Fri, Jul 08, 2005
Military Mourns Loss Of MH-47 Crew In Afghanistan
More than 800 people -- service members and family -- gathered
Thursday for a memorial service at Hunter Army Air Field in
Savannah, GA, remembering the crew of an MH-47 Chinook that went
down in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. It was the deadliest
single attack on American forces since the fighting in that South
Asian country began in 2001.
"A loss of one is felt by everybody, but a loss of eight is a
shockwave," said Maj. Chad Chasteen, a company commander in the
slain soldiers' unit, 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations
Aviation Regiment -- the Night Stalkers. He was quoted by the
Associated Press.
Some soldiers wept as a slide projector flashed the faces of the
dead on a big screen:
- Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare
- Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature
- Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby
- Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles
- Maj. Stephen C. Reich
- Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell
- Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach
- Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III
"I can still see Mike hanging off
the ramp, one wheel on the side of a mountain, amazingly able to
get his teams in to their landing zones," former unit member Jason
Sims said of Russell.
"I know you punched your ticket the way you wanted it, flying in
the clouds," Sgt. Jason Bailey said, sobbing during his eulogy to
Goare. "Grab Muralles by the shoulders and tell him it's OK to sit
on the gun cans. Because guns aren't needed where you're
going."
SSgt. Goare, CWO Goodnature, Sgt. Jacoby, Sgt. Muralles, Maj.
Stephen C. Reich, Sgt. Russell CWO Scherkenbach and MSgt. Ponder
have all gone west, where there's no early roll call and every day
is a pleasant parade. Happy landings, all.
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