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He was the navigator on an HU-16 Albatross, call sign "Crown Bravo" aircraft that was performing a rescue mission of a downed pilot in the Gulf of Tonkin off North Vietnam. He was promoted up while listed as missing. He is memorialized in Honolulu; the location of his remains is unknown.
It appears that the HU-16 was on a routine SAR patrol offshore Route Package 1 in North Vietnam and that it went down due to weather conditions. What is uncontested is that seven Air Force aircrewmen were lost.
On 18 July 1973, the Secretary of the Air Force approved Presumptive Findings of Death for all seven men. Their remains have not been repatriated.
Personnel in incident:
Capt Inzar W Rackley, Navigator(promoted to LTC)
TSgt Robert L Hill, Flight Mechanic(promoted to CMSgt)
SSgt John R Shoneck, Flight Mechanic(promoted to SMSgt)
Maj Ralph H Angstadt, Rescue Commander and Pilot(promoted to LTC)
A2C Steven H Adams, Pararescue Jumper(promoted to MSgt)
1Lt John H S Long, Co-pilot(promoted to Capt)
SSgt Lawrence Clark, Radio Operator(promoted to CMSgt)
There is no information on the downed airman the crew went to rescue.
This Veteran has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii with another memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
Aircraft/Missile Information
General characteristics
* Crew: two, pilot and co-pilot * Capacity: up to 30 passengers * Length: 62 ft 10 in (19.16 m) * Wingspan: 80 ft 0 in (24.4 m) * Height: 25 ft 10 in (7.8m) * Wing area: 883 ft² (82 m²) * Empty weight: 20,000 lb () * Max takeoff weight: 33,000 lb (15,000 kg) * Powerplant: o 2 or 4× 15KS1000 rocket, 1,000 lbf () each o 2× Wright R-1820-76 Cyclone 9 radial engine, 1,425 hp (1,063 kW) each * *Fuel Capacity :1,075 gal plus 2-300 US gal drop tanks (4,000 L plus 1,100 L drop tanks)
Performance
* Maximum speed: 205 knots (236 mph, 380 km/h) * Cruise speed: 130 knots (150 mph, 241 km/h) * Range: 2,477 nm (2,850 mi, 4,587 km) * Service ceiling 21,500 ft (6,553 m) * Additional lift utilizing two or four RATO 15KS1000 units with 15 seconds of solid propellant.
