SEATTLE – The U.S. Coast Guard has identified the one survivor and three crew members who lost their lives, Wednesday, after their MH-60 Jayhawk (CG-6017) helicopter crashed in the waters off of James Island, near La Push, Wash.
(Click on the name to see the photo)
Lt. Lance D. Leone, 29, of Ventura, Calif., survived the crash and is being treated at a Seattle hospital with non-life threatening injuries. He is married. His awards/accolades include: Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal, two Coast Guard Unit Commendation Medals, Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation, Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation, Global War Terror Service Medal, Commandant's Letter of Commendation, Coast Guard "E" Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon, Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation, Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon, Transportation 9-11 Ribbon, Coast Guard Rifle Sharpshooter Ribbon, Coast Guard Pistol Marksman Ribbon. He has served in the Coast Guard for more than 8years.
Deceased are:
Lt. Sean D. Krueger, 33, of Seymour, Conn. The Aircraft Commander is married with three children. His awards/accolades include: Air Medal, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal, four Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Service Medal, Coast Guard Unit Commendation Medal, three Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation, Commandant's Letter of Commendation, Armed Forces Service Medal, Global War Terror Service Medal, Coast Guard "E" Ribbon, two National Defense Service Medal, two Humanitarian Service Medal, Coast Guard Overseas Service Medal, Coast Guard Pistol Expert Medal, Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation, Transportation 9-11 Medal, DOT Outstanding Unit Award. He has served in the Coast Guard for more than 12 years.
AMT1 Adam C. Hoke, 40, of Great Falls, Mont. The Air Crewman is single with one child. His awards/accolades include: Aircrew Insignia, Coast Guard Commendation Medal, two Coast Guard Unit Commendation Medal, three Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendations, Global War Terror Service Medal, two Commandant's Letter of Commendations, Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation, two Coast Guard "E" Ribbons, two National Defense Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation, five Coast Guard Good Conduct Medals, DOT Outstanding Unit Award, Coast Guard Rifle Marksman Ribbon, Coast Guard Rifle Expert Ribbon, Coast Guard Pistol Sharpshooter Ribbon. He has served in the Coast Guard for more than 17 years.
AMT2 Brett M. Banks, 33, Rock Spring, N.Y. The Air Crewman is married with two children. His awards/accolades include: three Coast Guard Unit Commendation Award, three Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendations, two Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendations, Commandant's Letter of Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Coast Guard Presidential Unit Citation, Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon, three Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal, Transportation 9-11 Ribbon, Global War Terror Service Medal, Coast Guard Rifle Marksman Ribbon, Coast Guard Pistol Marksman Ribbon. He has served in the Coast Guard for more than 9 years.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, co-workers and friends of the survivor and with those that have lost their loved ones to this tragic accident. Team Coast Guard nationwide mourns this loss,” said Rear Adm. Gary T. Blore, Commander of the 13th Coast Guard District.
The next step of this response is the salvage and investigation phase. The investigation includes survivor interviews, witness interviews, and examination of the wreckage and flight data recorder. CLICK HERE for video of divers searching for wreckage from the MH-60 crash.
For additional information, updates and/or media inquiries, contact the Thirteenth Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office at .
- - - - - - - end of official media release - - - - - - - -
A Memorial:
Anyone who would like to make a donation to the families of the missing Coast Guard aircrew can do so with the Coast Guard Foundation at CoastGuardFoundation.org, or by calling or Lt. Brooks Crawford at .
There will be a memorial. It will be planned and we will have an opportunity to be a part of it and contribute to it. My partner and I got involved in supporting the CG-6505 memorial at Ewa Beach and we are very grateful we had the opportunity to do so. We urge you all to become involved in a future CG-6017 Memorial, but don't wait. Make a contribution today through the Coast Guard Foundation.
When the memorial is created, whatever design or form it may take, the words penned by General John A. Logan in 1868 will again become engraved in our hearts:
"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.
If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you, Lt. Krueger, AMT1 Hoke and AMT2 Banks. You are our heroes.
Thank you too Lt. Leone. We share your sense of loss and offer our sympathy.
To the families of our lost Guardians: We hope the Coast Guard family will surround you, support you and lift you up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to help: If you would like to know how you can help Coast Guard families, please go to: Message from Michelle Obama: "Support our military families" and SF Bay is Coast Guard Country
What to know: Also be sure to become familiar with the Coast Guard Family Organization at www.coastguardfamily.org
Also see: U.S. Coast Guard Commandant announces loss of CG6017
A Tribute: The logo in this post is provided by Coast Guard Compass, the official blog of the U.S. Coast Guard. See the full tribute at: coastguard.dodlive.mil
A Special message from the Coast Guard Foundation:
COAST GUARD FOUNDATION LAUNCHES FUNDRAISING DRIVE TO SUPPORT FAMILIES OF GUARDIANS IN HELICOPTER TRAGEDY
The Coast Guard Foundation announced Friday, July 9, 2010, a fundraising drive for its emergency Family Disaster Relief Fund in response to the Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crash off the coast of La Push, Washington this past Wednesday, July 7th, that claimed the lives of three servicemen. The crewmembers of CG-6017 were based at Air Station Sitka, Alaska.
The Coast Guard Foundation is seeking financial support for the Family Disaster Relief Fund. This fund provides immediate assistance to the families of the fallen crewmembers as they deal with this tragedy, and will provide comfort for other Coast Guard families who find themselves in similar devastating circumstances. The Coast Guard Foundation also seeks support for the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund, which provides college scholarships for the children of Coast Guard members who perish in the line of duty. Six children lost their fathers in this tragedy and the Foundation will provide scholarship funds to each one to assist with higher education expenses.
To make a contribution to the Family Disaster Relief Fund, the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund or the CG 6017 Memorial Service Fund, please visit our donation page here. You may choose an area of support from the drop down menu on the donation form.
From Amver:
The crew at Amver have put together a tribute blog post and you can read it here. Amver, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard, is a unique, computer-based, and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea.
0 comments:
Post a Comment