Name: 1LT Ronald Benton Rueppel
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 09/27/1971 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 23.5
Date of Birth: 03/30/1948
Home City: Moscow, ID
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: B/7/1 CAV
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 70-50
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 02W-028
Aircraft: AH-1G tail number 67-15478
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: A/C Accident
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: co-pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 09/15/1971
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: non-hostile missing - P I D
Length of service: *
Location: An Giang Province IV Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: WS587550
Additional information about this casualty:
The co-pilot killed in this air craft (in the front ) was my nephew Ist. Lt. Ronald Benton Rueppel, born March 30, 1948 at Moscow, Idaho, age 23 1/2 years. We got what was told to us his body but no one got to see it, the casket was sealed and his father requested his friend that escorted his body home look at Rons body, the funeral chappel did not want to open the casket but the officers in charge of the funeral told them " You will open it " His friend said the body "RON" was bound and he could not see any part of him. He said his uniforn was folded up on the chest area and he layed Rons wedding ring in the uniform, Ron had left his ring with his wife and told her "if anything should happen to me please put my ring on me, (that could not be done but up on his chest was best that could be done. He was so very important to our family and we loved him then, now and forever. aunt Shirley Tenwick Moscow, Idaho
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Religion: Protestant - no denominational preference
Burial information: MOSCOW CEMETERY, MOSCOW, ID
The following information secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 11/16/2006
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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