The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit held a memorial service June 9 for Lt. Jack C. Rittichier, who died June 9, 1968 during the Vietnam War while attempting to rescue a downed Marine pilot.

Rittichier, a Kent State alum who was a member of the school's 1954 Refrigerator Bowl football team, was honored for making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He was the only Coast Guard aviator to be killed in action during the Vietnam War. Rittichier, declared missing in action until 2003, was co-pilot aboard an HH-3E "Jolly Green Giant" helicopter assigned to the rescue mission when he was shot down in A Shau Valley near the Vietnam border of Laos.

View photos from the memorial service and read more about Rittichier's story on the official Website of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Compass: Official Blog of the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Coast Guard's Ninth District blog.