Roll of Honor
Richard Jerry Guadagno
Incident
Location: Pennsylvania Weapon: Aircraft; Passenger jet Offender: 19 suicide attackers
Refuge Manager Richard Guadagno was killed when the commercial airliner he was a passenger on was hijacked while he was returning from vacation.
The plane crashed after passengers, who had heard about the other hijackings, attempted to re-take control of the plane in flight. During the re-taking effort, the plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania. Although it cannot be proven, there is reason to believe that Manager Guadagno was among those who attempted to re-take control of the plane. Manager Guadagno's badge and credentials were found in trees where the cockpit debris had broken off and scattered into, highly suggesting Manager Guadagno was among the passengers who fought back and attempted to retake control of the plane.
Manager Guadagno had been employed with the United States Department of the Interior for 17 years.
September 11, 2001
Refuge Manager Richard Jerry Guadagno was killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was 38 years old.
He is one of 72 officers honored here.
Seventy-two law enforcement officers from eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, alongside 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and more than 2,800 civilians. A fourth aircraft went down in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a law enforcement officer aboard was among the dead.
Officers went into the towers while everyone else was coming out. More than 25,000 people reached safety because they did.
Survivors
He is survived by his parents and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-ACA49FBE- 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
You went in while everyone else was coming out.
Refuge Manager Guadagno gave the United States Department of the Interior 17 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Refuge Manager Guadagno.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Refuge Manager Richard Jerry Guadagno is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In VA, 395 of 654 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At United States Department of the Interior - Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, 5 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard Jerry Guadagno's cause is highlighted.
How Richard Jerry Guadagno Compares
Offender Outcome
19 suicide attackers
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Richard Jerry Guadagno is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Richard Jerry Guadagno was killed by aircraft; passenger jet.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from United States Department of the Interior - Fish and Wildlife Service - Division of Refuge Law Enforcement are honored on badge.nw.
