David Ralph Jones
Agency patch
Senior Airman

David Ralph Jones

Accident Veteran
End of Watch June 11, 1982
Age 21
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 11 mo
The Vigil Panel 125 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Senior Airman David Jones, Staff Sergeant Richard Bohling, Senior Airman Marion Pace, Sergeant Thomas Meredith, and their two pilots were all killed when their UH-1F Iroquois helicopter crashed near Passaic, Missouri.

All four Security Policeman were providing security for a routine Air Force convoy transporting weapons system from AFB Whiteman to a launch silo near Passaic, Mo. An Air Force investigation revealed the helicopter's main rotor blade dipped out of position and struck the tail of the aircraft, which then broke apart.

Senior Airman Jones served with the United States Air Force Security Forces for less than three years. He was assigned to the 352nd Missile Security Squadron.

Senior Airman David Jones, Staff Sergeant Richard Bohling, Senior Airman Marion Pace, Sergeant Thomas Meredith, and their two pilots were all killed when their UH-1F Iroquois helicopter crashed near Passaic, Missouri.

My dear Dave,

You live on in my heart every day. I love you, I miss you and one day I know I will see you again. And then my heart will be complete.

Heidi

Heidi Love companion October 23rd, 2024

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-B59A3088
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
April 2, 2026
Last updated
July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Senior Airman Jones gave the United States Air Force Security Forces 2 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Location JBSA-Lackland, TX
Platform Identity usafsffed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 11, 1982
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 11 mo
Age 21
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

David Ralph Jones served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Senior Airman David Ralph Jones is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At United States Air Force Security Forces, 28 of 41 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 68.3% of this agency's fallen.

United States Air Force Security Forces
28
of 41 officers
68.3% Accident
TX — Statewide
653
of 2,421 officers
27% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David Ralph Jones's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How David Ralph Jones Compares

Age at End of Watch
21
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
2.9
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. David Ralph Jones is highlighted in Jun.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location