Orange County’s Worst Air Disaster Memorial Dedication
By the authority of the Orange County Board of Supervisors,
the following resolution is hereby issued:
WHEREAS, on June 25, 1965, a C-135 departed Marine Corps Air Station El Toro at
1:35 a.m. and crashed into Loma Ridge eleven minutes after takeoff, killing all 84 American
servicemen aboard the plane bound for Okinawa Island in Japan via Hickham Air Force Base in
Hawaii, with the 72 Marines aboard ultimately bound for Vietnam; and
WHEREAS, June 25, 2015, marks the fiftieth anniversary of that crash, which to this
day, remains the worst air disaster in Orange County history; and
WHEREAS, the twelve-man flight crew from the United States Air Force consisted of
Captain William Cordell, 29, Captain Jacques Senecal, 31, First Lieutenant Gary Rigsbee, 23,
First Lieutenant Robert Shannon, 29, First Lieutenant John Zielke, 27, Master Sergeant William
Meridith, 34, Technical Sergeant Marlin Tatom, 41, Staff Sergeant James Burns, 29, Staff
Sergeant Bobby Calhoun, 28, Airman First Class Charles Reives, 23, Airman Third Class
Elwood Van Note, Jr., 19, and Cadet Gary Zimmerman, 21; and
WHEREAS, five United States Marine Corps sergeants aged 27-33 were aboard: James
Lee, 28, James Moultrie, 29, Jackson Sinyard, 33, Jimmie Swink, 27, and Billy Wilson, 29; and
WHEREAS, twenty-three United States Marine Corps corporals aged 20-29 were aboard:
James Brock, 25, Tucker Burt, 24, Philip Caraccio, 24, Paul Chapin, 20, George College, 21,
Victor Girodengo, 28, Thomas Gladstone, 25, Charles Harmon, 22, William Kittel, 29, Michael
Mando, Jr., 23, James Matruski, 23, Edward Morehead, 27, Anthony Nelson, 23, Rick Pacheco,
21, Michael Palmieri, 28, Edward Ray, 24, Lawrence Rohde, 22, Ronald Smith, 23, Theodore
Stark, 25, Timothy Treweek, 24, Harrison Wallace, 25, Ralph White, 23, and Jim Wilson, 24;
and
WHEREAS, twenty United States Marine Corps lance corporals aged 18-24 were aboard:
William Breon, 20, Emerson Brown, 23, Jimmie Brown, 24, John Brusso, Jr., 22, George
Burrow, 21, Donald Davidson, 19, Douglas Everett, 19, Howard Hall, 19, Gail Haning, 23,
Robert Harvey, 19, Kenneth Haywood, 22, Danny Holder, 18, Richard Leeman, 19, Brian
Martin, 21, James Meade, 29, Enrique Padilla, 21, Alfred Peterson, 21, Quinton Smith, 23,
Charles Stevens, 19, and James Tischer, 20; and
WHEREAS, twenty-two United States Marine Corps privates first class aged 18-24 were
aboard: Dwight Aldridge, 18, Russell Babcock, Jr., 19, Roger Beiter, 19, Rosco Ford, 25, Dickie
Glover, 23, Jerry Griffith, 19, Henry Grimm, 18, Harry Hawk, 20, Jerry Hawkins, 18, Joseph
Kelly, 19, James Kitchens, 19, Robert Lisicki, 24, Henry McKine, 19, Joseph Mogelinski, 19,
Franklin Newman, 21, Robert Rhodes, 19, Ronald Richert, 19, Jerry Ross, 19, Joseph Sheppard,
18, Arthur Slaughter, 23, Lawrence Vanness, 19, and David Walsh, 18; and
WHEREAS, two United States Marine Corps privates were aboard: Robert Shedis, 22,
and Jerry Skidmore, 19; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the people of Orange County take this
opportunity to reflect on the personal bravery and dedication demonstrated by these men who
gave their lives in service to their country;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS does hereby honor those eighty-four American heroes who made the
ultimate sacrifice fifty years ago, commend all members of the United States Armed Forces for
their dedication to their country, and offer their fervent prayers that all American military
personnel return safely to their families; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS does hereby
urge all Orange County residents and all Americans to observe the fiftieth anniversary of the air
disaster of June 25, 1965, with appropriate ceremonies, to participate in the dedication of the
memorial for the lives of the eighty-four airmen and marines aboard that C-135, and to always
remember the sacrifices of the country’s armed forces in defense of the United States and in
defense of freedom throughout the world.
June 23, 2015