Seven U.S. Marines were killed when two helicopters collided Wednesday night during training in a remote area of far southeastern Imperial County, near the California-Arizona border. Six were from Camp Pendleton and another was from the Marine air station at Yuma, Ariz.
There were no survivors aboard the aircraft, the Marines said. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The mid-air crash between the AH-1W Cobra and a UH-1Y Huey was reported about 8 p.m. near sand dunes about a mile outside the military’s Yuma Training Range Complex, on federal Bureau of Land Management property.
It’s a dangerous business even in peacetime training, but you never quite grow used to this sort of thing.
Prayers for their families, if you’re the praying sort.
” Such was the end of these men; …. and the living need not desire to have a more heroic spirit, although they may pray for a less fatal issue….I would have you day by day fix your eyes upon the greatness of Athens, until you become filled with the love of her; and when you are impressed by the spectacle of her glory, reflect that this empire has been acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it, who in the hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always present to them, and who, if ever they failed in an enterprise, would not allow their virtues to be lost to their country, but freely gave their lives to her as the fairest offering which they could present at her feast.
The sacrifice which they collectively made was individually repaid to them; for they received again each one for himself a praise which grows not old, and the noblest of all tombs–I speak not of that in which their remains are laid, but of that in which their glory survives, and is proclaimed always and on every fitting occasion both in word and deed. For the whole earth is the tomb of famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions in their own country, but in foreign lands there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men. Make them your examples, and, esteeming courage to be freedom and freedom to be happiness, do not weigh too nicely the perils of war.”
Pericles’ Funeral Oration
Prayers and our thoughts for the families….as always, this is not what we want for any of our splendid warriors.
Son and his fiancee out in Illinois as I type this, visiting brothers (USMC) and their infants. Families suffer so much. May their God be with them.
Yes, bad in Yuma and worse elsewhere when the news hits. Damn.
Many prayers. Much sadness. It’s been a rough week.
My heart breaks reading this. Desert flying with helicopters is a dangerous business in the day and becomes even tougher at night. My prayers go out to the families.
To the families and friends – Peace and Comfort. It’s so hard to see any loss of our best. They were following their chosen path which is better than most do and many get the opportunity to do. Still far too soon.
May God bless their hearts and comfort their loved ones. We will meet them again someday.
I’m sure the loved ones of those Marines were feeling falsely secure in the knowledge their Marine was safe here, vice being in Trashcanistan. Never easy.
There is a reason there is a thing called flight pay–and why it is separate from combat pay. As most everyone here appreciates, but the general public mostly does not, “normal” training exercises more often than not verge on the knife-edge of “safety.”
Prayers here. got Marines both current and not active in my family..
will not say “former’…
Sadness & prayers is all I have.
Soft and safe to thee.
This is so sad.
My prayers for them and their families. They will be missed.
My Troop had an Eagle Court of Honor at my church last Sunday afternoon. It’s a formal occasion, and everyone was in uniform. We try to have Eagle Scouts from the Troop run as much of it as possible, especially the people who administer the Eagle charge and the Eagle Oath, so of course all of the Eagles present were in uniform.
One of them wasn’t in khaki and olive drab, though. He was in dress blues, a Lance Corporal of the USMC. First time I’ve heard the Eagle charge given in a parade ground voice. We do have our jokes – “What’s the difference between the Boy Scouts and the Marine Corps? The Boy Scouts have adult supervision.” – but when you look at him you have to remember he could be taken from us at any time. God bless them all.