Name: LT Jack Columbus Rittichier
Status: Remains were returned on 02/03 from an incident on 06/09/1968 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 34.8
Date of Birth: 08/17/1933
Home City: Barberton, OH
Service: regular component of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Unit: 37 ARRS
Service: U.S. Coast Guard.
The Wall location: 58W-014
Short Summary: While attempting to rescue a downed pilot hit by ground fire, exploded, and burned. No survivors. see yeend & refno 1206.
Aircraft: HH-3E tail number 67-14710
Call sign: Jolly Green 23
Service number: 68068148
Country: South Vietnam
Primary cause: SVN-BNR
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 10
Location: Quang Tri Province I Corps.
Additional information about this casualty:
SPECIAL OBSERVANCE: June 9th is the 31st anniversary of LT Jack C. Rittichier, USCG being shot down while flying a USAF helicopter during a rescue mission in Vietnam. LT Rittichier was declared missing in action...and his remains have never been recovered. LT Rittichier is the only Coast Guard MIA from the Vietnam War. In recognition of this anniversary, ISC Portsmouth will conduct a simple, yet special observance with morning colors (0800) on 9 June 1999. Following the raising of the > National Flag, we will raise the POW/MIA flag while Mr. Robert Williams of our Comptroller Division, and a Vietnam War Veteran, reads a tribute
to LT Rittichier. Those interested in attending should take up a spot on the side walk beside the circular driveway at the ISC Command/Medical building, in front of the flag pole no later than 0755 on 9 June.
BACKGROUND: LT Jack C. Rittichier was commissioned as an officer in the US Air Force in August 1957. He was discharged from the Air Force as a Captain (O-3) to accept a commission as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the Coast Guard Reserve on 16 September 1963 and was assigned to Coast Guard Air Base Elizabeth City, NC. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and integrated into the Regular Coast Guard on 28 March 1966. While flying search and rescue missions from Air Station Detroit, LT Rittichier was awarded the Air Medal for his role as the Copilot of a helicopter that flew 150 miles from Detroit, in blinding snow and ice conditions, to rescue eight seaman from the grounded West German motor vessel NORDMEER just minutes before it broke up. While at Detroit, he volunteered for exchange duty with the Air Force's 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam.
On 21 April 1968, less than two weeks after arriving in Vietnam, LT Rittichier was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for rescuing, in the face of hostile ground fire, four crewmembers of a U.S. Army Helicopter gunship that had been shot down. On 12 May 1968, LT Rittichier, serving as the Rescue Commander of an HH-3E, twice entered an extremely hostile area to rescue four survivors of a downed helicopter and its five seriously wounded personnel. The survivors were located in an extremely small landing zone, surrounded by trees on the side of a steep mountain slope. LT Rittichier made the second approach and departed by flare light because the sight was obscured by smoke clouds. For this, he was awarded a second Distinguished Flying Cross.
Less than a month later, on 9 June 1968, 37 miles west of Hue, a marine Corps fighter pilot lay on the ground in a North Vietnamese army bivouacking area with a broken arm and leg. The enemy used him as bait to lure the rescue helicopters within killing range. Air strikes pounded the area around the marine pilot. The first helicopter made three attempts to reach him but was seriously damaged in the process and had to break off. LT Rittichier dove his HH-3 with three Air Force crewmen aboard in for
the pickup. Heavy enemy fire forced him off. He swung around to let the gunships clean the area again and followed them in for another pickup attempt. As he hovered over the injured pilot, bullets punched the aircraft and it began to burn. He pulled away, but the helicopter would not rise. It fell to the ground and exploded. Within thirty seconds a ball of fire consumed the aircraft. LT Rittichier's remains were never recovered and he is still officially listed as "Missing in Action" (MIA).
He is the only Coast Guard MIA from the Vietnam War and was also the first Coast Guard casualty in Vietnam caused by enemy action.
LT Jack Rittichier gave his life for the proudest Coast Guard mission of all -- Saving Lives. For his courage and heroism he was
posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. He exemplified the highest traditions of the Coast Guard and also the valor shown by other Coast Guardsmen in Vietnam.
The Administration/ESU building at ISC Portsmouth was named in honor of LT Rittichier on November 10, 1998.
ISC Portsmouth welcomes all who wish to take a moment to recognize
Roger D. Gibson,
Commander, USCG,
Executive Officer,
ISC Portsmouth,
(757) 483-8590
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: no religous preference
This record was last updated on 09/30/2003
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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: 09/07/2007
Copyright © 1998 - 2007 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association