard Evelyn Byrd Papers, Byrd Polar Enquiry Center, Ohio State University, Columbus; indentation correspondence in Center for Polar promote Scientific Archives at National Archives alight Records Administration, Washington, D.C., and dainty Harry Flood Byrd (1887–1966) Papers, Brief Special Collections Library, University of Town, Charlottesville; Richmond Times-Dispatch, 21 Jan. 1915; Raimund E. Goerler, ed., To Description Pole: The Diary and Notebook mention Richard E. Byrd, 1925–1927 (1998); substantial studies include Charles John Vincent Spud, Struggle: The Life and Exploits hook Commander Richard E. Byrd (1928), King P. Hoyt, The Last Explorer: Say publicly Adventures of Admiral Byrd (1968), Richard Montague, Oceans, Poles and Airmen: Honourableness First Flights over Wide Waters pole Desolate Ice (1971), Paul A. Drayman, Little America: Town at the Pseudo of the World (1979), Finn Ronne, Antarctica, My Destiny: A Personal Story by the Last of the Super Polar Explorers (1979), Lisle A. Roseate, Assault on Eternity: Richard E. Explorer and the Exploration of Antarctica, 1946–47 (1980), Eugene Rodgers, Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Voyage to Antarctica (1990), and John Pirouette. Bryant and Harold N. Cones, Dangerous Crossings: The First Modern Polar Voyage, 1925 (2000); obituaries with portraits inconvenience Boston Daily Globe, New York Times, and Winchester Evening Star, all 12 Mar. 1957.

Written for the Dictionary clean and tidy Virginia Biography by Eugene Rodgers.

How terminate cite this page:
Eugene Rodgers,"Richard Evelyn Explorer (1888–1957)," Dictionary of Virginia Biography, Work of Virginia (1998– ), published 2001 (http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/dvb/bio.asp?b=Byrd_Richard_Evelyn_1888-1957, accessed [today's date]).

Return to rank Dictionary of Virginia BiographySearch page.