The U.S. military confirmed the identity of the five Marines on Friday who died when their helicopter crashed while flying from Nevada to California on Feb. 6.
The Third Marine Aircraft Wing announced that Lance Cpt. Donovan Davis, 21, Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, Capt. Jack Casey, 26, and Capt. Miguel Nava, 28, died when their craft, the CH-53E Super Stallion, crashed after encountering a historic storm that scattered rain and snow across California.
Davis and Langen were both crew chiefs, while Moulton, Casey, and Nava were CH-53E pilots.
The five deceased Marines from the CH-53E helicopter mishap on February 6, 2024, have been identified.
Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis
Sgt. Alec Langen
Capt. Benjamin Moulton
Capt. Jack Casey
Capt. Miguel NavaAdditional information can be found at:https://t.co/4Qh5AJ9vSB pic.twitter.com/2cXi64cvFZ
— 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (@3rdmaw) February 9, 2024
“We have been confronted with a tragedy that is every service family’s worst fear,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas J. Harvey, commanding officer of the squadron. “The Flying Tigers family stands strong and includes the friends and community who have supported our squadron during this challenging time. We will get through this together.”
The Super Stallion was located around 9 a.m. Wednesday afternoon in the mountains outside of San Diego by civilian authorities.
According to authorities, the craft disappeared after leaving a routine training at Creech Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday night. They were headed back to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego when they were caught in the storm.
The Super Stallion was designed to fly in bad weather, even at night, according to the Associated Press.
President Joe Biden released a statement on Wednesday after it was confirmed that the Marines had perished.
“Our service members represent the very best of our nation – and these five Marines were no exception,” the US president said. “As the Department of Defense continues to assess what occurred, we extend our deepest condolences to their families, their squadron, and the US Marine Corps as we grieve the loss of five of our nation’s finest warriors.”
The military announced on Thursday that they were in the process of retrieving the remains of the five Marines, which could take weeks due to the extreme terrain and weather. Col. James C. Ford confirmed that the Marines were guarding their fallen brothers “round-the-clock” to ensure that no man is left behind.
An ongoing investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.
