Patrick H. Dillard was born on August 15, 1925. He was the son of Roy McTeer Dillard and Annie Pearl Spivey Dillard. He volunteered for service with the U.S. Army Air Corps on September 6, 1943. In January 1945, Dillard was transferred to a base in England, where he began flying combat operations over Germany. He completed twelve missions. He served in the 785th Bomber Squadron, 466th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Aerial Gunner of a B-24J #42-51531 during World War II.

On April 5, 1945, B-24J-5-FO 42-51531, piloted by 2nd Lt. Philip Ross, took part in the 466th Bomb Group's 220th combat mission against transportation targets in the Plauen/Hof area of Germany. Poor weather complicated the operation, and the bombers relied heavily on instrument and radar navigation. During the mission, Ross's Liberator was attacked and lost to enemy fighter action. The aircraft failed to return to RAF Attlebridge, and all nine members of the crew were killed.

Sgt Dillard was declared Missing in Action, and his name was memorialized in the Tablets of the Missing in the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England. He also has a cenotaph in the Midlothian Cemetery, Midlothian, Ellis County, Texas, USA.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, www.b24.net, weremember.abmc.gov