Sherry Lee Tilton
Sherry was one of the four people killed when a jet crashed into the Cactus Shopping Center and residential area in the South Alvernon Way/29th Street area on December 18, 1967. She was inside the family home at 815 S. Winstel Avenue at the time of the crash. The home was destroyed. Her parents were James E. and Mary M. Tilton.
From the Tucson Daily Citizen, Tuesday, December 19, 1967:
"Four Dead, None Reported Missing" Authorities continued to claw through the debris today, but they viewed it as a miracle that only four persons were known to have died in yesterday's fiery crash of an Air Force jet into a supermarket and residential area. Five persons were injured, and six firemen required treatment for inhalation of smoke. Before confusion subsided, estimates from responsible sources had ranged up to 50 fatalities. Officials said they believe their tally of four is complete. There are no active reports of missing persons that might be related to the tragic fire, they stated. Both crew members of the plane ejected safely before the crash.
Horror was stamped on the face of Tucson at approximately 5:45 p.m. An F4D fighter-bomber from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on a routine mission with other planes, had just taken off from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base with a full load of 17,000 pounds of jet fuel. Traveling in a northwesterly direction, the plane first hit the Food Giant supermarket at S. Alvernon Way and E. 29th Street, impacting in the top rear of the building. The fuselage dropped between the rear of the store and the back of several houses on South Winstel Boulevard, spewing flaming parts and blazing fuel onto homes.
Pretty 19-year-old Sherry Tilton was found dead in the charred remains of her home at 1815 S. Winstel. Three bodies later were found in the supermarket. Two of them were identified as Mrs. James 0. Palmer, 55, of 3541 Monthan Stravenue, a customer, and Mrs. Glenn Bush, 34, of 511 E. Bromley Street, a meat packer at Food Giant. Tentative identification of the third supermarket victim was made about noon today, unveiling itself in one of the most touching instances of pathos from the entire tragedy.
Ray Siemund, of the Empirita Ranch near Benson, told authorities that the unidentified victim was surely his elderly wife, Crystal. She was in the Food Giant when the jet crashed and did not come out, he said. He was waiting outside for her when the shattering impact and blazing light came. He told others Crystal was inside and he tried to go inside for her. But he was restrained and was told it was "hopeless." After a long vigil at the scene, he returned to Benson during the night. Police here said no one fitting the woman's description has been identified. But they did not deny that there's an excellent chance that the last known victim of the holocaust is Roy Siemund's Crystal.
Occupants of the plane were Flight Lt. Jack R. Hamilton of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the pilot, and U.S. Air Force Capt. Gary L. Hughes, navigator. Hamilton's commander theorized today that the pilot was attempting to steer his stricken plane to Randolph Golf Course. Hughes' parachute set him down just inside the D-M base boundaries and Hamilton was reported to have landed in a residential area. They were taken immediately to the base hospital and reported in satisfactory condition. There was no indication either had been injured seriously. The pair was not permitted to talk to the press. All the injured were treated at St. Joseph's Hospital and Tucson Medical Center. Surprisingly, none of the injuries appeared major and most of the injured were released after treatment.
The Tilton home was destroyed. The home of Sgt. Paul Porto of 1808 Winstel was heavily damaged. Other houses received lesser damage. A board of inquiry called to attempt to determine the cause of the crash toured the scene at midday. Such investigations often take weeks or longer and frequently end indecisively. The injured included: Mrs. Eula May Fleming, 62, of E. Ellington Place; Mrs. Reynoldo Chavez, 40, of Calle Colado; and three residents of apartments at 4100 E. 29th St., Gordon Berheim, 31, Mrs. Vera Lee, 33 and Mrs. Olympia Bruno, 36. Several firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.
Ronald Curry
Sherry lived close to Cactus Bowl. South of it on Alvernon, there was a big grocery store. Sherry lived just west of that, across an arroyo. Just south of the grocery store and even closer to Alvernon, there was a laundromat. Those facts would be disconnected except for the tragedy that occurred in the fall of 1967. My father was doing laundry at the laundromat, and my younger sister Carol was under the hair dryer at the laundromat, when they heard a tremendous BOOM!
My Dad, retired Air Force, took one look out the window, grabbed my sister, left the laundry, and got both of them into the car to leave the parking lot. On the way, Carol saw pieces of a jet sticking out of the store, and flames seemed to fill the store, while people were running out, either covered in flame or close to the flame. Luckily, Carol's and my Dad's only injuries were psychological from viewing the carnage. Since my Dad was a WWII vet, he had seen worse and quickly got over it.
Unluckily, Sherry was at home. There were 3 deaths on the ground in the store -- and Sherry. See Citizen clipping.
We didn't know each other well, but Sherry is connected to me by the opposite sides of the coin of luck for her and my Dad and sister. Love to you, Badger Sherry.