Photo By Airman Rebecca Wagner | Jennifer Stelling, the niece of Sgt. Jimmy Black, reads off names of the fallen during...... read more read more
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LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – Nearly 50 years after the final battle of the Vietnam War, the legacy of 23 fallen Airmen lives on through a new memorial unveiled, Oct. 10, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The 56th Fighter Wing dedicated a black granite plaque wall in honor of the Knife 13 crew, consisting of 18 Security Policemen and five aircrew members who lost their lives during the Mayaguez Rescue Operation on May 13, 1975. Their CH-53C Sea Stallion helicopter crashed while en route to a staging area for the rescue of the U.S. merchant ship SS Mayaguez, which had been captured by Khmer Rouge insurgents off the coast of Cambodia. The tragedy marked the largest loss of Security Policemen in Air Force history. The fallen Airmen were assigned to the 56th Special Operations Wing at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, and the 21st Special Operations Squadron. Their call sign was Knife 13. The new Knife 13 memorial wall now stands beside the historic chapel at Luke AFB, serving as a companion to a similar monument at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Its polished surface bears the names, units, and call sign of the fallen, etched permanently into stone to reflect both sacrifice and unity. Its dedication ceremony brought together Gold Star families, Security Forces leadership, members of the Vietnam Security Police Association, and families of the fallen. The event featured an invocation, color guard presentation, and a reading of names; each moment offering solemn reflection and remembrance. For Luke Airmen, the ceremony holds special significance. The 56th Fighter Wing traces its lineage directly to the 56th Special Operations Wing, the unit to which the Knife 13 crew belonged. “This memorial isn’t just about history; it’s about connection,” said Brig. Gen. David Berkland, 56th Fighter Wing commander. “Today we gather in remembrance to honor the 23 Airmen who lost their lives in the Knife 13 helicopter crash 50 years ago. They were on the way to save the crew of the SS Mayaguez when their aircraft went down in the jungles of Thailand. Every man aboard perished, yet their courage and devotion ensured that the mission, and the values they stood for, would endure.” Berkland also recognized the families and veterans who helped make the memorial possible. “Your presence reminds us that the cost of freedom is never abstract,” Berkland said. “It lives on through families like the Blacks, the Fritzes, and the Hankamers, who carry the memory of their loved ones with grace and strength.” The Vietnam Security Police Association led the multi-year effort to design, fund, and install the memorials. Through more than $100,000 in donations, the association ensured the creation of two lasting tributes, one in Texas and one now standing at Luke AFB. Among those in attendance was Sandra Jane Hanker, daughter of Sgt. Gregory Hankamer, one of the fallen. She traveled from out of state to see her father honored nearly five decades after his death. “It has been 50 years,” Hanker said. “To see everybody keeping the memory of these men alive, there’s no word to describe it. It makes you proud as hell. I’m proud of him, my father, of the men. Proud of all of you. The people that put this event together put in a lot of effort to make this happen.” She recalled how her father volunteered for the mission. “They had somebody coming out and driving up and down the street to get people to recall for the mission and people didn’t want to because they weren’t willing to leave their families,” Hanker said. “My dad was one of the ones that went back and recalled back in. He meant to do that. He volunteered. He wasn’t told to do it. He chose to.” Hanker named her son after her father to ensure his legacy would live on. Seeing her father’s name engraved on the memorial, she said, brings comfort and pride to her family and future generations. The Knife 13 memorial now stands as part of Luke’s heritage, honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and inspiring Airmen who serve today. The names on the polished granite may belong to another generation, but their spirit lives on in every Airman who raises their right hand to serve. The legacy of Knife 13 endures, not only in stone, but in the heart of the Air Force.
| Date Taken: | 10.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2025 13:37 |
| Story ID: | 552052 |
| Location: | LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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