Bio, Rittichier, Jack C.

RITTICHIER, JACK C.

Remains Identified 11 Aug 03.
Burial Arlington, 06 Oct 2003

Name: Jack C. Rittichier
Branch/Rank: US Coast Guard/O3
Unit: CG 37 ARRS
Date of Birth: 17 August 1933
Home City of Record: BARBERTON OH
Date of Loss: 09 June 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162144 North 1070534 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: HU3E #6714710
Missions:
Refno: 1206

Other Personnel in Incident: Elmer Holden, James Locker, Richard Yeend,
all KIA/BNR

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File. Updated 2020.

Lieutenant Jack Rittichier was one of the first three Coast Guard exchange
pilots to fly combat search and rescue missions with the Air Force's
37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron in the Republic of Vietnam
during the Vietnam conflict. Within three weeks of his arrival in
Vietnam he demonstrated his courage above and beyond the call of duty.
Flying through heavy enemy fire to save four Army fliers, he earned the
Distinguished Flying Cross. A couple of weeks later, under the faint light
of illumination flares, he pulled nine men from the side of a mountain,
five of whom were badly wounded.

On 9 June 1968, 37 miles west of Hue, a downed Marine Corps fighter pilot
lay on the ground with a broken arm and leg. To his further misfortune he
had parachuted into a North Vietnamese Army bivouac area. The enemy used him
for bait to lure rescue helicopters within killing range. Air strikes
pounded the site around the survivor. The first helicopter made three
attempts to reach the Marine before breaking off to refuel. Lieutenant
Rittichier dived his aircraft in for the pickup. Heavy fire, however, drove
him away. He swung around to let the gunships sweep the terrain and then,
followed them back into the area. As he hovered over the pilot, bullets
punched his aircraft and set it afire. He tried to pull away, but his
aircraft would not respond. The helicopter settled to the ground and
exploded. Within 30 seconds a ball of fire consumed the aircraft. Lieutenant
Rittichier lost his life in nobly trying to save that of another. While the
Air Force carries Rittichier on its rolls as "Missing in Action," the Coast
Guard lists him as "Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
nov14.98

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AP) -- The Air Force is hoping flight simulations can
help solve the disappearance 30 years ago of a rescue helicopter in Vietnam.

The project may lead to similar efforts to find other aircraft that vanished
during the Vietnam War, former flight engineer Bob Baldwin said Wednesday as
the nation marked Veterans Day. ....

Interesting background on USCG Lt Rittichier. Source is Vietnam Helicopter
Pilots Assoc and 37th AARS documents.

BACKGROUND: LT Jack C. Rittichier was commissioned as an officer in the US
Air Force in August 1957. He was discharged from the Air Force as a Captain
(O-3) to accept a commission as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the Coast
Guard Reserve on 16 September 1963 and was assigned to Coast Guard Air Base
Elizabeth City, NC. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and integrated
into the Regular Coast Guard on 28 March 1966.

While flying search and rescue missions from Air Station Detroit, LT
Rittichier was awarded the Air Medal for his role as the Copilot of a
helicopter that flew 150 miles from Detroit, in blinding snow and ice
conditions, to rescue eight seaman from the grounded West German motor
vessel NORDMEER just minutes before it broke up. While at Detroit, he
volunteered for exchange duty with the Air Force's 37th Aerospace Rescue and
Recovery Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam.

On 21 April 1968, less than two weeks after arriving in Vietnam, LT
Rittichier was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for rescuing, in the
face of hostile ground fire, four crewmembers of a U.S. Army Helicopter
gunship that had been shot down.

On 12 May 1968, LT Rittichier, serving as the Rescue Commander of an HH-3E,
twice entered an extremely hostile area to rescue four survivors of a downed
helicopter and its five seriously wounded personnel. The survivors were
located in an extremely small landing zone, surrounded by trees on the side
of a steep mountain slope. LT Rittichier made the second approach and
departed by flare light because the sight was obscured by smoke clouds. For
this, he was awarded a second Distinguished Flying Cross.

Less than a month later, on 9 June 1968, 37 miles west of Hue, a marine
Corps fighter pilot (1LT Walter R Schmidt) lay on the ground in a North
Vietnamese army bivouacking area with a broken arm and leg. The enemy used
him as bait to lure the rescue helicopters within killing range. Air strikes
pounded the area around the marine pilot. The first helicopter made three
attempts to reach him but was seriously damaged in the process and had to
break off. LT Rittichier dove his HH-3 with three Air Force crewmen aboard
in for the pickup. Heavy enemy fire forced him off. He swung around to let
the gunships clean the area again and followed them in for another pickup
attempt. As he hovered over the injured pilot, bullets punched the aircraft
and it began to burn. He pulled away, but the helicopter would not rise. It
fell to the ground and exploded. Within thirty seconds a ball of fire
consumed the aircraft.

LT Rittichier's remains were never recovered and he is still officially
listed as "Missing in Action" (MIA). He is the only Coast Guard MIA from the
Vietnam War and was also the first Coast Guard casualty in Vietnam caused by
enemy action. LT Jack Rittichier gave his life for the proudest Coast Guard
mission of all -- Saving Lives.

For his courage and heroism he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and
Purple Heart. He exemplified the highest traditions of the Coast Guard and
also the valor shown by other Coast Guardsmen in Vietnam. The
Administration/ESU building at ISC Portsmouth was named in honor of LT
Rittichier on November 10, 1998.

ISC Portsmouth welcomes all who wish to take a moment to recognize Roger D.
Gibson, Commander, USCG, Executive Officer, ISC Portsmouth, (757) 483-8590

Coast Guard pilot's body recovered from Laos
Molly Kavanaugh; Plain Dealer Reporter

In the months following the June 9, 1968, helicopter crash in the jungles of
Laos, Carol Rittichier held onto hope her husband was still alive.

The two met at Kent State University and within two months became engaged.
After 11 years of marriage, they told people they were still on their
honeymoon......

===========================================
Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, February 14, 2003
MIA bracelet wearer's vigil soon may be over

                      Though worn down, the inscription on the metal
                      bracelet honors Coast Guard Lt. Jack C. Rittichier,
                      missing since a 1968 crash in Laos. The wearer is
                      Frank Dekle, a Vietnam veteran who is undergoing
                      rehabilitation here at the VA Center for Aging after
                      sufferinga stroke.

Nearly 35 years ago, Coast Guard Lt. Jack C. Rittichier's HH-3E "Jolly Green
Giant" helicopter crashed on a rescue mission in the jungles of Laos.......

From: "Stacey" <snj@faraway-soclose.org>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 20:09:22 -0000
Subject: [prisoners-of-war] a hero is soon to be laid to rest

On 06 October, 2003, at 1300 hours, the remains of United States Coast
Guard Lt. Jack Columbus Rittichier will be buried at Arlington
National Cemetery. Jack was the first Coast Guardsman killed in action
in Vietnam, and the only one who remained unaccounted for after the
war's end. The crash site of the Jolly Green 23 was discovered on 09
November 02, and the remains of the four crew members were repatriated
on 14 Feb 03; positive ID was confirmed to Rittichier's brother (Dave)
on 11 August 03.

Maggie and Dave Rittichier are allowing the funeral to be an open one,
and would very much like to see a large crowd present. If you are able
to make it, please attend the funeral. Jack will be buried at Coast
Guard Hill, in an area normally reserved for the top officials; a
Commandant gave up his spot for Jack. Information about and photos of
Jack can be found at the URL below. If you would like to e-mail Dave
and Maggie, contact me at snj@faraway-soclose.org and I will send you
their address.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jack Rittichier took the long way home from the Vietnam
War. Unlike most of his comrades from that war, the Barberton native is
coming home to a hero's welcome. Unfortunately, he's not alive to witness
it. Yet, his family is at peace that the journey is finally over......

June 9, 2006 marks the 38th anniversary of LT Jack C. Rittichier's
helicopter being shot down while flying a rescue mission in Vietnam. LT
Rittichier was a Coast Guard pilot who volunteered for the exchange program
with the US Air Force during the Vietnam war. The helicopter he was
piloting was shot down while trying to rescue an injured Marine Corp fighter
pilot on the ground. LT Rittichier was listed as the only Coast Guard MIA,
with the classification of KIA, from the Vietnam War. In 2002, after
receiving information about his possible crash site, a Joint-Task Force-Full
Accounting team initiated a recovery mission. Remains found at the site
were positively identified as those of LT Rittichier and his crew. On
October 6, 2003, Lt Rittichier was brought "home" on a Coast Guard C-130 and
buried with full honors in the "Coast Guard Hill" section of Arlington
National Cemetery.

AMT2 Thomas C. Durkin
Engineering Admin PO/ Airman Program PO
Air Station Elizabeth City

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

LT JACK COLUMBUS RITTICHIER

Return to Service Member Profiles

Conflict
Service
Status
Date of Accounting

VIETNAM WAR
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
Accounted For
08/15/2003

On August 15, 2003, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Lieutenant Jack Columbus Rittichier, missing from the Vietnam War.

Lieutenant Rittichier entered the U.S. Coast Guard from Ohio and served with the U.S. Air Force's 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron through a pilot exchange program. On June 9, 1968, he was the pilot of an HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (tail number 67-14710, call sign "Jolly Green 23") that took off from Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a search and rescue mission for a downed A-4 pilot in Salavan Province, Laos. At the rescue site, the aircraft was struck by enemy fire and sustained damage; LT Rittichier attempted an emergency landing in a nearby clearing but the aircraft stalled, fell to the ground, and exploded. He was killed in the incident, and an active enemy presence prevented searchers from recovering his remains at the time. Joint search teams eventually recovered a set of remains from the crash site that were identified as those of LT Rittichier.

Lieutenant Rittichier is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.

LT JACK COLUMBUS RITTICHIER

Unit 37 AIR RES & RECOV SQDN
Historical Country of Loss
Laos
Current Country of Loss
LAOS
Home of Record OH