553rd Reconnaissance Wing - Fatal Personnel Injuries
                  Larry Westin - July 3, 1999
                       Rev - G - 12/22/07

During the period of time the 553rd Reconnaissance Wing existed,
I am aware of 24 fatal injuries to wing personnel.  Fatality
number one was due to a heart attack.  Second fatality occurred
due to a traffic accident.  Eighteen personnel, the entire crew,
were lost with the Batcat 21 crash on April 25, 1969.  Four
fatalities occurred with the Batcat 19 crash on Sept. 6, 1969.

First Batcat fatality was Lt. Col. John Pettersen, who died of a
heart attack on the evening of February 1, 1968.  Lt. Col.
Pettersen was the 554th Reconnaissance Squadron Operations
Officer.

Second Batcat fatality was A1C Douglas Chatlos. Doug was
returning to base from town one night, walking along Friendship
highway.  On March 8, 1968 he was accidently hit by a motorcycle
driven by a soldier from Camp Friendship.  He was a CIM with the
553rd Sq.  My thanks to Cliff Jensen, who knew Doug, for this
information.

The following 18 fatalities occurred with the April 25, 1969
crash of EC-121R U.S. Air Force serial number 67-21493, with the
call sign of Batcat 21.  Data following last name is the panel
(all on 26W) plus the line number on that panel of the Vietnam
Memorial where the name is inscribed.

TSgt.     James H. Belflower, 26W-42
TSgt.     Albert N. Booker, 26W-43
Major     Thomas M. Brandom Jr., 26W-43
A1C       Michael J. Cotterill, 26W-44
SSgt.     Jerald C. Davis, 26W-44
A1C       Ronald C. Deforrest, 26W-44
TSgt.     Warren C. DeLaney, 26W-44
SSgt.     Paul Faulk, 26W-45
TSgt.     Kenneth W. Fowler, 26W-48
Lt Col.   Emerson E. Heller, 26W-46
Capt.     George R. Kidd, 26W-47
Major     Paul R. Lundsford, 26W-45
1Lt.      John A. Marsh, 26W-48
LT Col.   William C. McCormick Jr., 26W-49
Sgt.      Mitchel Messing, 26W-48
SSgt.     James D. Moore, 26W-49
Sgt.      Mark M. Steeley, 26W-50
Sgt.      William D. Stepp, 26W-50

In earlier versions of this article I indicated that 25 members
of the 553rd had lost their life.  Recent information from Henry
W. Martin leads me to believe that the RMT described below was
not in fact killed, but only wounded.  James Geimer, who was the
553rd NCOIC on site at the time of the attack, provided
additional information on 05/25/07 and 05/28/07.  

On June 16 1969, a radio maintenance technician from the 553rd
Avionics Maintenance Squadron, TSgt. John Linaburg, assigned to
temporary duty at Monkey Mountain (Nui BaDen), South Vietnam, was
wounded.  My earlier versions of this article incorrectly
indicated he was killed.  He was the 553rd Wing's first Purple
Heart recipient.  SSgt David Collins, a diesel mechanic from Bien
Hoa, who was on the mountain to service our power source was
killed, as were two (maybe 3) Army enlisted troops who were
manning the bunker line. This was an attack by Viet Cong troops
who attempted to overrun the site as opposed to a rocket attack. 
They cut through the fence and launched a sapper and RPG attack. 
Eventually they were repelled, but it was a long night.  My
thanks to SMSgt. James Geimer, retired, for correcting my errors
and adding additional information.  James Geimer was the 553rd
NCOIC on site at the time of the attack.
     
The following 4 fatalities occurred with the September 6, 1969
crash of EC-121R U.S. Air Force serial number 67-21495, with the
call sign Batcat 19.  Data following last name is the panel (all
on 18W) plus the line number on that panel of the Vietnam
Memorial where the name is inscribed.

Sgt.      Julius C. Houlditch Jr., 18W-47
Sgt.      Arnold Noel Jaco, 18W-47
Major     Joyfull J. Jenkins, 18W-47
SSgt.     Gunther H. Rehling, 18W-50

If I have made any error to the above information please contact
me with corrections at westin@Tdstelme.net

Thank you - Larry Westin