Ragusa, Frank Richard
Name:
Frank Richard Ragusa
Branch/Rank: U.S. Army / SP5
Unit: 18th Eng Bde, 569th Eng Co, 35th Eng Grp
Date of Birth: 03/02/1944
Home City of Record: New
York, NY
Date of Loss:
09 Jun 67
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates:
Status (in 1973): NOT noted on PMSEA
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: C-130B
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Pilot
CAPT Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer,
co-pilot CAPT Jerome F. Starkweather, navigator
CAPT Richard W. Podell,
loadmaster SSGT Ricky L. Herndon, and flight engineers
SSGT Ira E. Scott
and SSGT William E. Tyree. Its passengers (all U.S. Army) were
1LT Richard A. Gray, SP5 Frank R. Ragusa, SP4 Craig R. Schoenbaum,
and SP5
Andrew H. Shimp.
Refno:
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.
BIO ADDED 11/21/18
REMARKS:
| Submitted
by William M. Killian October 2018 On June 9, 1967, a USAF C-130B Hercules (#58-0737) from the 29th Troop Carrier Squadron, crashed approximately 12 miles east of Tan Son Nhut, RVN. The C-130B, with ten persons aboard, was conducting a series of scheduled logistics flights within South Vietnam. The last leg of the trip was from Nha Trang to Saigon. As the aircraft neared Saigon it was vectored around an artillery firing zone. The aircraft broke up in flight, with both wings separating from the fuselage, and crashed. It was assumed that the structural failure resulted from ground fire. There were no survivors. The lost crew included pilot CAPT Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer, co-pilot CAPT Jerome F. Starkweather, navigator CAPT Richard W. Podell, loadmaster SSGT Ricky L. Herndon, and flight engineers SSGT Ira E. Scott and SSGT William E. Tyree. Its passengers (all U.S. Army) were 1LT Richard A. Gray, SP5 Frank R. Ragusa, SP4 Craig R. Schoenbaum, and SP5 Andrew H. Shimp. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org and aviation-safety.net]
|
| Podell was not on the POW/MIA lists. Nor are "The lost crew included pilot CAPT Rafael L. Rivera-Balaguer, co-pilot CAPT Jerome F. Starkweather, navigator CAPT Richard W. Podell, loadmaster SSGT Ricky L. Herndon, and flight engineers SSGT Ira E. Scott and SSGT William E. Tyree." His name is NOT on the Indiana Accounted for nor Unaccounted for Indiana Lists. He IS noted as accounted for if you use DPAA search feature in their web page. The others are not. |
| Field Title | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Last Name | RAGUSA | RAGUSA |
| Given Names | FRANK RICHARD | FRANK RICHARD |
| Social Security or Service Number | 51557030 | 51557030 |
| Date of Birth | 19440302 | 03/02/1944 |
| Service | A | Army |
| Component | Y | Selective Service |
| Rank | SP5 | Specialist Fifth Class |
| Grade and posthumous promotion | E5 | E5 |
| Service Occupation | 83F20 | Undefined Code |
| Actual Date of Casualty | ||
| Actual Date of Death | 19670609 | 06/09/1967 |
| Tour Date | 660802 | 08/02/1966 |
| Posthumous decoration | ||
| Casualty Type | C3 | Non-Hostile, Died While Missing |
| Reason | B | Air Loss, Crash - Land |
| Air no Air | 3 | Fixed Wing - NonCrew |
| Body Recovered | --- | Undefined Code |
| Date Body Recovered | ----- | Invalid Date |
| Country | VS | South Vietnam |
| Province | 99 | Province and Military Region Unknown |
| Casualty Location | ||
| Major command, eg division or brigade | 18th Eng Bde | 18th Eng Bde |
| Company/battery/troop or similar level unit | 569th Eng Co | 569th Eng Co |
| Battalion or similar level unit | ||
| Regiment, ROAD | 35th Eng Grp | 35th Eng Grp |
| Air Wing | ||
| Air Group | ||
| Squadron | ||
| Task Force | ||
| Task Group | ||
| Ship | ||
| Unparsed Unit | ||
| Home of Record City | NEW YORK | NEW YORK |
| Home of Record State Code | NY | New York |
| Notes | ||
| Panel | 21E | 21E |
| Line | 080 | 80 |