This is the VIC 4 VETS, Weekly Honored Veteran.

SUBMITTED BY: Christine Morabito

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I am tremendously proud to submit my uncle, Naval Flight Officer, Raymond Vincent DeBlasio Jr.

Lieutenant Junior Grade, to be honored by Vic for Vets.

I was just 8 years old in 1971, when my family was notified of the tragic crash of his A-3 Skywarrior into the Gulf of Tonkin, off the Vietnam coast. The aircraft suffered mechanical failure and exploded on impact. According to one of his peers, the A-3 was nicknamed “the coffin” because of how difficult it was to get out of. Lieutenant Junior Grade DeBlasio, along with the pilot and another crewmember were listed as Reported Dead/Body Not Recovered.

Lieutenant Junior Grade DeBlasio was from West Hempstead, New York. He received military training in the Reserve Officers program at Fordham University and underwent flight training in Pensacola, Florida. He was serving his second tour in Vietnam and was awarded the Vietnam Service Metal, Air Metal and the National Defense Service Metal. He was only 24 when he died.

I remember my family being devastated, but it was never talked about. As a child, my uncle's death was shrouded in mystery. I would often sneak into his former bedroom to marvel at the shrine that was built to honor him. My mother and her younger brother, Joseph, are now Lieutenant Junior Grade DeBlasio's only surviving relatives. A[though the chances of recovering his remains are extremely unlikely, the Department of Defense continues to correspond with my family and offer their support. I'm told the Vietnamese Government is also assisting in the effort to recover the bodies of the 2300 Americans Missing in Action from the Vietnam War. I am comforted by the fact that he never had to endure the hostility others faced when returning from their service in Vietnam. Rest in peace Uncle Raymond.

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This Week’s VIC 4 VETS, Honored Veteran on NewsTalkSTL.
With support from our friends at:
Alamo Military Collectables, H.E.R.O.E.S. Care, Monical’s Pizza

This is the VIC 4 VETS, Weekly Honored Veteran.
SUBMITTED BY: Christine Morabito
_____________________________________________________________
I am tremendously proud to submit my uncle, Naval Flight Officer, Raymond Vincent DeBlasio Jr.
Lieutenant Junior Grade, to be honored by Vic for Vets.
I was just 8 years old in 1971, when my family was notified of the tragic crash of his A-3 Skywarrior into the Gulf of Tonkin, off the Vietnam coast. The aircraft suffered mechanical failure and exploded on impact. According to one of his peers, the A-3 was nicknamed &ldquo;the coffin&rdquo; because of how difficult it was to get out of. Lieutenant Junior Grade DeBlasio, along with the pilot and another crewmember were listed as Reported Dead/Body Not Recovered.
Lieutenant Junior Grade DeBlasio was from West Hempstead, New York. He received military training in the Reserve Officers program at Fordham University and underwent flight training in Pensacola, Florida. He was serving his second tour in Vietnam and was awarded the Vietnam Service Metal, Air Metal and the National Defense Service Metal. He was only 24 when he died.
I remember my family being devastated, but it was never talked about. As a child, my uncle's death was shrouded in mystery. I would often sneak into his former bedroom to marvel at the shrine that was built to honor him. My mother and her younger brother, Joseph, are now Lieutenant Junior Grade DeBlasio's only surviving relatives. A[though the chances of recovering his remains are extremely unlikely, the Department of Defense continues to correspond with my family and offer their support. I'm told the Vietnamese Government is also assisting in the effort to recover the bodies of the 2300 Americans Missing in Action from the Vietnam War. I am comforted by the fact that he never had to endure the hostility others faced when returning from their service in Vietnam. Rest in peace Uncle Raymond.
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This Week&rsquo;s VIC 4 VETS, Honored Veteran on NewsTalkSTL. With support from our friends at: Alamo Military Collectables, H.E.R.O.E.S. Care, Monical&rsquo;s Pizza

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We are NewsTalk STL. A radio station built in St. Louis, for St. Louis. We give you all the latest news, plus some analysis and opinion through a conservative and libertarian lens. Welcome home, St. Louis. Find out more at https://newstalkstl.com/

We are NewsTalk STL. A radio station built in St.…

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We are NewsTalkSTL. A radio station built in St. Louis, for St. Louis. We'll give you all the details about what's happening in this crazy news cycle, plus some analysis and opinion through a conservative and libertarian lens. Welcome home, St. Louis.

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