UPI Monday, 2 April 2001 19:53 (ET) Navy releases names of captive crew

By PAMELA HESS

WASHINGTON, April 2 (UPI) -- The Navy Monday released the names of the 24 crew members being detained in China after their EP-3 surveillance airplane collided with a Chinese jet fighter and made an emergency landing on Hainan island.

The members of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One, which includes three women, an Air Force airman and a Marine sergeant, has been held incommunicado since March 31. Chinese officials say the crew is safe and uninjured, and indicated Monday a team of U.S. diplomats would be granted access to the crew sometime Tuesday.

The aircraft flew out of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan on March 31. Chinese fighters flew out to challenge it while it was in international air space, the U.S. Navy said.. One of them bumped the four-engine signal intelligence plane, damaging it and forcing it to make the emergency landing.

The crew includes:

Ensign Richard Bensing of Brandon, Fla.

Aviation Electrician's Mate Third Class Steven Blocher of Charlotte, N.C.

Cryptologic Technician Seaman Bradford Borland

Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class David Cecka, of Leavenworth, Wash

Lt. JG John Comerford of Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

Cryptologic Technician Operator First Class Shawn Coursen of Valdosta, Ga.

Cryptologic Technician Collection Seaman Jeremy Randall of Poplar Grove, Ill.

Cryptologic Technician Interpretive First Class Josef Edmunds of Davis, Calif.

Cryptologic Technician Interpretive Second Class Brandon Funk of Showlow, Ariz.

Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Scott Guidry of Satellite Beach, Fla.

Cryptologic Technician Second Class Jason Hanser of Billings, Mont.

Lt. Patrick Honeck of La Mesa, Calif.

Lt JG Regina Kauffman of Warminster, Penn.

Aviation Machinist's Mate Senior Chief Nicholas Mellos of Ypsilanti, Mich.

Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Ramon Mercado of Moreno Valley, Calif.

Lt. Shane Osborn of Norfolk, Neb.

Cryptologic Technician Collection Second Class Kenneth Richter of Staten Island, NY

Lt. Marcia Sonon of Lenharstville, Penn.

Lt. Jeffery Vignery of Goodland, Kan.

Aviation Machinist Mate Second Class Wendy Westbrook of Rock Creek, Ohio.

Cryptologic Technician Third Class Rodney Young of Katy, Texas.

Sgt. Richard Pray, US Marine Corps, of Geneseo, Ill.

Senior Airman Curtis Towne, U.S. Air Force, of Haywood, Calif.

-- Anonymous, April 02, 2001