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[[stamped]] FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE [[/stamped]]

While Billard flew primarily for pleasure he did fly some exhibition dates in 1913 and was at Kansas City, Missouri on April 26th, where he flew over the city for 35 minutes. On June 25th he flew over Topeka and made two flights there again on July 11th, and at Highland Park, Kansas on November 24th. 

In 1914 Longren built a second plane for Billard and he continued flying. He remained active in the family business and had joined the Rotary Club and Elks Club. He was also a musician and played in Marshall's Band.

This continued through 1915 and by early 1916 he was in partnership with Longren operating the Longren-Billard Motor Car Company. At that time Billard was very concerned about the lack of military interest in aviation and on July 27th received authority from Adjutant General Charles I. Martin to organize an Aero Company of 36 privates and 6 officers to be trained by Billard. He was made Captain and the Aero Club of America awarded him a Certificate of Merit for organizing this unit. In August Captain Billard was arranging to start his National Guard flying school and Longren was building a special plane for that purpose. This was the first aircraft unit of the National Guard in the State of Kansas and the State Legislature appropriated $3,000 to assist the cause. On October 16th Captain Billard flew from Russell to Topeka, and on Thanksgiving Day from Topeka to Kansas City, Missouri, 198 miles in 2 hours 18 minutes, carrying C.G. Elliot of the Aero Company National Guard.

Captain Billard joined the Aviation Section, Signal Corps, U.S. Army, and was sent to the Government flying school at North Island, San Diego, California. After a brief refresher course there he was sent to Garden City, Long Island, New York, where, on January 8th, 1918, he left for France on the troop transport CARMANIA. In France he was first assigned as an instructor but later, when the first American built planes began to arrive, he was transferred to make check-out flights of these planes after assembly. While in this service, he was killed on July 14th, 1918, near Issoudun France, at age 27. He was flying a new liberty engine powered plane and was carrying a mechanic. His desire was to have flown at the front, but instead had been given these assignments. He was survived by

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