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    97th IS hosts remembrance ceremony honoring crewmembers of 60528

    97th IS, Prop Wash Gang host remembrance ceremony honoring crewmembers of 60528

    Photo By Leticia Cunningham | Senior Airman Zachary, Offutt Air Force Base Honor Guard member, lays a wreath and...... read more read more

    UNITED STATES

    08.30.2018

    Story by Leticia Cunningham 

    55th Wing Public Affairs

    The number 60528 was the tail number of a C-130 modified to fly reconnaissance missions. On Sept. 2, 1958, the aircraft inadvertently entered restricted airspace over the Turkish and Armenian border where it was intercepted and shot down by Soviet MiG-17 aircraft. It crashed near the village of Sasnashen, 34 miles northwest of Yerevan, the Armenian capital.
    “It’s important that we don’t let history bury these heroic deeds that were done by these people,” said Master Sgt. Ken, 97th IS superintendent of operations support. “The Air Force has to take a pause and remember the sacrifice these aircrew members paid.”
    During the ceremony, members of the Prop Wash Gang, which consists of current and retired intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operators and their family members, joined by fellow wingmen as a wreath was placed on a small piece of the wreckage from the C-130. There was also a moment of silence and the playing of “Taps” in recognition of the 17 crewmembers who lost their lives Sept. 2, 1958, while performing their mission.
    “There’s not a mission we don’t take into account that was done before us,” Ken said. “These are the giants, and we stand on their shoulders. In this career, you serve in silence - you don’t talk about your job. It’s important when we lose people to have these intimate gathering; we take a pause and we remember there were lots of sacrifices during the Cold War that were not necessarily spoken of.”
    Because the incident occurred during the Cold War era where ISR related missions were rarely discussed.
    Once the Cold War ended, a U.S. team located and identified the rest of the crew member’s remains and buried them with full honors at Arlington Nation Cemetery.
    More than 40 reconnaissance aircraft were shot down during the Cold War era. Many of the crews still remain missing in action. However, agencies such as the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continue efforts to identify and return as many as possible.
    The six aircrew members and eleven security service reconnaissance crew members of 60528 are listed below:
    Capt Edward J. Jeruss
    Capt. Paul E. Duncan
    Capt Rudy J. Swiestra
    1Lt John E. Simpson
    1Lt Ricardo M. Villarreal
    MSgt George P. Petrochilos
    TSgt Arthur L. Mello
    SSgt Laroy Price
    A1C Robert J. Oshinskie
    A2C Archie T. Bourg Jr.
    A2C Clement O. Mankins
    A2C Gerald D. Maggiacomo
    A2C Gerald H. Medeiros
    A2C Harold T. Kamps
    A2C James E. Ferguson, Jr.
    A2C Joel H. Fields
    A2C Robert H. Moore

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 08.30.2018
    Date Posted: 09.07.2018 16:33
    Story ID: 291846
    Location: US

    Web Views: 47
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN