Air Rescue Personnel Killed in the Line of Duty

Dedicated to those who gave their lives so

"That Others May Live"

1947 thru Present
 

 

              Do not stand at my grave and weep; I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the autumn's rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night.  Do not stand at my grave and cry.    I am not there.    I did not die.               
                                           - Author Unknown
                                                                                           
The following is a list of men assigned to the USAF Air Rescue units who were killed in the line of duty. If there name is colored blue, it is linked to additional information that can be read by clicking on that blue hyperlink.

This list is probably  incomplete, but is the best information I have been able to acquire. If you have additions or corrections, please email me with the Name, Rank, Service, Unit, Position, Call Sign, Date and Location of loss at rlapointe@gci.net

This list does not include those who were killed in combat. Those lists can be found at:

                  Vietnam War              Global War on Terrorism                                                         

 

Crew Position Abbreviations: PL - Pilot, CP - CoPilot, FE - Flight Engineer, FF - Firefighter, FM - Flight Mechanic, PJ - Pararescueman,  NA - Navigator, RO - Radio Operator       O - Other

 

Names Rank Unit Crew Pos Aircraft Date Location

   Circumstances
Anderson, Scott A. SSgt   PJ C-130 02/28/84 Spain JA/AAT training jump mission. Aircraft crashed into terrain while in flight.
Burns, Robert     PJ   00/00/49 Alaska Parachute accident
Carleton, Larry W A1C   PJ HC-54 06/29/64 Bermuda Mid air C54/C-97
Carlyle, Steven L. SSgt   PJ   00/00/88 California Helicopter crash
Coleman, Daniel N. TSgt   PJ   00/00/58 Alaska Helicopter crash
Crockford, Mark L. SRA   PJ HC-130 06/10/81 North Sea off United Kingdom Parachute accident during SAR
Elliott, Robert T Sgt   PJ   00/00/60 Alaska SAR accident
Ferreira, James A. A1C   PJ HH-3 04/07/84 Florida HH-3 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 50 miles off shore of Cape Canaveral
Gilbert, John R. SSgt   PJ   01/20/85 Pacific Ocean off Hawaii HH-53 based at Hickham AFB HI crashed during a SAR. Also killed in the crash was Sgt Robert Jermyn
Horton, John E.     PJ   06/24/02   ATV accident
Hursh, Scott B. SSgt 102 ARRS PJ HH-3 06/13/78 New York 102nd ARRS ANG HH-3 crash during bad weather into a mountain in New York
Jermyn, Robert A. Sgt   PJ   01/20/85 Pacific Ocean off Hawaii HH-53 based at Hickham AFB HI crashed during a SAR. Also killed in the crash was SSgt John Gilbert
Jones, Jeffrey Y. SSgt 41 ARRS PJ HC-130 04/01/83 Pacific Ocean Jump mission Pacific Ocean. May have hit head on SCUBA tanks during jump. Body never recovered.
Jones, Wayne R. TSgt       09/27/98 Nevada Parachute accident
Judy, Mark R SSgt   PJ HH-3 04/07/84 Florida HH-3 crashed in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 50 miles off shore of Cape Canaveral
Kimbrel, Robert W. SSgt 1550 TSCTS PJ HC-130 04/02/86 New Mexico HC-130 crashed near Kirtland AFB when a wing came off during a low level mission
Koecher, Robert P. SSgt 38 ARRS PJ HH-3 10/22/73 Korea HH-3 crash
Kutscher, Jason C. SRA 38 ARRS PJ HH-3 10/06/94 Korea HH-60 crash
Lambert, David D. SSgt 102 ARRS PJ HH-3 06/13/78 New York 102nd ARRS ANG HH-3 crash during bad weather into a mountain in New York
Magee, Martin D. SSgt   PJ HH-53 07/17/77   HH-53 in flight loss of control during night training flight in Nevada. Hit by tail rotor during bailout.
McGee, John R. TSgt 1550 TSCTS PJ HC-130 04/02/86 New Mexico HC-130 crashed near Kirtland AFB when a wing came off during a low level mission
Mckenna, Kevin P. SSgt   PJ   09/07/93   Heart attack while doing PT. Was on deployment to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Storm.
Perron, Michael D. SSgt 1550 TSCTS PJ HC-130 04/02/86 New Mexico HC-130 crashed near Kirtland AFB when a wing came off during a low level mission
Purchiaroni, Leo M. Sgt 1550 TSCTS O HC-130 04/02/86 New Mexico HC-130 crashed near Kirtland AFB when a wing came off during a low level mission. Leo was a survival instructor assigned to the PJ school.
Reindl, Paul J. SSgt   PJ   02/05/69 Pacific Ocean off Taiwan HC-130 crash
Rowe, Thomas SSgt   PJ   00/00/60 Florida SCUBA accident
Setaro, Richard M. SRA 38 ARRS PJ HH-3 10/06/94 Korea HH-3 crash near Osan AB Korea
Smith, Arden R TSgt 102 ARRS PJ HH-60 11/20/91 Atlantic Ocean “Perfect Storm SAR.” 106th RQS HH-60 ditched into Atlantic Ocean. Body never recovered
Snowden, William K     PJ   00/00/69 Panama SAR jump
Snyder, Allen G. SSgt 102 ARRS PJ HH-3 06/13/78 New York 102nd ARRS ANG HH-3 crash during bad weather into a mountain in New York
Stewart, Jesse D SRA   PJ HH-60 09/03/98 Nevada HH-60 crash
Whipple, John     PJ   00/00/51 Philippines SAR heat stroke
Wotasik, Justin C. A1C   PJ HH-60 09/03/98 Nevada HH-60 crash
Zimmerman, Lawrence R Sgt   PJ   07/12/77 California Parachute accident during training jump.

Contact the webmaster rlapointe@gci.net if you have information you would like posted on this page.


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Jolly Green Memorial Page
The Jolly Green Association also has memorial pages to those who were killed while in the Air Rescue Service. Click the blue hyperlink to be redirected to that web site.


 


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