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10/18/24 |
G. Pat Macha
Speaker
Engagement
list
Author
"Aircraft
Wrecks..." Book
Host
"Wreck
Finding" DVD
Host
"History Channel's
"Broken Wings"
Books By Macha
View Videos
Recent
Crash Site Visitations
Missing Aircraft Appeal
Missing Aircraft in California
"The
Wreck Finder Aircraft Archaeologist" KCET SoCal Connected
Video
"An Aircraft Historian's
Logbook"
Courtesy of KCET SoCal Connected
Project Remembrance =
PR
Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins in her leather flight jacket with Fifinella
emblazoned on it.
(Courtesy Whittall-Scherefee Family)
Ongoing Search for
Gertrude Tompkins Silver
Silver update August 26, 2010
Congressional Gold Medal
In mid-May 2015 a Marina Del Rey Sportfishing boat
captained by John Petrov raised his anchor with an 18’ to 20’ piece of
aircraft wreckage attached. Note the cast metal structure with aluminum
skin attached. Captain Petrov did not attempt to bring the wreckage on
board, but he did GPS his position.
What had they found? Rick Oefinger of Marina Del Rey
Sportfishing contacted
www.aircraftwrecks.com wanting to know if we had any data regarding
their most interesting find. Gary Fabian found the answer in his UB88.ORG
data base. The wreck was most likely from the Douglas DC-8 LN-MOO flown by
SAS that crashed into Santa Monica Bay at 7:22 P.M. on January 13, 1969
with forty-five passengers and crew on board. Fifteen lives were lost, but
twenty-nine survived, seventeen of these with injuries. The empennage and
tail section broke off and sank on impact, but the rest of the DC-8
floated and was salvaged. The cause of the accident was assigned by the
NTSB to pilot error. (Photo courtesy Rick Oefinger)
Aircraft Crash Site Pages
Stories with Returned Artifacts
B-24D 4/9/44
B-24L
1/30/45
B-25D
10/2/44
PR
P-59A
3/1/45
T-37B
11/8/82
TP-39N
9/6/44
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David Trojan’s Project Remembrance
Stories
-
Links
to 25 PDF stories
Idaho & Nevada Crash Sites
by Marc McDonald
A-12 5/24/1963
AD-4N 3/8/2011
B-17F
12/2/1942
B-17F
3/30/43
B-17F 4/25/43
B-17F
5/5/43
B-24E
8/8/43
B-24E
9/24/43
B-24E
3/12/44
B-24E 10/23/43
B-24E
12/19/43
Video for the B-24E
B-24E 12/29/43
B-24D
10/5/1944
B-24D
5/29/43
B-24D
6/11/43
PR
B-24J
10/23/43
Video for the B-24J Idaho New Video
B-24J 1/8/44 New
B-24J
7/31/44
B-24J 1/18/45
B-24J
8/19/44
PR
B-24J
1/13/45 PR
B-24J 2/9/45
B-24H 2/7/44 Part 1
B-24H 2/7/44
Part 2
B-24H 3/8/44
B-24H 2/23/44
B-23
1/9/43
B-26
1/14/42
BT-13A
4/29/47
B-29
6/3/53
B-47E
8/22/62
C-46F
1/6/53
C-123B 10/9/58
C-130E Part One 5/13/95
C-130E Part
Two 5/13/95
PR
Electra 10A
12/18/36
F-4D 8/28/78
F-100C 1/18/57
F-100C 1/3/57
F-111A 1/12/88
F-16CJ 10/25/94
F-16A 3/16/90
F-16B 11/14/91
F-86A 2/24/54
F-86F 9/14/54
F-86H 8/20/55
FJ-3
5/5/56
JB-2
09/44
P-39
2/6/43
PR
P-47D
5/5/44
P-47D
6/22/44
P-47D 7/15/44
P-47D
8/1/44
P-47D
8/28/44
P-47G
9/28/44
PA-22-135
7/2/15
PA-23-250
3/23/63
PA-23
3/12/71
RF-4C 5/17/90
RF-4C 7/6/66
RF-4C 10/2/69
RF-4C 11/12/70
SR-71A 10/25/67
T-33A
4/19/62
T-33A
9/6/62
UC-43 4/5/43
Nebraska Wreck Finding
& Memorials
Thanks to Jerry Penry
These Links
Take You To The Penry Sites
www.NebraskaAircrash.com
/memorialsigns.html
www.NebraskaAirCrash.com
www.nebraskaAirCrash.com
/bombingrange/badlands.html
Recent find in
Oregon
Loggers find WWII-era wreckage
62 year old crash
Picture
Archive
Latest picture posted
9/3/22
Veterans pictures
How to ID a micro-site
ID a micro-site
Info added
5/15/07
Related Story
World War II
Airman Found
Frozen in Glacier
Continuing story
9/28/07
Articles
For a complete list of articles featuring
G.
Pat Macha
Related Links, Organizations
&
Associations
Links
European links
Recommended Readings
Latest posting
Obituaries
Thomas
F. Gossett
E. "Butch" Gates
Patricia "Patty"
Nannes was only twenty-one years old at the time of the crash.
DC-3 Gamblers Special Story
Ensign Glen E. Graber circa 1953 with a North American Aviation SNJ-4 in
the background at Pensacola Naval Air Station. (Photo Courtesy Kim
Graber)
Glen Graber went on to fly the North American Aviation FJ-3 Fury
assigned to VF-142 at NAS Miramar.
On June 8, 1956 Lt. (jg) Glen E. Graber was
tragically killed during a simulated combat training mission when his
FJ-3 Bu No 139223 crashed in the rugged badlands northeast of March Air Force Base.
-
On March 17, 2017 the Project Remembrance
Team visited the crash site of Lt. (jg) Glen E. Graber to honor his
service and sacrifice. The flag of respect was placed among the wreckage
of FJ-3 Bu No 139223, and a minute of silence was observed. (Photo by
Pat J. Macha)
U.S. Navy Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Raymond L. Shovelton poses with
his two sisters just three
days before his tragic death on May 30, 1944. ARM3c Shovelton was a
crewman aboard a Consolidated PB4Y-1 Bu No 31966 when his aircraft was
struck by a Navy FM-2 Bu No 55086. All ten crewmen aboard the PB4Y-1,
and the pilot of the FM-2 were killed in the mid-air collision near
Mount Palomar, CA. (Photo courtesy Paul Cimbron)
On May 30, 1944 a formation flight of PB4Y-1 patrol bombers was attacked by a
flight of Navy
FM-2 fighters engaged in aerial combat tactics training. Lt. (jg) R. E.
Hermson misjudged simulated
firing pass when he collided with the PB4Y-1. This accident highlights the
training losses within the U.S.A. during WWII that killed thousands of our
airmen and women while in the service of our Nation. Wreckage of both the FM-1
and the PB4Y-1 remain to this day in a rugged chaparral environment where
Poison Oak thrives near Birch Hill in San Diego County. ( www.aircraftwrecks.com
collection)
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Honoring our Veterans of the skies who
made the ultimate sacrifice!
"A Veteran is a person who wrote a blank check made payable to the United
States of America, for an amount of up to, and including his or her life".
Anonymous
2nd Lt. Billy J. McNally, USMC was
killed while flying Douglas SBD-5 Bu No 28276 on August 16, 1943. 2nd
Lt. McNally’s SBD-5 collided with another SBD-5 about nine miles
southwest of Dana Point, CA. Both pilots were killed and no bodies were
recovered. Neither SBD had a second crewman on board at the time of the
accident. 2nd Lt. McNally was only 19 at the time of his
death. (Photo courtesy Elaine McNally) |
Ensign Arthur Samuel Kime pilot of Grumman F4F-4 Bu No 5053 that
crashed on 2/13/42 while on a delivery flight to North Island
NAS. The wreckage of his aircraft was not discovered until
3/25/57 in the rugged mountains of Eastern San Diego County.
(Courtesy Francine Woollums) Learn more in the Story Archive
section (3) F4F-4’s 12/13/42 PR |
Ensign Julian Locke D’Este Jr. pilot of Grumman F4F-4 Bu
No 5046 that crashed on 2/13/42 while on a delivery flight to North
Island NAS. The wreckage of his aircraft was discovered on 5/29/52 in
the rugged mountains of Eastern San Diego County. (Courtesy Richard
Mosehauer) Learn more about this story in the video archive section
(3) F4F-4 2/13/42 PR |
- 2nd Lt. Chester L. Harvey was 26 years old at the time of his
tragic death on January 29, 1944. He was survived by a young
daughter. 2nd Lt. Harvey was one of nine pilot rated passengers on
board an army air force Lockheed Ventura, a variant of the B-34
bomber, en route from March Field to Santa Maria AAB in Santa Barbara
County, CA. The accident occurred at night, and in cloudy weather.
The wreckage was finally discovered in the rugged Santa Ynez
Mountains on April 18, 1944. Eleven army air force personnel died in
the crash.
- (Photo courtesy Dale Harvey)
|
Airman 1st Class Patrick W. Hughes was twenty-three years old at the
time of his tragic death on January 31, 1958. A/1C Hughes was flying
in a USAF Douglas TB-26B 41-39310 along with his pilot
1st Lt. Alexander Aros when another TB-26B collided with 41-39310,
cutting the tail off resulting in a power dive into the Old Dad
Mountains. The crash site is in a remote area of the Mojave Desert.
The crew of TB-26B that caused the accident successfully crash landed
at George Air Force Base.
A/1st Hughes was married with one child, and his wife Adeline was
pregnant with another when the accident occurred. Patrick W. Hughes is
well remembered by his loving family. (Photo courtesy of the Sundt/Raven
Families)
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The tail assembly of the ill-fated USAF Douglas TB-26B 44-39310 in the
rugged Old Dad Mountains circa 1990’s. The mistake of another TB-26B
pilot resulted in the loss of two lives on January 31, 1958. (Photo
courtesy Rick Flarety)
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- Major William Koch, Jr. was killed in
the crash of a Lockheed F-80C 45-8315 on 2/17/56 northeast of
Coachella, California. The cause of the accident has not been
determined. Major Koch served with distinction in the U.S.A.A.F.
during WWII, and continued to serve in the U.S.A.F., and the
Iowa Air National Guard until his untimely death. He is well
remembered by his surviving family members.
-
-
- (Photo Courtesy Anne Koch
Gaer)
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- Captain William Koch, Jr. with his
daughter Jeanne shortly before he was promoted to the rank of major.
Jeanne was ten years old at the time of her father's death on
2/17/56.
- (Photo courtesy Jeanne Koch Deadman)
|
On
February 28, 1945 U.S.A.A.F B-24J 42-95591 crashed in the rugged
mountains southeast of Thermal, California. Nine air crewmen died,
and one man who managed to bailout at the last moment sustained
critical injuries. The cause of the accident was listed as severe
air turbulence, followed by loss of control, and structural failure as
the pilots attempted to regain control of the aircraft. This
undated photo shows Corporal Frank B. Kerrigan in the front row on
the right end. The B-24 in the background is an H model. Corporal
Kerrigan was tragically killed on 2/28/45 while on a training
mission in Consolidated B-24J 42-95591. (Photo Courtesy Jim Miller)
- Corporal Frank B. Kerrigan, served as a gunner aboard the
B-24 Liberator bomber and was one of the those who lost
his life while in the service of our Nation. This photo was taken
circa 1944 or January 1945 shortly before his death in February. (Photo Courtesy Jim
Miller)
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- On 2/12/17 members of the Project Remembrance Team escorted
family members of Cpl. Frank B. Kerrigan to the B-24J crash site
in the rugged mountains southeast of Indio, CA.
|
Naval
Aviation Cadet Donald F. Bolinski, shown in this 1944 photo, went on
to proudly serve his country as a USMC combat fighter pilot in the
Pacific Theatre of Operations, flying the Vought F4U Corsair.
Following WWII he transitioned to rotary wing aircraft, serving with
HMR-163, and flying the Sikorsky HRS-1 in combat during the Korean
War. On June 3, 1953 Captain Bolinski was tragically killed returning
from a search and rescue mission off the coast of Orange County,
California. Captain Bolinski was 35 years of age at the time of his
death. He was survived by his wife and four children. (Photo courtesy
Karen Lusk
|
USMC 1st Lt. Wayne Morse was 30 years old at the time of his death on
June 3, 1953. He was the copilot of Sikorsky HRS-1 Bu No 127788 assigned
to HMR-163 that crashed in El Morro Canyon while returning from a search
mission off the coast of Orange County, California. 1st Lt. Morse was
survived by his wife and two children. Also killed in this accident was
the HRS-1 crew chief Corporal Angel Sanchez, age 21.The crew of the
HRS-1 had been responding to a report of an aircraft having crashed into
the Pacific Ocean, but this story proved to be unfounded. (Photo
Courtesy Deborah Staffen)
|
2nd Lt. Samuel P. Hall was twenty-one years old when he volunteered to
be a fighter pilot instructor. He was assigned to the 3035th Pursuit
Training Squadron Victorville Army Air Base flying the Bell P-39
Airacobra. On July 29, 1944 2nd Lt. Hall took off from VAAB at
8:31 a.m. in P-39N 42-18540 to practice air combat tactics. At 9:20
a.m. his aircraft was seen to pull up in a steep turn, stall, and
enter a spin from which 2nd Lt. Hall did not recover. His aircraft
struck the ground and burned about six miles southwest of the airbase.
The army air force accident report cited a possible pilot blackout,
possibly induced by pilot fatigue. 2nd Lt. Hall did not have dinner
the night before the flight, and no breakfast on the morning of the
flight as he had suffered from heat fatigue while playing tennis the
day before the flight.
-
In
late September 2016, Doug Humes contacted the
Project
Remembrance
Team to see if it might be possible to locate the final resting place of
P-39N 42-18540. Mr. Hume hopes to honor the service, and sacrifice of
his uncle, 2nd Lt. Samuel P. Hall by visiting the crash site. The first
of two planned missions are scheduled for late fall 2016, and winter
2017.
-
(Photo courtesy Douglas P. Humes, Esq.)
|
United
States Air Force Captain James B. Fowler was twenty-seven years old when
he was tragically killed in the crash of McDonnell Douglas F-4E 68-0356
on February 9, 1970. Photo courtesy of his sister, Mrs. Linda (Fowler)
Williams.
Project
Remembrance |
1st Lt. Melvin M. King was killed on July 2, 1957 when the F-100D he
was piloting crashed in a remote area of the Mojave Desert. Lt. King
was 23 years old at the time of his death.
(Photo Courtesy Sharon Hockett)
Project
Remembrance |
On the
evening of March 16, 1957 Lockheed F-94C 50-1059 assigned to the 46th
Fighter Interceptor Squadron disappeared without a trace. The
F-94C Starfire was piloted by twenty-seven year old 1st. Lt. Henry
Charles Nicolay, and radar intercept officer 1st Lt. Harold A. Lewis.
The crew of the Starfire was part of a four ship flight en route from
Bunker Hill A.F.B., Indiana to Wurtsmith A.F.B. located in Losco County,
Michigan. As the flight approached their destination 1st. Lt. Nicolay’s
F-94C dropped out formation, and failed to respond to radio messages
from the flight leader. Clouds and darkness are thought to be factors in
the loss of the F-94C and its crew, who are presumed to have crashed
into Lake Huron. 1st Lt. Nicolay was married, with two young sons aged
one and half and six months respectively.
Recently,
Steven R. Nicolay the youngest son of Lieutenant Henry C. Nicolay, has
made an appeal calling for a renewed search effort in the waters
northeast of Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport. Advances in side scan
technologies, and recent updates to USGS data may help in locating the
final resting place of Lockheed F-94C 50-1059 and her crew. Volunteers
interested in pursuing this important search mission, honoring the
service and sacrifice of two air force officers during the Cold War era,
should contact Steven Nicolay via
pat@aircraftwrecks.com. |
Video of the Loma Ridge Site Visitation and Memorial
Dedication 6/25/15 & 6/27/15
Next of kin
gather at Loma Ridge on June 25, 2015, the 50th anniversary of the
C-135A crash that claimed seventy-two Marines, and twelve Air Force
servicemen.
(Photo Courtesy Fred Fourcher)
Project Remembrance
This the
largest Project Remembrance mission yet, thanks to Eagle Scout
candidate Jordan Fourcher. Families traveled from all over the U.S.
to be here today.
Orange County Register article and pictures, June 25th, 2015
Memorial
Dedication June 27, 2015
at Great Park Irvine, CA 1:00 PM Open To The Public
Some of the Servicemen who gave their Lives in the C-135A Airplane Crash
are below
On June 25, 1965 USAF Boeing C-135A 60-373
departed El Toro Marine Air Base at 1:44 AM with eighty-four men on
board. At 1:46 AM the C-135A struck cloud enshrouded Loma Ridge to
become the worst aviation accident in the history of Orange County, CA. |
Click picture for 2 page .PDF info about Memorial
Dedication |
During a survey on behalf of the Irvine Ranch
Conservancy in May-June 2007 I found the dog tags of USMC Lance Corporal
Howard Duane Hall, Jr. The tags were held by the IRC until the fall of
2013 when I was contacted by a representative of the Hall Family. The
Irvine Ranch Conservancy promptly returned the dog tags to the family in
December, 2013. (Photos courtesy Stephen A. Hall) |
Boy Scout
of America Jordan Fourcher became an Eagle Scout on 10/15/15. Jordan, is
congratulated by members of the Court of Honor for his outstanding
project to honor the service and sacrifice of eighty-four Marines and
Air Force servicemen who lost their lives in Orange County on 6/25/65.
Jordan’s project was the impetus that brought together surviving next of
kin, by honoring and including them in activities that spanned three
days, June 25 – 27, 2015. (Photo courtesy the Fourcher Family)
|
Corporal
Theodore E. Stark. (Photo courtesy Elaine Stark) |
Corporal
Timothy M. Treweek. (Photo courtesy Natali Matthew Hansen) |
Airman 3rd
Class Elwood C. Van Note, Jr.. Photo was taken two days before his death
by his sister Rosemary. (Photo courtesy Rosemary Jean Van Note) |
Lance
Corporal Robert E. Harvey. (Photo courtesy Alyce Harvey) |
Lance
Corporal Douglas D. Everett. (Photo courtesy Nicole & Robin West) |
Lance
Corporal Robert E. Harvey. (Photo courtesy Alyce Harvey) |
The grave of
Corporal Anthony E. Nelson. (Photo courtesy D. Martin)
|
Private
First Class Lawrence R. Van Ness, USMC, was a native of Rochester, NY,
and was engaged to be married at the time of his death. (Photo courtesy
of his niece, Marilyn Shaw) |
Proud to be
a United States Marine, Lance Corporal Alfred Eugene Peterson looks sharp
in his uniform. He was married and a father at the time of his tragic
death on June 25, 1965. Lance Corporal Peterson was one of seventy-two
Marines, and twelve Air Force men who died in the crash of a C-135A
Stratolifter on Loma Ridge near El Toro MCAS in Orange County, California.
(Photo courtesy of Lisa Hollingsworth)
|
Marine
Staff Sergeant Jackson M. Sinyard, Jr. was 33 years of age at the time
of his death on June 25, 1965. He was married, and had four sons aged
three weeks to six and a half years. (Photo Courtesy Bryan Sinyard)
|
Air Force
officer, 1st Lt. Robert H.K. Shannon was twenty-nine,and married with
five children at the time of his death on aboard Boeing C-135A 60-373.
(Photo courtesy Barb Shannon) |
Cpl. James V. Matruski (Photo courtesy Diane Horton)
|
Twenty-seven
year old 1st Lt. John A. Zielke was 1st Pilot aboard the C-135A on
6/25/65. (Photo via Marc McDonald) |
Corporal
Jimmie E. Brown was twenty-four at the time of his death. His niece
described him as a “True hero, with a great love of his Country”. (Photo
courtesy Nancie Sellars) |
|
|
Brandon Shippy,
Eagle Scout candidate presents his completed project on 12/13/14 in
Robinson Ranch, an area within the City of Rancho Santa Margarita in
Orange County, CA. Brandon’s memorial project honors the memory of four
marine airmen lost in two accidents. The first loss occurred on May 5,
1944 killing Captain Calvin K. Vermillion, USMCR. The second loss occurred
on February 12, 1987 killing Major William J. Anderson, USMCR, Major
Dudley W. Urban, USMCR, and Sergeant Bradley A. Baird, USMCR. Both crash
sites are near the memorial marker. (Photo by G. P. Macha)
FG-1 Story
PR
Video: Corsair crash site |
Additional Veterans
Pictures
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