Dennis Angelo Ferraro was born on May 25, 1950, in Pennsylvania. He was the son of Anthony Ferraro and Marie A. Ferraro. He was deployed to Vietnam from 1969 to 1970, serving with the 101st Airborne Division, 2nd Brigade, where he flew over 100 combat and rescue missions. After his Vietnam tour, he was reassigned to Germany, where he served as a Specialist 4th Class and Crew Chief with the 15th Aviation Group, 4th Aviation Company, assigned to CH-47A Chinook #66-19023 during the Vietnam War era.

On August 18, 1971, a U.S. Army CH-47A Chinook (tail number 66-19023) transporting troops from Ludwigsburg to the Grafenwöhr training area crashed near Pegnitz, Germany, when a decommissioned rotor blade was mistakenly reinstalled and failed mid-flight. The aircraft broke apart in the air, killing all 37 aboard, including 33 soldiers and 4 crew members, marking the deadliest peacetime U.S. military accident in
West Germany since World War II.

SP4 Ferarro is now buried in the Tod Homestead Cemetery, Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, USA.

Source of information: www.chinook-helicopter.com, www.findagrave.com, stadtarchive-metropolregion-nuernberg.de