VANDEGEER RICHARD

Click here for more information about this incident

Name: 2LT Richard Vandegeer
Status: Remains Returned from an incident on 05/15/1975 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Declared dead on 05/17/1975.
Age at death: 27.3
Date of Birth: 01/11/1948
Home City: Columbus, OH
Service: reserve component of the U.S. Air Force.
Unit: 21 SOS
Flight class: 69-3
Service: U.S. Air Force.
The Wall location: 01W-132
Short Summary: Shot down with MAJ Corson in initial assault on Koh Tang eastern LZ during the MAYAGUEZ Incident.
Aircraft: CH-53A tail number 68-10925
Call sign: KNIFE 31
Country: Cambodia
MOS: 1025F = F Pilot, Helicopter, CH/HH-53 Helicopter, CH/HH-53
Primary cause: Cambodia-BNR
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: *
Military grid coordinates of event: TS965400

Additional information about this casualty:
Editor's note: It appears Richard Van de Geer was first in the U.S. Army completing helicopter flight school as a Warrant Officer with class 69-3 on 03/25/1969 and then later transferred to the U.S. Air Force.

Reason: aircraft lost or crashed at sea
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VA
This record was last updated on 01/05/2019

This information is available on CD-ROM.

Additional information is available on KIAs at http://www.coffeltdatabase.org

Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.

KIA statistics

Return to the Helicopter Pilot KIA name list

Return to the KIA panel date index

Date posted on this site: 08/17/2025