A Message For Marines!
GunnyG
War,Cold War,Politics,
20 December 1999
MILINET: A Message For Marines
The following was sent to me as shown below. It does not have
the author's
name though it is introduced, in part, by the phrase "as related
by the CO."
I am posting it because I believe it is true and believe other
Marines should
know the fates of their brothers.
Semper Remembering,
Anthony F. Milavic
Major USMC(Ret)
===================================
>
> God bless these fallen heroes, their families, the Corps, and
our country
> for having men like these who serve a cause above all other.
> Semper Fi,
> Chuck
> -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Buck Collins [SMTP:wbco...@mitre.org]
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 1999 12:55 PM
> > > > To: Williams, William T. GM-14
> > > > Subject: [Fwd: FW: Re: Helo crash]
This is the incident as related by the CO. Please understand
that this is
subject to change, but is accurate as of now.
The platoon was doing a VBSS on a USN ship (i believe Pecos)
Two helos,
> -1
> and -2 , with the platoon split. They were going to land (if
room), or
> fast
> rope if not. The SEAL platoon was assaulting from surface/up.
The SBU
RIB's
> were on other side of ship.
> >
> The pilot of -1 struck, or otherwise fouled something on the
ship (It is
on
> video.) The A/C became unstable and rolled into the ocean. The
A/C sank
> immediately. -2 waved off.
> >
> The two pilots egressed succsessfully. One crewman escaped,
one did not.
> Only one member of the Force Platoon forward of the hell hole
got out.
> All the Force Marines (and the 1 EOD Marine) were jocked up.
Sgt Ward
also
> had a cutting torch. When the A/C impacted he was directly
behind the
> cockpit. (Initially they believed he had broken his back on
impact- they
> now
> believe that it was a 2-3 year old injury). He attempted to
get out via
the
> gunners station-his M4 sling caught on the .50, and he came
back
> > in. He located some air in the bottom of the A/C (which was
now
> inverted),
> got a breath, removed some equipment, and swam out the
clamshell.
>
> The Marine closest to the hell hole escaped through it-upwards
(and not
> down
> as previously reported by me) By the time they egressed,
several reported
> that they were at 20' or more below the surface. This means
that
> they were negatively bouyant, and swam out of the A/C and up
to the
surface
> with all of their equipment-Type 4 heavy body armor, helmet,
MEU(SOC)
> Pistol, M4A1 Carbine, ammo, demo, radios, breaching equipment
etc. Except
> for Sgt. Ward, I don't believe anyone consciously ditched
> anything, nor were aware of that fact until they reached the
surface. One
> Marine was trapped when his MEU(SOC) .45 caught on something
in the helo.
> It
> was attached by a lanyard (recommended by me last year) to
replace the
> non functional issue lanyard. He pulled and the breakable link
broke,
> permitting him to escape. Those who got out said that they
could not
follow
> the bubbles, as it was completely dark. One likened it to a
school
> of minnows in a compressed space.
> >
> Several stated that they got out the clamshell, some have no
idea. Several
> stated that they could see the light at the surface and swam
towards it,
> but
> most were out of air.
>
> The SBU heard the crash, responded immediately, and retrieved
all of the
> Marines that had escaped. The 5th Platoon Commander, Capt.
Kapitulik,
> sustained a broken leg. The Platoon Commander of the next
deploying
> platoon, 1stLt (Mustang) Mike Butler along as an observer,
has a severely
> lacerated liver. He is in critical condition. None of the
others
sustained
> other than minor injuries.
>
> Those that are officially missing are Ssgt Vincent
> Sabaetenski-married with a 2 yr old son; the platoon Corpsman,
Doc Asis,
> married, 2 children, Cpl Baca, married with a 6 month old,
Sgt. Gallaway
> and Sgt. Starling. He died on the day of the promotion board
met. CG had
> him
> promoted to Ssgt. One helo crewman and one EOD Marine from
FSSG. I didn't
> know them.
> >
> The CO stated that in every house, the presence of the Force
Members was
> strong. Memorabilia, awards, manuals, books pertaining to
Force. Doc Asis
> wife said that he truly loved the Company and those in it, and
truly
> loved the mission. The wives all stated that they understood
what it was
> that their men did, and how much the Company was like a
family. They said
> that they would not have changed a thing.
> >
> The girlfriend of Ssgt Starling lives in Las Vegas. The
Company requested
> that the I&I make a notification to her, and requested that
the Air Farce
> provide a Chaplain. They refused. This is the reason that we
are
> Marines, and not one of the lesser components.
> >
> The seven men are probably still trapped in the A/C, which
lies in 3500'
of
> cold Pacific Ocean, 15 miles off of the CA coast.
>
> As they are still officially listed as missing, there will be
a prayer
> service on 20-or 21 Dec. The CMC will attend. A Scholarship
fund is being
> set up for the children- info to follow.
>
> As befitting a unit like Force, all arangements are being
handled by the
> Company, and not higher units. They are a family.
>
> An "expert" being interviewed on the news last night stated
that it would
> be
> impossible for anyone to escape from a helo under those
circumstances. The
> fact that these guys were as hard as they were in no small way
contributed
> to their survival.
> >
> When the CO visited the plt aboard ship, they all requested
that they
> continue their depoyment with the MEU(SOC). None wanted out,
and they have
> sufficient volunteers to backfill the lost team.
>
> We are diminished.
>
>
> Chuck Saffell
> Vice President C4ISR Systems
> Titan Systems Corporation
> 3033 Science Park Road
> San Diego, CA 92121
--
Dick Gaines<Gun...@HotMail.Com>
Old Salt Marines<http://venus.beseen.com/boardroom/d/26770/>
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