Memorial

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1st Lt Richard V. Riggs graduated from Dallas High School with the class of 1942. He attended Oregon State College for one year and joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve at Portland Airbase, Oregon on 26 October 1942. He was commissioned at Williams Field in March 1944.

Statement of 1st Lt Carl E. Auberger:
"While flying Lt. Riggs wing on a mission on 13 March 1945, we were patrolling the bridge at Remagen. Capt Chickering, who was Retail leader, spied a bandit and peeled off to the left. Lt Riggs saw another one and peeled off to the right. I stayed on his wing, and we chased a FW 190 up a valley east into Germany. Lt Riggs and I had him boxed in and were both firing on him. When I finished firing, I looked over and could not see Lt Riggs. I circled twice and called him on the radio. I then returned to the bridge and met the rest of the squadron. The last I saw of the FW 190, he zoomed up over a row of trees. I do not know if Lt Riggs continued the pursuit or not."

Lt Riggs was initially buried at the crash site, his grave marked with a propeller blade. At the crash site, a wallet was found with his name. A young woman of Gollershoben took care of the grave until American Forces came to the town.