Cpl. Spencer Collart Remembered for Bravery in Saving Fellow Marines

On September 16, the Marine Corps held a ceremony at the commandant’s headquarters to present their highest non-combat medal, The Navy and Marine Corps Medal, to the parents of Cpl. Spencer Collart. It was awarded in recognition of Collart’s bravery and sacrifice during a V-22 Osprey crash in Australia last year.

Cpl. Collart, who was 21 at the time, survived the crash but re-entered the burning aircraft to rescue the trapped pilots, Capt. Eleanor LeBeau and Maj. Tobin Lewis. Tragically, Collart perished in the attempt.

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith, visibly moved during the ceremony, addressed Collart’s parents, Bart and Alexia Collart from Arlington, Virginia.

“You raised a Marine who in the final moments of his life thought not of himself but of this fellow Marines,” Smith stated. “He didn’t stop to think of the fire or the danger.”

The August 2023 crash was part of an Australian military exercise. The Osprey had been following too closely behind another aircraft, leading to an unrecoverable dive. As the Osprey filled with smoke and flames, Collart, who was the crew chief, went back into the inferno to help the trapped pilots. Investigators noted that he may have unbuckled one of the pilots before succumbing to the smoke.

Collart’s father stated that he was “one of the best knuckleheads you ever wanted to hang out with,” and that his son and the pilots “lost their lives while managing to save the lives of every Marine they were transporting.”

Lt. Gen. Ben Watson also paid his tributes at the ceremony. His son was one of the crash survivors.

Collart's sacrifice has drawn attention amid heightened scrutiny of the V-22 Osprey program, which has faced four fatal accidents since 2022. Investigations are underway into its safety, and the Marine Corps is reviewing the aircraft’s performance and mechanical reliability.

FMI: www.marines.mil