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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Catherine Gilliland

?»?Major Richard Bateman grew up in Waco, Texas. He attended the University of Texas and after graduation, he accepted an ROTC commission to the Air Force. He later attended Texas A&M University and completed a graduate degree in Industrial Engineering.

Major Bateman spent 21 years with the United States Air Force that included numerous missions in Vietnam. In 1968 he flew an O-2 which was used for psychological warfare. He returned to Vietnam in 1972 and was the CO of a tanker fueling F-4. He retired with many citations and medals which included Two Distinguished Flying Crosses with Oak Leaf Clusters for Valor. He managed to complete special missions over Vietnam successfully in spite of heavy enemy concentrations, mountainous terrain and adverse weather conditions. His extraordinary achievements, aerial skills and devotion to duty reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. He also received a Meritorious Service Medal, a Bronze Star, and 8 other Air Medals.

Among his many duties in Vietnam, he helped the Air Force research the most probable location where his best friend (Captain Harold Lineberger, a pilot also) may have gone down and determined that to be the Mekong Delta. The Air Force could not get into search the area until 1996 and finally found his friend four miles from where Major Bateman had predicted. His remains were returned to the United States in 2005 and Major Bateman was there in uniform to salute him as they laid him to rest.