Lieutenant Raymond L. Knight was a Thunderbolt pilot from Houston, Texas. He served with the 12th Air Force, 350th Fighter Group where he completed 98 combat missions. In April 1945, Lieutenant Knight destroyed 24 German planes during the Allied drive on the Po Valley in Italy. He attempted to fly his badly damaged plane, a P-47, back to base when he was caught in treacherous air conditions. He lost control of the plane and crashed in the Apennines Mountains. The 23-year-old Texan was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously by the War Department. The medal will be presented to his widow, Mrs. Johnnie Lee Knight. He was also awarded a Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and an Air Medal. Lieutenant Knight is shown in his military portrait photograph. He is dressed in a pilot's cap and a leather flying jacket.
This project was funded by Institute of Museum and Library Services/Texas State Library and Archives Commission.