Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County) spoke on the floor of the House to honor the heroes of the Jolly 51, including Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso of Huntington and Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs of Riverhead, based out of the 106th Rescue Wing in Westhampton Beach. During the speech, LaLota recommitted to doing everything in his power to ensure the heroes of Jolly 51 are posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
“For far too long, the valiant men of the Jolly 51 have been unjustly denied the recognition they rightfully deserve. Despite prior attempts, the Air Force has yet to award them the Purple Hearts they earned through their ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. It is imperative that we honor and memorialize their bravery,” declared LaLota. “Having had the honor of speaking at a memorial service in Westhampton Beach commemorating the sixth anniversary of the tragic crash, I am reaffirming my dedication to the families of the Jolly 51 crew. I pledge to exert every effort within my capacity to ensure they are posthumously granted the Purple Hearts they earned. Their unwavering commitment to defending the United States against its enemies merits this recognition. Awarding each of these seven courageous men the Purple Heart is the least we can do to honor their sacrifice and preserve their legacy.”
Background:
Jolly 51 was the call sign of a U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter that crashed on March 15th, 2018 in western Iraq near the Syrian border. The crash resulted in the deaths of all seven service members aboard, making it one of the deadliest incidents involving U.S. military aircraft in recent years. The helicopter was reportedly conducting a routine troop transport mission at the time of the crash.
The crew was comprised of Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso of Huntington, Staff Sgt. Dashan Briggs of Riverhead, Capt. Mark Weber, Capt. Andreas O’Keefe, Capt. Christopher Zanetis, Master Sgt. William Posch, and Staff Sgt. Carl Enis.
Raguso, Briggs, O’Keefe, and Zanetis were stationed out of the 106th Rescue Wing at Francis Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, NY.