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Herbert Zumhingst-Family
to remember
Knapic, Bernard Richard, Lt Col.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Youngstown
Last Address Gia Dinh Province, South Vietnam
Casualty Date Oct 11, 1969
Cause Non Hostile- Died Other Causes
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Gia Dinh (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
The crew of "C" Flight, 17th Special Operations Squadron, 14th Special Operations Wing flew out of Tan Son Nhut AB in 1969, flying the AC-119 (#52-5907).
According to the onsite history, "the first AC-119G Aircraft Loss was the crash of 'Shadow 76' at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Five of eight crewmembers killed. A USAF photographer from the 600th Photo Squadron was also onboard and was killed."
It crashed on take off. Details of the crash state that the port engine caught fire and the aircraft went into a sharp descending left turn, hitting the ground and bursting into flame.
Those killed on this aircraft were:
Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Knapic, 17th SOS
Captain John H. Hathaway, 17th SOS
Major Moses L. Alves, 17th SOS
Major Jerome J. Rice, 17th SOS
Staff Sergeant Abraham L. Moore, 17th SOS
SSgt. Ellsworth Smith Bradford, 600th Photo. Squadron
http://airwarvietnam.com/17sos.htm
Eligible for the Presidential Unit Citation as of 1-30 June 1969.
Book sources:
1. Air commando: fifty years of the USAF Air Commando and Special Operations ... By Philip D. Chinnery
2. Shadow and Stinger: Developing the AC-119G/K Gunships in the Vietnam War by William Head (http://www.tamupress.com/product/Shadow-and-Stinger,3189.aspx)
