Fernando L. Ribas-Dominicci
Encyclopedia
Major
Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci (June 24, 1952 – April 15, 1986), was an F-111F pilot in the United States Air Force
. He was killed in action during Operation El Dorado Canyon
, the April 15, 1986 U.S. air raid
on Libya
.
where he earned his Bachelor's degree
in civil engineering
. As a student in the university, he was a member of the campus' ROTC
program and upon graduation was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
, in New Mexico
, where he received advanced training as an General Dynamics F-111
combat pilot. By 1983, Ribas-Dominicci was a Captain and the recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal. In 1985, he completed his master's degree
in aeronautical science
at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
in Daytona Beach, Florida
, USA
.
On April 14, 1986, in response to acts of terrorism then believed, and now known, to have been sponsored by Libya
n leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
— in particular, the Berlin discotheque bombing
of April 6 — and against the backdrop of heightened tension and clashes between the Libyan and U.S. navies over Libya's disputed territorial water claims in the Gulf of Sidra
, the United States launched a surprise attack on key facilities in Tripoli
and other parts of Libya. The attack was code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon
.
With the agreement of the UK
government, 24 USAF F-111F fighter-bombers took off from U.S. airbases in England. Attacking in the pre-dawn hours of April 15, their main objectives were 22 airfields, terrorist training camps, and other military installations. Al-Qaddafi was also personally targeted; he escaped harm, but one of his daughters was killed.
Maj. Ribas-Dominicci was one of the pilots who participated in the Libyan air raid as member of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing. His F-111F was shot down in action over the disputed Gulf of Sidra off the Libyan coast. Ribas-Dominicci and his weapons systems officer, Capt. Paul Lorence, were the only U.S. casualties of Operation El Dorado Canyon.
. The body recovered and thought to be that of Lorence was actually that of Capt. Fernando L. Ribas-Domminici, which was identified by dental records and returned in 1989.
The Libyan government has denied that it holds Lorence's remains and the U.S government does not believe that they are hiding anything. Major Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci's remains are buried in his hometown of Utuado.
. Ribas-Dominicci was awarded the Purple Heart
and posthumously promoted to the rank of major
, effective April 15, 1986.
To honor his memory, the Government of Puerto Rico
renamed the Isla Grande Airport in San Juan
to Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport. The City of Utuado honored its fallen hero by naming a main avenue as Fernando Ribas-Dominicci Avenue. A monument in his honor, simulating an F-111, has been placed at the entrance of Utuado. Ribas-Dominicci's name is engraved in "El Monumento de la Recordación" (Monument of Remembrance), dedicated to Puerto Rico's fallen soldiers and situated in front of the Capitol Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico
.
Badges
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci (June 24, 1952 – April 15, 1986), was an F-111F pilot in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. He was killed in action during Operation El Dorado Canyon
Operation El Dorado Canyon
The 1986 United States bombing of Libya, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, comprised the joint United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps air-strikes against Libya on April 15, 1986. The attack was carried out in response to the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing.-Origins:Shortly after his...
, the April 15, 1986 U.S. air raid
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
on Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
Early years
Ribas-Dominicci was born in the town of Utuado, located in the mountains of Puerto Rico where he received his primary and secondary education. As a child, he had always dreamed of becoming a pilot and after he graduated from high school, he entered the University of Puerto Rico at MayaguezUniversity of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
The University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez in Spanish , is a land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant state university located in the city of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico...
where he earned his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. As a student in the university, he was a member of the campus' ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
program and upon graduation was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
Military career
Ribas-Dominicci was assigned to Cannon Air Force BaseCannon Air Force Base
Cannon Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately southwest of Clovis, New Mexico. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Force Special Operations Command ....
, in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where he received advanced training as an General Dynamics F-111
General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
combat pilot. By 1983, Ribas-Dominicci was a Captain and the recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal. In 1985, he completed his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in aeronautical science
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach is a residential campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The university offers bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical science , aerospace engineering and other aerospace fields.-History:Embry-Riddle began in 1925 as the...
in Daytona Beach, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Operation El Dorado Canyon
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n leader Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
— in particular, the Berlin discotheque bombing
1986 Berlin discotheque bombing
The 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing was a terrorist attack on the La Belle discothèque in West Berlin, Germany, an entertainment venue that was commonly frequented by United States soldiers...
of April 6 — and against the backdrop of heightened tension and clashes between the Libyan and U.S. navies over Libya's disputed territorial water claims in the Gulf of Sidra
Gulf of Sidra
Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte or the Great Sirte or Greater Syrtis .- Geography :The Gulf of Sidra has been a major centre for tuna fishing in the Mediterranean for centuries...
, the United States launched a surprise attack on key facilities in Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
and other parts of Libya. The attack was code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon
Operation El Dorado Canyon
The 1986 United States bombing of Libya, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, comprised the joint United States Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps air-strikes against Libya on April 15, 1986. The attack was carried out in response to the 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing.-Origins:Shortly after his...
.
With the agreement of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government, 24 USAF F-111F fighter-bombers took off from U.S. airbases in England. Attacking in the pre-dawn hours of April 15, their main objectives were 22 airfields, terrorist training camps, and other military installations. Al-Qaddafi was also personally targeted; he escaped harm, but one of his daughters was killed.
Maj. Ribas-Dominicci was one of the pilots who participated in the Libyan air raid as member of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing. His F-111F was shot down in action over the disputed Gulf of Sidra off the Libyan coast. Ribas-Dominicci and his weapons systems officer, Capt. Paul Lorence, were the only U.S. casualties of Operation El Dorado Canyon.
Aftermath
On December 25, 1988, after years of denying that they had the bodies of the two crew members, Gaddafi offered to release the body of Lorence to his family through Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. The body recovered and thought to be that of Lorence was actually that of Capt. Fernando L. Ribas-Domminici, which was identified by dental records and returned in 1989.
The Libyan government has denied that it holds Lorence's remains and the U.S government does not believe that they are hiding anything. Major Fernando Luis Ribas-Dominicci's remains are buried in his hometown of Utuado.
Honors and legacy
Both men's names are engraved in the F-111 "Vark" Memorial Park located in Clovis, New MexicoClovis, New Mexico
Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 32,667 at the 2000 census; according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates, the population had risen to 37,775....
. Ribas-Dominicci was awarded the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
and posthumously promoted to the rank of major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
, effective April 15, 1986.
To honor his memory, the Government of Puerto Rico
Government of Puerto Rico
The Government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution...
renamed the Isla Grande Airport in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
to Fernando Ribas Dominicci Airport. The City of Utuado honored its fallen hero by naming a main avenue as Fernando Ribas-Dominicci Avenue. A monument in his honor, simulating an F-111, has been placed at the entrance of Utuado. Ribas-Dominicci's name is engraved in "El Monumento de la Recordación" (Monument of Remembrance), dedicated to Puerto Rico's fallen soldiers and situated in front of the Capitol Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
.
Awards and decorations
Among Major Ribas-Dominicci's military decorations were the following:
Purple HeartPurple HeartThe Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
Air Force Commendation Medal
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
National Defense Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
Badges
Aviator WingsUnited States Aviator BadgeA United States Aviator Badge refers to three types of aviation badges issued by the United States military, those being for Army, Air Force, and Naval aviation....
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Corsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto RicoCorsican immigration to Puerto Rico came about as a result of various economic and political changes in the mid-19th century Europe; among those factors were the social-economic changes which came about in Europe as a result of the Second Industrial Revolution, political discontent and widespread...
- List of Puerto Rican military personnel
- Hispanics in the United States Air ForceHispanics in the United States Air ForceHispanics in the United States Air Force can trace their tradition of service back to the United States Army Air Forces , the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, which was the predecessor of the United States Air Force which was formed as...
- University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez people
External links
- Captain Paul Lorence: An American Patriot Left Behind, In 2001, Lorence's lifelong friend, reference librarian Theodore D. Karantsalis, enlisted the aid of Congressman Wally Herger's office to urge Libya to return Lorence's remains on behalf of his family and friends. The Paul Lorence web blog (posted above) was started in 2005 to get the word out around the 20th anniversary of the raid.