Riverside in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

1954 C-47 Alaskan Crash Memorial

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 5, 2010

1. 1954 C-47 Alaskan Crash Memorial Marker

Inscription.

In Honor Of
the crewmembers and passengers
who lost their lives in a
C-47 crash in the mountains
of Alaska on 5 February 1954

Capt Earl L Betscher
Lt Col Edward L Burge
Capt James M Hill
A/3c Edward J Knapp
A/2c Richard L Knickerbocker
A/3c Donald R McDonough
A/1c Edmund S McMahon
S/Sgt Alvi R Raymer
T/Sgt Jacob Siplivy
Lt Col W Wes Watson

Erected on this site by the surviving
family members and six survivors
of the crash:

A/1c Edward J Fox
A/2c Eli R LaDuke
A/2c Huey T Montgomery
A/2c Edward W Olson
A/3c Rupert C Pratt
A/1c Bobby G Sallis

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Disasters • Patriots & Patriotism • War, Cold. A significant historical date for this entry is February 5, 1954.

Location. 39° 46.763′ N, 84° 6.751′ W. Marker is in Riverside, Ohio, in Montgomery County. Marker (Memorial Wall #1, 061) is in the Memorial Park of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, with museum access off Springfield Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1100 Spaatz Street, Dayton OH 45431, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 47th Fighter Squadron (here, next to this marker); AC-130A Spectre Gunship II

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(here, next to this marker); SSgt Forrest Ray Cope (here, next to this marker); 504th Bomb Group (VH) (here, next to this marker); Frederick W. Kaufmann, Colonel, USAF (here, next to this marker); USAF Pilot Class 1954E (here, next to this marker); Michael Slepecky, Jr. (here, next to this marker); Army Air Corps Flying Cadet Class 41-B (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Riverside.

Regarding 1954 C-47 Alaskan Crash Memorial. The 2006 book Touching the Ancient One: A True Story of Tragedy And Reunion, by Rupert Pratt, tells the story.

Also see . . . Aircraft accident, Friday 5 February 1954. Aviation Safety Network website entry (Submitted on September 5, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Memorial Wall #1 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.

2. Memorial Wall #1

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.

3. Memorial Wall #1

NMUSAF Memorial Park Sign image. Click for more information.

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.

4. NMUSAF Memorial Park Sign

Memorial Park map and marker listing
Click for more information.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 545 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 22, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on March 8, 2016, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 3. submitted on July 2, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on December 28, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.