James R. Day, Staff Sergeant
U.S. Air Force Security Forces
On Monday evening, May 3, 1999, an “F-5” tornado left a wide path of destruction many miles long across central Oklahoma. The northwest corner of Tinker Air Force Base, in Oklahoma City sustained heavy damage including the chain link fence being ripped away. S/Sgt Day was patrolling the damaged area of the base the early morning hours of Saturday, May 8th in a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle traveling about 35 mph when he topped a hill and swerved to avoid a large metal trash bin being used in the cleanup. Day’s vehicle clipped the trash bin and overturned on him causing head and chest trauma. S/Sgt. Day died at the scene. Day had just re-married on April 23rd and was survived by his wife, two sons, a stepson and a stepdaughter.
Ronald Dean Russell, Military Policeman
U.S. Army
Ronald Russell was born on December 2, 1954, in Dallas, Texas. In 1978, he was a Specialist Fourth Class in the U.S. Army, assigned as a dog handler with the 546th Miliary Police Company at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. On Monday, July 3, 1978, Specialist Russell accompanied Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troopers Richard Oldaker and Ronald Alexander as an observer in an OHP Cessna 182 traffic spotter aircraft. The aircraft crashed in rural Harmon County, killing all three officers.