Szlapa, John Frank III
Navy Aviation structural mechanic 3

John Frank III Szlapa, age 20, from Mount Clemons, Michigan, Macomb county.

Parents: John F. Szlapa Jr.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, December 15, 1970
Death details: On December 15, 1970, a C-2A Greyhound (bureau number 155120) carrying six crew and passengers launched from the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CVA 61) in the South China Sea. About ten seconds after launch, the aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea. Search and rescue units responded immediately but there were no survivors. Searchers were able to retrieve the remains of two of the men aboard the aircraft, but the other four could not be recovered. Szlapa was one of the bodies recovered
Cemetery: Florida National

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, findagrave.com, UPI, Associated Press (1970)