lest we forget

LEFTWICH, RAYMOND FRANCIS

Rank / Branch:

TECHNICAL SERGEANT, U. S. AIR FORCE

Date Of Birth:

1925-09-20

Country Of Loss:

SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

HOSTILE, CRASH

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:

RC-47P

Other:

MARRIED

Unit:

7th AIR FORCE

Date Of Loss:

1967-03-09

Loss Coordinates:

QUANG NGAI

Catagory:

BODY RECOVERED

Awards & Decorations:

SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

LEFTWICH, RAYMOND FRANCIS, TECHNICAL SERGEANT, U. S. AIR FORCE, SAN ANGELO, TOM GREEN COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIR MEDAL, PURPLE HEART, AIR FORCE COMMENDATIONS MEDAL, AIR FORCE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, ARMY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE LOOPS, AIR FORCE LONGEVITY MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE LOOPS, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH STAR, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL-WORLD WAR II, ASIATIC PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, PHILLIPINE LIBERATION MEDAL. WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OCCUPATION MEDAL-GERMANY, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

TSgt Leftwich was born in Treece, Kansas. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 16 in 1942. He served in the Central Pacific Theater as a Navy radio operator. His tours included action in the Solomons, Leyte, Luzon and Ryukyu Islands. He enlisted in the Army Air Corp in December 1946 and served three years. He had duty on B-25's and B-29's. He went into the Air Force Reserve after his active-duty enlistment. After a short break, he enlisted in the active-duty Air Force in 1954. He served in Germany during the Occupation and also served in several stateside bases. He was married to Betty Carolyn of San Angelo, Texas and the father of five children. He served at Goodfellow Air Force Base in 1963 and was trained Air Force Security operations and was a trained in Morse Code and was trained in radio directional finding and jamming operations. He considered San Angelo his home.
He began his tour in Vietnam on October 17, 1966, and was assigned as a senior radioman with Detachment I, 6994th Security Squadron. He was detached and was flying with the 361st Tactical Recon Squadron on March 9, 1967, as a senior radioman and directional finder. The original radioman developed appendicitis and was not able to fly that day and Sgt Leftwich volunteered. The EC-47 was conducting a radio directional finder mission and secondary psyop operations and was designated "Tide 86." The aircraft was lost. The aircraft was subsequently located two days later about seven miles south of Duc Pho. All seven crewman were dead. In the subsequent investigation it was determined that the aircraft was shot down.
TSgt Leftwich was buried with full military honors at the Arlington National Cemetery.
On June 29, 1984, a dormitory on Security Hill at Goodfellow Air Base in San Angelo was named in his honor, another dormitory at Kelly AFB in San Antonio was also named in his honor.