In our article about what the 1972 Orange Time Capsule contained, we questioned one item that didn’t seem to fit. A print out about a soldier who died in “1974” — how did it get into a time capsule that was buried two years earlier?
Well, ask and you will get your answer…
It happens that while going through the items Bicentennial committee member Kevin Margenau, who is in charge of this year’s capsule, and his wife, were so touched by a very long, multi page letter written by Lt. John P. Esposito, USN, a resident with whom they were not familiar, that they did some digging to find some information about him.
What they uncovered was that Lt. Esposito, 27, lost his life on June 25, 1974, when his A-7E Corsair II (BuNo 158023) crashed while validating a new computerized weapons delivery system at the Naval Weapons Center in China Lake, Cal.
Lt. Esposito was a veteran of two combat tours in Vietnam. Among his decorations were the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John C Esposito, who, at the time live on Smith Farm Rd.
The Margenau’s added the print out to the time capsule archives to accompany his original handwritten letter.
Thank you for your due diligence and careful attention to the matter.