Marine Hurt in Crash Is Expected to Be OK

A Santa Ana man was among 15 Marines injured in the fatal crash of a military helicopter in South Korea, but his family said Tuesday that the serviceman is in good spirits and is expected to recover quickly from his injuries.

The Marine Corps on Tuesday released the names of 34 servicemen killed or injured in the crash Monday of a military helicopter in South Korea, including eight from California.

Nineteen soldiers died in the crash of the CH-53D Sea Stallion near P’ohang on Korea’s eastern coast.

The family of Lance Cpl. Ismael S. Gomez, 26, of Santa Ana, said they were relieved Tuesday morning when they heard his voice calling from a hospital bed in South Korea. There had been some tense moments when two military officers knocked on their apartment door at 6 on Monday morning.

“We knew if he was ever killed, they (the Marines) would send two people to tell us,” said Saul Gomez, 24, the Marine’s brother. “When my mom opened the door she started screaming, ‘My son, my son.’ When I came downstairs I panicked until they told us he was alive.”

Broken Leg, Wrist

Maria D. Rubio, Gomez’s mother, said her son sustained a broken leg and broken wrist and was the only survivor who was not burned in the crash.

She said military officials told her that Ismael could be shipped back to Orange County by Thursday to continue his convalescence.

Said Rosemary Gomez, 17, Ismael’s sister, “When they told me he was OK, I thought it was just not his time to go.”

Investigators had not determined Tuesday what caused the copter to go down Monday in a dry riverbed.

Witnesses reported that the chopper, which was preparing to unload troops, fell to the ground in the isolated mountain region with no collision and no apparent sign of engine trouble.

The soldiers were participating in joint military exercises involving more than 200,000 U.S. and South Korean troops.

All but four of the soldiers aboard the copter were stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County. The other four were from a Tustin-based helicopter squadron that in January had been deployed to Okinawa for 6 months.

Two of those stationed at Tustin Marine Corps Air Station, Capt. Michael McGreevy, 27, a pilot from Monmouth, N.J., and 1st Lt. David M. Pimple, 25, the co-pilot from Cochise, Ariz., were killed in the crash.

As personnel at both Camp Pendleton and Tustin grieved for the dead Marines, friends of Pimple and McGreevy described both men as dedicated fliers.

Loved Flying

“He loved his job, he loved flying,” said a friend of McGreevy who answered the phone at the family’s Mission Viejo home Tuesday. She asked that her name not be used. “He had a lot of confidence in what he was doing. He never expressed any worries.”

The woman said she had last seen McGreevy on New Year’s Eve. He and his wife, Jean, 28, had no children, but the family loved sports, she said.

“He was a sports fanatic, he loved just about every sport and he had a great sense of humor. He was a real fun guy,” she said.

Sylvia Blair, a former neighbor of Pimple while both lived in Tustin, said she remembers when the freckle-faced Marine first moved in to the house next to hers--with two Marine buddies as roommates.

“There were three Marines living next door and I had two teen-age daughters, and I thought, ‘Oh wonderful,’ ” she said. “But they were very nice and were perfect neighbors.”

She and Pimple became good friends during the time she sold him a house in Santa Ana, she said.

Dream Home

Escrow on the home had closed in January just as the Marine was shipped to Okinawa.

“It’s really sad because that house was his dream, and he never got to live in it,” she said. “The house was beautifully done in the back yard with a pool and spa and they (Pimple and another roommate) were really going to use it. Blair, who now lives in Corona, said Pimple loved his job and never expressed fears about his duties.

“He just loved flying, that was why he was in it,” she said.

Authorities at Camp Pendleton had scheduled a memorial service on Thursday morning for the 16 Marines stationed at the base who died in the accident.

Tustin officials said that a memorial service for McGreevy and Pimple would also he held but that no date had been set.

Monday’s copter accident was the second tragedy in days to hit the Tustin base. On Friday, four Tustin-based soldiers died in the crash of a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter in similar conditions near P’ohang. Memorial services for the four were held in the Tustin base chapel on Tuesday.

Injured in Crash

Two other Tustin-based crewmen, Sgt. Timothy D. Sabel, 23, of Ripon, Wis., and Cpl. David W. Garlick, 22, of Connellsville, Pa., were injured in Monday’s crash.

All of the Camp Pendleton Marines aboard the downed helicopter were from C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. The battalion, more than 800 strong, left Camp Pendleton last month for a 6-month deployment in Japan.

California fatalities were Lance Cpl. Richard R. Anglin, 22, of Redlands; Pfc. Saul D. Castro Jr., 18, of Lamont, and Lance Cpl. Ronald A. Johnson, 21, of Simi Valley.

California injured were Pfc. Franklin E. Bray Jr., 18, of Lompoc; Pfc. Lavinski R. Brown, 19, of Los Angeles, Lance Cpl. David L. Jenkins, 21, of Vista; Lance Cpl. Arthur J. Stilwell, 22, of Granada Hills, and Gomez.

MARINE HELICOPTER CRASH CASUALTY LIST

The Marine Corps on Tuesday released the names of 33 of the 34 servicemen killed or injured in the crash Monday of a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter on maneuvers South Korea.

Killed (18 Marines, 1 Navy corpsman)

Time in Name Age Rank Service Hometown * Alafonso, John A. 24 Cpl. 5 yrs. Aztec, N.M. Anglin, Richard R. 22 LCpl. 3 yrs. Redlands, Calif. Bell, Darren M. 23 2nd Lt. 2 yrs. Tampa, Fla. * Castro, Saul D. Jr. 18 Pfc. 1 yr. Lamont, Calif. Decker, Kurt R. 21 Pfc 2 1/2 yrs. Toledo, Ohio * Depew, Michael A. 20 LCpl. 2 1/2 yrs. Red Lion, Pa. Hernandez, Andrew A. 19 LCpl. 1 1/2 yrs. Arnold, Md. Johnson, Ronald A. 21 LCpl. 3 1/2 yrs. Simi Valley, Calif. *Longstaff, 25 LCpl. 2 1/2 yrs. Waldo, Wis. Anthony P. McClusky, Brian K. 22 Cpl. 3 yrs. Brazil, Ind. *McDaniel, Wilbur S. 19 LCpl. 1 yr. Cartlage, Tex. McGreevy, Michael 27 Capt. 5 yrs. Monmouth, N.J. Pimple, David M. 25 1st Lt. 4 yrs. Cochise, Ariz. Ratcliff, Carl B. 21 LCpl. 3 yrs. Bluefield, W.Va. Silha, Keith N. 22 LCpl. 5 yrs. Onalaska, WI Verdugo, Jorge 27 SSgt. 10 yrs Nogales, Ariz. Wooten, Kevin M. 27 1st Lt. 5 yrs. Bowie, Md. * Zinser, James D. 30 Sgt. 5 1/2 yrs. Portland, Ore.

Name Duty * Alafonso, John A. Rifleman Anglin, Richard R. Rifleman Bell, Darren M. Infantry officer * Castro, Saul D. Jr. Rifleman Decker, Kurt R. Rifleman * Depew, Michael A. Rifleman Hernandez, Andrew A. Machine gunner Johnson, Ronald A. Machine gunner *Longstaff, Machine gunner Anthony P. McClusky, Brian K. Rifleman *McDaniel, Wilbur S. Rifleman McGreevy, Michael Pilot Pimple, David M. Pilot Ratcliff, Carl B. Machine gunner Silha, Keith N. Machine gunner Verdugo, Jorge Platoon sgt. Wooten, Kevin M. Infantry officer * Zinser, James D. Machine gunner

* Missing, presumed dead.

Note: The name of the Navy corpsman killed in the crash is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Injured (15 Marines)

Time in Name Age Rank Service Hometown Albert, Rand C. 22 LCpl. 3 yrs. Munhall, Pa. Bernhardt, Todd A. 18 Pvt. 1 yr. Evansville, Ind. Bray, 18 Pfc. 1/2 yr. Lompoc, Calif. Franklin E. Jr. Brown, Lavinski R. 19 Pfc. 1 1/2 yrs. Los Angeles, Calif. Garlick, David W. 22 Cpl. 4 1/2 yrs. Connellsville, Pa. Gomez, Ismael S. 26 LCpl. 3 1/2 yrs. Santa Ana, Calif. Hagee, George S. 20 LCpl. 1 1/2 yrs. St. Louis, Mo. Hannah, Thomas T. 19 Pfc. 1/2 yr. Knobnoster, Mo. Jenkins, David L. 21 LCpl. 3 yrs. Vista, Calif. Moody, 21 LCpl. 2 yrs. Grimesland, N.C. Daniel E. Jr. Pesuti, Sam A. 22 LCpl. 3 1/2 yrs. Phoenix, Ariz. Sabel, Timothy D. 23 Sgt. 4 1/2 yrs. Ripon, Wis. Scott, Michael E. 20 Cpl. 2 1/2 yrs. Garfield, Ariz. Stilwell, Arthur J. 22 LCpl. 3 yrs. Granada Hills, Calif. Woods, Thomas W. 23 LCpl. 4 1/2 yrs. Southboro, Mass.

Name Duty Albert, Rand C. Rifleman Bernhardt, Todd A. Rifleman Bray, Rifleman Franklin E. Jr. Brown, Lavinski R. Rifleman Garlick, David W. Air crewman Gomez, Ismael S. Assaultman Hagee, George S. Rifleman Hannah, Thomas T. Rifleman Jenkins, David L. Rifleman Moody, Rifleman Daniel E. Jr. Pesuti, Sam A. Machine gunner Sabel, Timothy D. Air crewman Scott, Michael E. Rifleman Stilwell, Arthur J. Rifleman Woods, Thomas W. Rifleman