JOHN R. ALLARD, 1LT, USAF

John Allard '53

Date of birth: May 5, 1931

Date of death: February 25, 1955

Age: 23

Lucky Bag

From the 1953 Lucky Bag:

JOHN RAYMOND ALLARD

Poplar Bluff, Missouri

A 'Show-Me' boy from Missouri, John attended the University of Missouri for one year before reporting to USNA for duty. John didn't like being confined behind the grey walls and was always glad for an opportunity to get out and see how the other half lived. Swimming tests were quite an ordeal for him. If J.R. laughed at a joke, it had to be a good one. The Academic Departments weren't able to cause him many trying moments . . . kept one jump ahead of the long arm of the Executive Department .... Hopes to spend his post-graduate days soaring through the wild blue. . . .

JOHN RAYMOND ALLARD

Poplar Bluff, Missouri

A 'Show-Me' boy from Missouri, John attended the University of Missouri for one year before reporting to USNA for duty. John didn't like being confined behind the grey walls and was always glad for an opportunity to get out and see how the other half lived. Swimming tests were quite an ordeal for him. If J.R. laughed at a joke, it had to be a good one. The Academic Departments weren't able to cause him many trying moments . . . kept one jump ahead of the long arm of the Executive Department .... Hopes to spend his post-graduate days soaring through the wild blue. . . .

Loss

John was lost when his T-33 jet trainer crashed north of Victoria, Texas, on February 26, 1955. The other pilot aboard was also killed; they were members of the 723rd Fighter-Bomber Squadron.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In May 1947, John was editor-in-chief of the high school newspaper, The Bluffer. In a newspaper contest, it won first place in news stories, and Ray ranked third in the editorials and second in drawings. He was a member of Quill and Scroll and the National Honor Society.
John was a former Daily American Republic carrier and circulation department employee in Poplar Bluff. He entered the Naval Academy on appointment from Congressman Paul C. Jones of the Missouri 10th District. At the time, he was enrolled in the Naval Officers Training School at the State University.
He was stationed at Malden Air Base and served at Greenville, Mississippi, and Nellis AFB in Nevada.
In December 1954, he had completed training as a jet pilot and was taking jet gunnery training near Las Vegas. He was to take special training at Princeton and was to be an instructor at the Air Force’s new United States Air College at Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He married Ann Izorah Martin in July 1953. Their daughter was Karen, who was only four months old at the time of his death. Ann remarried, to Lt. (j. g.) Austin Charles O’Brien, Jr., USN, in March 1957. Ann died in 2003.
John was also survived by his mother Edna, a postmistress. His father John, a railroad carpenter, predeceased him.

He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.