Batcat
The United States Air Force
553rd Reconnaissance Wing
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base
In Remembrance of those Batcats
for whom the Angels have Called
May you All Rest in Peace and
know you are in our Thoughts and Prayers
This area contains the names of our
Batcat friends and colleagues who have passed away. Remembrance Area added 07/01/09,
Last updated 06/26/10.
The primary objective of this page is to let others know when a Batcat has
died. The losses at Korat are listed in other places on the Batcat homepage,
but so as to not forget, those who died while at Korat are shown here too.
Recent deaths are shown here as I become aware of their passing. If you have
additional names, corrections, or other information please contact Larry Westin
via email at:
westin@tdstelme.net-Remembrance Area Update.
Those who died while at Korat
Check here for a
List of the 25 Batcats who lost their life while at Korat. Three Batcats died from
non operational incidents. The 22 Batcats who were killed on operational missions have
their names engraved on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, Washington, D.C. Here is
a view of the Vietnam Memorial Wall section for the
18 Killed on the
April 25, 1969 loss, Vietnam Memorial Wall section 26W, and in a separate area of the
Vietnam Memorial Wall for the
4 Killed on the September 6, 1969 loss, Vietnam Memorial Wall section 18W.
The 22 Batcats killed on operational missions are recognized at the National
Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, on the
553rd Reconnaissance
Wing Plaque in the Museum Memorial Park.
Updated 10/18/09.
Those who have died since
returning from Korat
These are Batcats I am aware of who have passed away after returning from Korat.
Date of death is shown when known. Please use the email contact at the top of
this page to correct information or add names to this area.
Dick Baker,
554th RS, passed away May 8, 2004
Jim Barcus,
553rd OMS, passed away January 26, 2005
James Bartholomew,
554th RS, passed away Feburary 2004
James W. Bourdeau,
554th RS, passed away Feburary 2009
David Brown Sr.,
553rd RS, passed away August 21, 2009
Charles Leroy Buechele,
554th RS, passed away March 8, 2010
Blaine Chapman,
passed away June 4, 2008
Bill Cody,
passed away April 2002
Dick Cole,
554th RS, passed away unknown date
Larry Cummings,
553rd RW Detachment 1, passed away 200?
Richard Custer,
553rd RW, passed away April 3, 2003
Robert R. Dailey,
553rd RS, passed away August 10, 1978
James L. Edwards,
554th RS, passed away January 8, 2008
Donald E. Ewing,
553rd RW, passed away January 6, 1995
Robert E. Fiebig,
554th RS, passed away May 2009
Leonard A. "Lenny" Gladue,
554th RS, passed away 1995
Billy J. Hall,
553rd RS, passed away about 2000
John Harsane,
553rd FMS, passed away unknown date
Andrus "Andy" Hebert,
553rd RS, passed away July 5, 2009
Arch Heckler,
554th RS, passed away April 27, 2009
Dennis "Denny" Hill,
554th RS, passed away about 1976
Jack January,
553rd RW, passed away about 2006
William Ernest Johns Sr.,
553rd EMS, passed away November 21, 2009
Don Keefe,
553rd RS, passed away 2008
John Larrabee,
554th RS, passed away about 1990
Licious T. Lunsford,
554th RS, passed away unknown date
Dean Maples,
553rd FMS, passed away July 26, 2007
John Mark,
553rd RS, passed away September 12, 2008
Thomas D. Moffatt,
554th RS, passed away August 21, 1973
Benjamin "Biff" Morgan,
554th RS, passed away July 6, 2000
Ted Ostendorf,
553rd RW, passed away July 26, 2002
Ed Pacheco,
553rd FMS, passed away August 9, 2008
Ralph V. Parks,
554th RS, passed away May 19, 2004
Donald L. Payton,
553rd RW, passed away February 12, 2010
Ed Penny,
553rd RS, passed away April 26, 2005
Condrado "Conrad" Rico,
553rd RS, passed away September 2007
Michael "Mike" Riggs,
553rd RS, passed away May 20, 2005
Darrel Rook,
553rd RS, passed away November 9, 2008
Harry "Skip" H. Rumble III,
553rd EMS, passed away May 30, 2010
Alton "Sandy" Sandifer,
553rd EMS, passed away unknown date
Jerry J. "JJ" Smith,
554th RS, passed away June 23, 2009
Randy Spencer,
553rd RS, passed away November 19, 2008
Henry "Harry" Timmermans,
553rd RW, passed away March 13, 1989
Francis "Frank" Tomanio,
554th RS, passed away unknown date
Vinny Trovato,
553rd FMS, passed away December 23, 2008
Thomas Vansickle,
553rd OMS, passed away 2002
Ray "Willy" Wilcox,
554th RS, passed away October 23, 2009
Chet Worthen,
553rd RW, passed away November 2007
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