FDNY Member Killed in Iraq Helicopter Crash Mourned at Funeral

Friends and family planned to gather Saturday to say a final goodbye to Lt. Christopher Raguso, a master sergeant of the Air National Guard who died in a helicopter crash in Iraq two weeks ago. 

Raguso was among seven armed service members killed in the U.S. chopper crash. 

The funeral is scheduled at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church in Kings Park. The FDNY planned to livestream the service here. 

He was a 13-year veteran of the FDNY who received six citations for bravery and life-saving actions as an individual firefighter or as part of a unit. Raguso also served as a lieutenant in the volunteer fire department in Commack, where he lived with his wife and two daughters, ages 5 and 6.

Raguso had been in Iraq since January for what was supposed to be his final deployment and was set to return home in May.

Commack Fire commissioner Pat Fazio said Raguso started working for his department in 2000, then went to join the FDNY.

In addition to Raguso, the FDNY also lost department veteran Christopher “Tripp” Zanetis in the crash.  A third local guardsman killed in the crash was identified as 30-year-old Staff Sergeant Dashan J. Briggs of Commack. 

Zanetis and Raguso are the 1,148th and 1,149th members of the FDNY to die in the line of duty. The FDNY has also just mourned the 1,150th firefighter to die in the line of duty: Lt. Michael R. Davidson, who was killed in a Harlem building fire last week, was laid to rest Tuesday after a funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 

The crash in western Iraq did not appear to be the result of enemy activity and is under investigation, the Pentagon said last week.