Two Army National Guard aviators who were killed in a helicopter crash while patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border will be laid to rest in the Capital Region following separate honor processions held Monday afternoon.
It was a blustery, somber homecoming at the New York Army National Guard headquarters in Latham on Monday, when a Lockheed C-130 Hercules delivered two caskets draped by American flags. One carried the body of 28-year-old Casey Frankoski of Renssealer, the other contained 30-year-old John Grassia III of Rotterdam.
Gov. Kathy Hochul joined dozens of their family members, friends and fellow soldiers in greeting the caskets as military personnel carefully escorted them to their respected hearses.
A Rensselaer city police cruiser was situated in front of one casket, a state police vehicle in front of the other.
Frankoski and Grassia were killed in a helicopter crash earlier this month along the southern border in Texas. The pilots were assigned to a regiment working with Joint Task Force North, a federal military mission that helps support U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“They were supporting active duty,” said New York Army National Guard Colonel Jason Lefton. “They were providing capability with their aircraft.”
Jacob Pratt of Rensselaer was also on board, and survived the crash.
“He’s strong, he’s improving,” Lefton said. “We have a soldier and some family down there in Texas looking after him. He’s got a long road ahead.”
An investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.
“It’s a full investigation,” Lefton said. “They take anywhere from 30 to 90 days. We’ll find out what happened when its complete.”
Since the crash, there has been an outpouring of support and stories about the impact both soldiers made in their communities.
“As New York National Guard members, we are part of the community,” Lefton said. “We work here, we live here, we train here and we’re very tight.”
Frankoski’s father was Rensselaer city’s former police chief, and her brother is a detective there. According to Rensselaer County officials, a procession welcomed Frankoski's body back home, and officials led a Monday afternoon procession route running from Albany International Airport to the W.J. Lyons Funeral Home in Rensselaer.
In addition to his service with the Army National Guard, Grassia worked a state trooper.
The body of Grassia was to be escorted by state police to the Glenville Funeral Home from the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs in Latham on Monday afternoon.
Grassia was born in Niskayuna, and when he turned 18, he immediately enlisted in the Army National Guard before his graduation from Schalmont High School in 2012.
He served in Kuwait from 2013 to 2014. He received a bachelor’s degree in informatics and cyber security from the University at Albany, and worked as a cybersecurity analyst for the state Department of Homeland Security for two years.
Grassia became a New York state trooper in 2022, and was stationed at Troop K SO Livingston before transferring to Fonda.
Calling hours for Grassia will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, March 25, in St. John the Evangelist Church, Schenectady. Burial will take place in Saratoga National Cemetery following an 11 a.m. church ceremony on March 26.
View his obituary here.
Frankoski was born in Albany and raised in East Greenbush. A Girl Scout for 13 years, she graduated from Columbia High School and Schenectady County Community College, and lived in Rensselaer.
She enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2016, and later served nearly a year in Kuwait as a mission planner. She trained to become a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilot, and was deployed again, this time as a pilot to Texas, to patrol U.S.-Mexico border on Oct. 11, 2023.
Calling hours for Frankoski are set for noon to 5 p.m. Thursday at Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Joseph's Church on Herrick Street in Rensselaer. All are welcome to attend.
The funeral is set for Friday at 11 a.m. at the church. For more information and details on contributions, view her obituary here.