User:Mztourist/sandbox

Richard M. Tachibana (June 11, 1934 – July 13, 1961) was a Japanese-American officer in the United States Air Force killed while on active service in West Germany in 1961.

Early life and family
Richard M. Tachibana was born in Escondido, California in 1934 to Chikamori and Mary Tachibana and was the second of four children. On the evening of December 7, 1941, FBI agents arrested Tachibana's father as a "dangerous enemy alien" and he was sent Fort Missoula Internment Camp. Tachibana, his mother and three siblings were later interned in the Poston Parker Internment Camp in Arizona. Following their release from internment in 1945 the Tachibana family moved to San Benito, Texas.

Education
Tachibana attended San Benito High School and subsequently Texas A&M University graduating in 1956.

USAF career
Tachibana joined the USAF in 1957. He completed his advanced training at Nellis Air Force Base and was qualified to fly the F-100D.

Tachibana joined the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron (417th TFS), part of the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Toul-Rosières Air Base in eastern France. In 1959 the 417th TFS was attached to the 86th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany. Other members of his squadron at the time were John T. Chain, Jr. and Stanton R. Musser, both future USAF Generals.

In April 1960 Tachibana was awarded the "select crew" rating for superior performance and gunnery scores flying the F-100D.

Death
The 417th TFS was on temporary duty at Wheelus Air Base in Libya for two weeks of weapons training when Tachibana was called back to Ramstein for a mission in support of Exercise Thunder East. On 13 July 1961, Tachibana was flying as Instructor Pilot with 1 LT Marvin A. Flaks as Pilot of F-100F (serial number 56-3857) that was taking part in a ground strafing practice at the Baumholder Range in Birkenfeld 19 miles northwest of Ramstein AB. The F-100F was fully loaded with fuel and ordinance and took off last in a flight of five aircraft, it failed to follow the designated flight path and then had to execute a 180 degree turn to join up with the rest of the flight during which the plane apparently stalled and crashed. It is unclear who was controlling the aircraft at the time of the crash. An Air Force H-19 rescue helicopter on standby at the range arrived on the crash scene within minutes but both crewmen were dead.

He was buried with full military honours on 24 July 1961 in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. He was posthumously awarded the Air Force Honorable Service Award at a ceremony at Ellington Air Force Base. He was survived by his widow Doris and two sons Timothy and Bruce.

All of Tachibana's USAF service records were destroyed in the 1973 National Archives Fire.