Wreckage of U.S. Marine helicopter found in Nepal. What are your thoughts on the loss of these Americans?

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Fri, 15 May 2015 05:22:02 -0400

From: The Washington Post

NEW DELHI— A U.S. military team in Nepal searched Friday through the wreckage of American helicopter that apparently crashed during an aid mission in an earthquake-ravaged region northeast of Kathmandu, a military spokesman said.

The five-member unit reached the Himalayan site hours after the debris was spotted by the crew of a Nepali Army helicopter — part of an extensive search since the U.S. chopper with six U.S. Marines and two Nepali soldiers went missing Tuesday.

There was no immediate report from the U.S. military on casualties, said U.S. Army spokesman, Maj. Dave Eastburn.

But a spokesman for Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs said three bodies were spotted in the wreckage — cast over a remote mountain area at an elevation of about 11,200 feet. The spokesman, Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, said the possibility of survivors was “very low.”

The helicopter was reported missing after a 7.3-magnitude quake, a deadly aftershock, killed at least 100 people in Nepal, northern India and Tibet. The Marines were on an aid mission distributing relief supplies to villages devastated by Nepal's April 25 earthquake, which killed more than 8,000 and left more than half a million people homeless.

Maj. Gen. Binoj Basnyat, who was directing the search-and-rescue operation, said the wreckage was spotted near the village of Nunthali in the hard-hit Dolakha district. They were led to the area by villagers who said they had seen parts of the aircraft.

The UH-1Y Venom “Huey” helicopter was declared missing after taking off from the town of Charikot in northeastern Nepal, U.S. military officials said earlier in the week. The Marines were with Joint Task Force 505, the American unit assisting in Nepal.

A massive search was launched that included U.S. crew aboard two Huey helicopters and two Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to search across Nepal’s northeast region, where scores of villages were devastated in the twin quakes. They joined eight Nepali military helicopters and 200 soldiers who had been mobilized, as well as 40 boats to comb the Tamakoshi River, a popular waterway for rafters.

The U.S. military has not released the names of the soldiers onboard the aircraft, but the father of one of the Marines told the Wichita Eagle this week that officials had visited him and his wife to inform them their son, Capt. Chris Norgren, was missing.

Ron Norgren of Wichita said the family had last heard from their son on Mother’s Day, when Chris Norgren took time out from his relief duties in Nepal to send his mother flowers.

“I told him I was very proud of him, that he’s over in Nepal helping people out and that he still remembered Mother’s Day,” Ron Norgren told the newspaper. “He said he was glad to hear I was doing so well. He texted me back and thanked me for the compliment, and that was about it.”

Norgren, 31, a Wichita native, had a degree in aerospace engineering and mathematics from Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. He had signed up for the Marines after being laid off from a job at Cessna Aircraft Co. and has spent time in Afghanistan, his father said.

U.S. military officials said in a tweet Tuesday that the Pentagon had three UH-1Y helicopters in the country, four MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, two KC-130J cargo planes and at least four C-17 Globemaster planes flying missions as part of Operation Sahayogi Haat, the relief effort. The name means “helping hand” in Nepali, military officials said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/missing-us-military-helicopter-found-in-nepal-with-no-survivors/2015/05/15/56e0c027-1f23-43a9-b911-8b454e5c7364_story.html?hpid=z1

All bodies recovered from site of U.S. military helicopter crash in Nepal

The U.S. military has not released the names of the troops on board, but the pilot’s father has spoken out.

Response by SPC Mark Beard made May 15 at 2015 7:53 AM

SPC Mark Beard — Fri, 15 May 2015 07:53:33 -0400

Salute!!!!!!!!! may God bless each of their family and freinds and our Brothers and sisters in arms with His grace and mercy in this time of darkness

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made May 15 at 2015 8:18 AM

Cpl Jeff N. — Fri, 15 May 2015 08:18:01 -0400

Even rescue/relief work can be dangerous. They did what they were asked to do and I am sure to the best of their abilities. Another Marine reporting sir. Semper Fi.

Response by MCPO Douglas Pennington made May 15 at 2015 11:00 AM

MCPO Douglas Pennington — Fri, 15 May 2015 11:00:27 -0400

Rest in peace shipmates. The Y model H-1 has had a rocky start in the Marines. This latest version is a 4 bladed version of the infamous Huey. It has taken on some huge changes yet the airframe has basically remained intact. Fuel problems in Helo's are no fun and i heard this crew had radioed in with this type of problem.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made May 15 at 2015 6:52 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Fri, 15 May 2015 18:52:08 -0400

I just found this. Very sad. Semper Fi, Marines.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 15 at 2015 7:15 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 May 2015 19:15:35 -0400

Semper Fi, Gentlemen

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 16 at 2015 4:33 PM

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Sat, 16 May 2015 16:33:10 -0400

** UPDATE **

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/nepal-army-all-8-bodies-found-at-crashed-us-marine-chopper/ar-BBjOacC

Nepal army: All 8 bodies found at crashed US Marine chopper

Nepal's army says that bodies of all eight people on board the U.S. Marine helicopter that disappeared this week during a relief mission in the earthquake-hit Himalayan nation have been recovered.

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 17 at 2015 10:52 AM

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Sun, 17 May 2015 10:52:17 -0400

** UPDATE **

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bodies-of-6-us-marines-2-nepalese-in-crash-identified/ar-BBjSJsv

Bodies of 6 US Marines, 2 Nepalese in crash identified

The bodies of six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese soldiers who were aboard a Marine helicopter that crashed during a relief mission in earthquake-hit Nepal have been identified, officials said Sunday.The wreckage of the UH-1 "Huey" was found Friday following days of intense searching in the mountains northeast of Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. The first three charred bodies were retrieved Friday by Nepalese and U.S. military teams, and the rest...