ANGSTADT, RALPH HAROLD

Name: Ralph Harold Angstadt
Rank/Branch: O4/USAF
Unit: 33rd Air Rescue/Recovery Squadron
Date of Birth: 03 September 1932
Home City of Record: Fleetwood PA
Date of Loss: 18 October 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam (Tonkin Gulf)
Loss Coordinates: 175500N 1070900E (YE278821)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: HU16
Refno: 0496

Other Personnel In Incident: Inzar W. Rackley; John H.S. Long; Robert L.Hill;
John R.Shoneck; Lawrence Clark; Steven H. Adams (all missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK. 2020

REMARKS: RADIO CONTACT LOST

SYNOPSIS: At 11:01 a.m. on October 18, 1966, a HU16 Albatross (serial
#51-7145) departed Da Nang Airbase, Republic of Vietnam, to rescue a downed
pilot in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam.

The crew of the aircraft consisted of Maj. Ralph H. Angstadt, rescue
commander and pilot; 1Lt. John H.S. Long, co-pilot; SSgt. John R. Shoneck
and TSgt. Robert L. Hill, flight mechanics; SSgt. Lawrence Clark, radio
operator; and Capt. Inzar W. Rackley, Jr., navigator. Also onboard the
aircraft was A2C Steven H. Adams, a parajumper/frogman and a member of an
elite pararescue team ("PJs").

The aircraft headed to the pilot's location, which was approximately 80
miles off the China coast in the northern sector of the Gulf of Tonkin. Two
A1E Skyhawks escorting the rescue aircraft remained on station until the
mission was completed, then the Skyhawks returned to the base. The last
contact with the HU16 was at 5:45 p.m., and at that time, there was no
indication of any trouble. The Albatross was returning to base, and last
contact was in the vicinity of coordinates YE278821, approximately 35 miles
off the coast of North Vietnam.

All contact was lost with the amphibious aircraft in marginal weather
conditions, and although an extensive search for the aircraft was conducted,
there were no sightings of the crew or the aircraft. Even though the HU16
was believed lost over water, the men on board were not declared killed, but
Missing In Action. The possibility exists that they were captured by one of
the numerous enemy vessels that were present offshore from North Vietnam.

Curiously, the DIA enemy knowledge categories assigned to the men onboard
the Albatross are not the same. Five of them were assigned Category 4 which
indicates "unknown knowledge" and includes individuals whose time and place
of loss incident are unknown. Angstadt was assigned Category 3 which
indicates "doubtful knowledge" and includes personnel whose loss incident is
such that it is doubtful that the enemy would have knowledge. Clark was
assigned Category 2 which indicates "suspect knowledge" and includes
personnel who were lost in areas or under conditions that they may
reasonably be expected to be known by the enemy. No reason for the different
categories can be determined.

About one year after the incident, Adams' family received a call from an
International Red Cross representative who had just come from a "closed
door" meeting during which Steven Adams was discussed. She stated that Steve
was "alive, well and presumed to be in a hospital in Southeast Asia," and
that "upon exiting the aircraft, his left side had been severely injured." A
family friend and member of the intelligence community located the Red Cross
worker and confirmed the information.

Shortly after the call, two Air Force casualty officers cautioned the family
strongly "not to listen to outsiders" and that only "government sources"
could be trusted.

In August 1987, a Department of Defense official was contacted by a U.S.
citizen who said he was relaying information from a man in London. According
to the American, 17 U.S. prisoners of war could be released through the
office of a Western European embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. The POWs would be
released C.O.D. upon the delivery of seven U.S. passports and a million
dollars. If the money were placed at the Embassy, an unidentified Vietnamese
general would take the 17 Americans to the Philippines for release, and
provide information on how to secure the release of over 1,400 other
Americans upon payment of another million dollars. Steve Adams was mentioned
as one of the 17 POWs.

U.S. government officials refused to place the money at the Embassy. They
said they had investigated the offer and that it was "a clumsy, amateur
attempt to extort money and arms from the U.S. Government."

Although the U.S. Government called the offer a "scam," they refused to give
the Adams family the names of those involved, citing "national security" as
the reason.

Steve's brother, Bruce, was outraged. A non-government offered POW reward
fund had been established for just such a offer and the government was aware
of it, yet did not inform Bruce of the COD offer for several months. By that
time, it was too late to do anything about it from the private sector.

"This was a pay on delivery offer, not extortion," said Adams. "It would
have cost the Government nothing to comply. If the general did not appear
with 17 American POWs the money would still be intact, in neutral hands. But
to deny me the opportunity to enact the privately offered reward is
inexcusable."

Bruce Adams says the evidence is clear that there ARE Americans still held
captive in Southeast Asia. "I really don't know if Steve is one of them, but
SOMEONE'S brother is. We as a nation owe those men our best efforts to
secure their release and return. I could not face myself if I did not do
everything in my power to help bring them home."

The crew of the UH16 received promotions during the period they were
maintained Missing in Action:  Angstadt and Rackley were promoted to the
rank of Lieutenant Colonel; Long to the rank of Captain; Clark and Hill to
the rank of Chief Master Sergeant; Shoneck to the rank of Senior Master
Sergeant; and Adams to the rank of Master Sergeant.

There is no available information on the downed crewman the Albatross was
sent to rescue.

 

 
  

Some people with family in the military receive the heartbreaking news that their loved one has died while serving our country, said Elizabeth Zimmerman, a representative of the Gold Star Mothers, Berks County Chapter.

"For those of us whose loved one was killed, our waiting is over," she said. "To answer the door and hear your loved one is missing in action is unacceptable."

 

The unacceptable happened to the family of Air Force Lt. Col. Ralph H. Angstadt, an Oley native....
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KZz5EAG

LT COL RALPH HAROLD ANGSTADT

Return to Service Member Profiles


On October 18, 1966, an HU-16B Albatross (tail number 51-7145, call sign "Crown Bravo"?) carrying seven crew members took off from Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a search and rescue mission. Upon completing its mission, the Albatross radioed that it was returning to Da Nang from its position in the Gulf of Tonkin. This was the last contact made with the Albatross, and it failed to return to Da Nang. Search teams investigated the aircraft's flight path, but found no sign of it or its crew. All seven of the Albatross?s crew members remain unaccounted for.

Major (Maj) Ralph Harold Angstadt, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Pennsylvania, was a member of the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. He was the aircraft commander aboard the Albatross when it went missing, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Subsequent to the incident, and while carried in the status of missing in action (MIA), the U.S. Air Force promoted Maj Angstadt to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col). Today, Lt Col Angstadt is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.

Service member profile discrepancy? Please help us ensure the accuracy of each profile by submitting documentation about a service member profile.