Sad day a few days ago...I saw this across a couple of private Marine Corps FB groups a few hours after it happened...hadn’t even hit the local west coast news yet around the Camp Pendleton area, much less had the Marine Corps reported the incident by then, too busy with SAR (Search and Rescue) operations With Naval/Coast Guard vessels/helo’s. Thurs was the wrong time to chime in about this...families hadn’t even been notified. Of course it’s been ran across several main news outlets by now. If you’re not in the know...
15 Marines, 1 Naval Corpsman were aboard an AAV (Assault Amphibious Vehicle) returning from the shore/training exercises with the 15th MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) back to their docking ship took on water and sank shortly after leaving the beach...that water gets deep quick off San Clemente Island, just outside San Diego area. The 26-ton AAV sits in a few hundred feet of water. Eight Marines were able to escape, one of which died later at a hospital.
A prayer, a wishful thought, turn a drink or a cold beer up/a toast, whatever it is you do...for the eight brave, young Marines and the one young Naval Corpsman who perished. With the exception of one of the three-men crew who are assigned to an AAV, who was in his early 30’s I believe, all these brave young souls who perished were btwn the ages of 19-23...Marine Corps Infantrymen/Naval Corpsman...the backbone of the warrior Corps.
I know their families are torn apart right now...
Hand salute and Semper Fi to the lost souls and their families!