History of the Golden Knights
"In Remembrance"
We respectfully acknowledge the following Golden Knights who were killed or injured while serving their country.
All of our fallen brothers and sisters are remembered in the Roster.
"In Remembrance"
We respectfully acknowledge the following Golden Knights who were killed or injured while serving their country.
All of our fallen brothers and sisters are remembered in the Roster.
| This Feature is a Work in Progress | ||||
| 1968 | During the World Record Attempts, several aircraft mishaps occurred including the crash of a leased Fairchild Heli-Porter Pilatus. | |||
| 1968 | Arnie Arrellano's death was the first Team fatality which occurred during a performance. He died while parachuting with the Golden Knights in Corpus Christi, TX. | ![]() |
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| 1980 | Tom Johnson died while performing at a show in Virginia on June 15, 1980. | ![]() |
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| In Wilmington, NC during a Jet Assisted Take Off (JATO), a C-123 aircraft crashed with a complete team of jumpers on board. One team member died, and many suffered serious injuries. Some of those injured remained hospitalized for months. | ||||
| A Team Member died while parachuting at the winter training area in Yuma, AZ | ||||
| 1973 |
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| 2002 | Butch Timmons died in a mid-air collision with another aircraft while in Yuma, AZ | ![]() |
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| The following Team Members died while serving their country in Vietnam: | |||
Phil VanderWeg |
![]() Bobbie Letbetter |
![]() Leo Kryske |
![]() Alan Gardner |
![]() Ed DeLuca |
James Daniel |
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| To learn more about those lost in Vietnam, including biographies, click here to visit a virtual wall. | |||









