On 6 November 1951, while conducting an intelligence gathering mission, later claimed to be a "weather reconnaissance mission under United Nations command", a US Navy P2V-3W Neptune (BuNo 124283 - not 124284 as listed in some sources) of VP-6 was shot down over the Sea of Japan, near Vladivostok, by Soviet La-11 Fangs flown by I. Ya. Lukashyev and M.K. Shchukin. The Soviet pilots reported that they intercepted the aircraft in the area of Cape Ostrovnoy approximately 7-8 miles from the shore. After they fired on the aircraft, it fell, burning, into the water and exploded 18 miles from the shore. The crew of 10, which included Ralph A. Wigert Jr., were reported as missing. His remains were never recovered.
He service and sacrifice is honored in the Courts of the Missing: Court 8,Honolulu Memorial,National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
He was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
He service and sacrifice is honored in the Courts of the Missing: Court 8,Honolulu Memorial,National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
He was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
On 6 November 1951, while conducting an intelligence gathering mission, later claimed to be a "weather reconnaissance mission under United Nations command", a US Navy P2V-3W Neptune (BuNo 124283 - not 124284 as listed in some sources) of VP-6 was shot down over the Sea of Japan, near Vladivostok, by Soviet La-11 Fangs flown by I. Ya. Lukashyev and M.K. Shchukin. The Soviet pilots reported that they intercepted the aircraft in the area of Cape Ostrovnoy approximately 7-8 miles from the shore. After they fired on the aircraft, it fell, burning, into the water and exploded 18 miles from the shore. The crew of 10, which included Ralph A. Wigert Jr., were reported as missing. His remains were never recovered.
He service and sacrifice is honored in the Courts of the Missing: Court 8,Honolulu Memorial,National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
He was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
He service and sacrifice is honored in the Courts of the Missing: Court 8,Honolulu Memorial,National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
He was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
-
1950 United States Federal Census
-
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
-
U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995
-
Iowa, Iowa, U.S., World War II Bonus Case Files, 1947-1954
-
U.S., Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted-for Remains, Group B (Unrecoverable), 1941-1975
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
