Honored Dead – Military missions in the Klamath Basin

   Listed here are men who died while conducting military maneuvers in the Klamath Basin or nearby areas. The list includes airmen based in Klamath Falls, as well as those based elsewhere whose missions brought them to Klamath. Very little is known about several of the incidents listed here.

Ainsworth, A.W.
Aug. 3, 1945, near Dorris, Calif.

Allen, Donald
Aug. 3, 1945, near Dorris, Calif.

Bagwell, James
June 3, 1944, Montague, Calif.

Baker, Richard A.
July 9, 1944
Ensign Richard A. Baker died in the crash landing of a Navy bomber on the Klamath Marsh about 50 miles north of Klamath Falls. The plane developed engine trouble and came down in the marsh. Four others on the plane were injured in the crash, but survived.

Casterot. Joseph P.
July 3, 1944, Drews Reservoir, Lake County, Oregon
   Casterot was one of three Navy airmen killed July 3, 1944, when their bomber crashed at Drews Reservoir west of Lakeview, Ore. The bomber was operating out of the Naval Air Station in Klamath Falls.

 Cerkvenik, Wallace
Feb. 27, 1944, Klamath Falls
   Navy pilot Cerkvenik died Feb. 27, 1944, when his airplane collided with another plane in mid-air over the Naval Air Station in Klamath Falls. It was the first fatal flying accident at the Naval Air Station, which had been commissioned only two weeks earlier.

 Gahre, Louis
Feb. 27, 1944, Klamath Falls
   Navy pilot Gahre died Feb. 27, 1944, when his airplane collided with another plane in mid-air over the Naval Air Station in Klamath Falls. It was the first fatal flying accident at the Naval Air Station, which had been commissioned only two weeks earlier.

Grohs, Edward J.
Nov. 24, 1944, Clear Lake, Modoc County, Calif.
   Grohs was one of four Navy airmen killed Nov. 24, 1944, in the collision of two light bombers conducting exercises east of Clear Lake. The bombers were operating out of the Klamath Falls Naval Air Station.

Hartwick, Richard L.
Nov. 24, 1944, Clear Lake, Modoc County, Calif.
   Hartwick was one of four Navy airmen killed Nov. 24, 1944, in the collision of two light bombers conducting exercises east of Clear Lake. The bombers were operating out of the Klamath Falls Naval Air Station.

Herget, David Otto
Dec. 4, 1944, Clear Lake, Modoc County, Calif.
   Herget was one of two airmen killed Dec. 4, 1944, while on a training mission near Clear Lake.

 Johnson, Lewis
May 14, 1944, Hart Mountain Gunnery Range

 Kahnke, Lawrence
June 18, 1945, Goose Lake

 Kauffman, Benjamin L.
Nov. 24, 1944, Clear Lake, Modoc County, Calif.
   Kauffman was one of four Navy airmen killed Nov. 24, 1944, in the collision of two light bombers conducting exercises east of Clear Lake. The bombers were operating out of the Klamath Falls Naval Air Station. 

Kern, Robert
June 18, 1945, Goose Lake

Klemgard, James
June 13, 1944, Montague, Calif.

Loughary, Frank
March 30, 1956, Miller Hill, Klamath County
   Loughary died in the crash of a C-45 cargo plane on Miller Hill, about seven miles south of Klamath Falls, on March 30, 1956. He was among a five-person crew flying from McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento to McNary Field in Salem. The crew was attempting to land the plane at the Klamath Falls Airport for refueling. Three members of the crew were killed, while two survived.

Mason, Maris
March 19, 1961, Klamath Falls
   Mason was a crewman on an Air Force T-33 training jet when he was forced to eject from the plane. His parachute failed to open. The incident occurred March 19, 1961, with the plane coming down in the Stewart Lenox neighborhood of Klamath Falls. The jet was flying a mission from Larson Air Force Base in Moses Lake, Wash.

 Matsinger, Ray
March 30, 1956, Miller Hill, Klamath County
   Matsinger died in the crash of a C-45 cargo plane on Miller Hill, about seven miles south of Klamath Falls, on March 30, 1956. He was among a five-person crew flying from McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento to McNary Field in Salem. The crew was attempting to land the plane at the Klamath Falls Airport for refueling. Three members of the crew were killed, while two survived.  

Morgan, Richard L.
Nov. 26, 1968, Klamath Falls
   Morgan died Nov. 26, 1968, in the crash of an Air Force F101 Voodoo fighter shortly after taking off from Kingsley Field. 

Peoples, Clarence
April 27, 1960, Pacific Ocean
   Peoples died while on a training mission in an F101 over the Pacific Ocean 60 miles west of Crescent City. The jet's pressurized canopy blew off at 30,000 feet, and Peoples ejected. His body was never found. The pilot safely landed the F-101. In April 1961 a building at Kingsley Field was named in honor of Peoples. The building remains in service as the avionics center. 

Pinz, Robert J.
Dec. 4, 1944, Clear Lake, Modoc County, Calif.
   Pinz was one of two airmen killed Dec. 4, 1944, while on a training mission near Clear Lake.

Pitts, William
May 18, 1964, Klamath Falls
   Pitts was pilot of an Air Force F101 Voodoo jet fighter that crashed May 18, 1964 at Kingsley Field. The plan was operating out of Hamilton Field, Calif., and was stopping at Kingsley Field to take on fuel.

Simmons, Mabry
March 30, 1956, Miller Hill, Klamath County
   Simmons died in the crash of a C-45 cargo plane on Miller Hill, about seven miles south of Klamath Falls, on March 30, 1956. Simmons was among a five-person crew flying from McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento to McNary Field in Salem. The crew was attempting to land the plane at the Klamath Falls Airport for refueling. Three members of the crew were killed, while two survived. 

Skidmore, Ralph W.
Nov. 24, 1944, Clear Lake, Modoc County, Calif.
   Skidmore was one of four Navy airmen killed Nov. 24, 1944, in the collision of two light bombers conducting exercises east of Clear Lake. The bombers were operating out of the Klamath Falls Naval Air Station.

Smith, Harold H.
June 17, 1963, Klamath County
   Smith was conducting an aircraft check flight in an F101B fighter jet based at Klamath Falls on June 17, 1963, when the plane developed mechanical problems at an altitude of 30,000 feet. Smith attempted to reach a lower altitude, but additional problems developed. Smith and another crewman ejected from the plane. According to an incident report, Smith's parachute did not deploy properly. The plane crashed about 22 miles north of Kingsley Field. Smith's body was found about three-fourths of a mile from the crash site.

Swendson, Leonard
June 30, 1945, Klamath Falls Naval Air Station
   Lt. Leonard Swenson died in a fighter plane accident at the Klamath Falls Naval Air Station on June 30, 1945.

Taylor, Stephen L.C.
Nov. 29, 1993, Devil’s Garden Ranger District, Modoc County, Calif.
   Taylor died Nov. 29, 1993, when his F-16 crashed east of Clear Lake on Nov. 29, 1993.

 Tetrault, Louis
Aug. 14, 1945, Goose Lake

Tolsma, John D.
Nov. 26, 1968, Klamath Falls
   Tolsma died Nov. 26, 1968, in the crash of an Air Force F101 Voodoo fighter shortly after taking off from Kingsley Field.

 Warnick, Stephen
July 3, 1944, Drews Reservoir, Lake County, Oregon
   Warnick was one of three Navy airmen killed July 3, 1944, when their bomber crashed at Drews Reservoir west of Lakeview, Ore. The bomber was operating out of the Naval Air Station in Klamath Falls. 

Vecchio, Frank
May 18, 1964, Klamath Falls
   Vecchio was pilot of an Air Force F101 Voodoo jet fighter that crashed May 18, 1964 at Kingsley Field. The plan was operating out of Hamilton Field, Calif., and was stopping at Kingsley Field to take on fuel. 

Weinberg, Max Louis
July 3, 1944, Drews Reservoir, Lake County, Oregon
   Weinberg was one of three Navy airmen killed July 3, 1944, when their bomber crashed at Drews Reservoir west of Lakeview, Ore. The bomber was operating out of the Naval Air Station in Klamath Falls.  

Worley, Clyde
June 3, 1944, Montague, Calif.