"He Knew The Risks, And Was Proud To Be A Soldier"
Flags are flying low at
Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA. The national emblem is raised
in the morning in a ceremony that base soldiers conduct routinely
every day. What makes today different from the routine is that they
then lower Old Glory to half-staff to honor the memory of four Army
aviators from the 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation
Regiment (SOAR), which is based here.
The four men died in the fiery crash of an MH-47E Chinook
helicopter which struck a radio antenna in conditions of poor
visibility, as previously reported in
Aero-News.
Local ag pilot Michael G. Ford of Doerun, GA, told the local
paper that he flew right over the accident scene minutes after the
crash. "It was just a big ball of fire," Ford said. "It
certainly gets your attention. I fly around those TV towers all the
time."
One shocked survivor, who staggered away from the wreck with
only minor injuries, identified himself to a witness as pilot Jim
Schrader, according to a report in that same paper, the Moultrie
Observer.
The Army did not confirm Schrader's name, but released the names
of the four crewmen who died:
-
Chief Warrant Officer Four Michael L.
Wright, 41, pilot, of Indiana
- Sergeant Christopher M.
Erberich, 25, mechanic and flight engineer, of
Oceanside, CA
- Sergeant Rhonald E. Meeks, 28,
mechanic and flight engineer, of Weatherford, TX
- Sergeant Michael D. Hall, 30,
aircraft structural repairman, of Little Rock, AR
Each man had been deployed from three to seven times to Iraq
and/or Afghanistan.
The aircraft was on a routine training flight, destination Ft.
Rucker in southern Alabama, when it struck the radio mast in
Colquitt County, Georgia.
"We take all safety precautions necessary to protect our crew,
whether in training or combat," the battalion commander, Lieutenant
Colonel Manfred D. Little, said. "Unfortunately, in the aviation
profession, there is no level of planning, training, type of
equipment or amount of resources that can completely prevent such
types of tragic accidents from occurring."
The Night Stalkers of the 160th SOAR are all volunteers from
among the top performers in other Army aviation units. They work
with US and foreign elite forces, and pride themselves on
professionalism, innovation, and sheer doggedness. The original
mission of the unit was to deliver commandos and agents deep behind
enemy lines in wartime, clandestinely -- and return to pick them
up. Each member must undergo a grueling selection course before he
can serve with the publicity-shy unit. This lets him -- all Night
Stalkers are men -- internalize the unit motto: "Night Stalkers
Don't Quit."
Despite the unit's preference for darkness and shadow, it was
made widely famous by the book and movie Black Hawk Down. Before
that, it was well known only in military circles.
The four crash victims shared a total of 33 years' Army service
and 22 combat deployments. Wright had also served in the Air Force
as an Air Traffic Controller and security policeman, before joining
the Army and learning to fly helicopters.
In addition to the statement by LTC Little, several families
issued public statements through the Army.
"He loved what he was doing, he knew the risks, and he was proud
to be a soldier fighting so others wouldn't have to." -- Judy
Wright (widow) and family.
"Even in the face of danger, he showed courage and bravery as
well as a keen sense of humor." -- Alissa Meeks (widow) and
family.
"Michael was doing what he loved and believed in, and we
appreciate the sacrifice he was willing to make to keep us safe."
-- Lynda Hall (mother) and family.
A formal memorial service took place at Hunter Army Air Field on
Tuesday.
Many military personnel are making donations to a nonprofit that
helps the children of fallen special operators, like these
aviators, attend college. The Special Operations Warrior Foundation
is unusual in that it supports family members of those who died in
peacetime training accidents, always present in the risk-taking
special operations community. The Foundation was started by Air
Force special operations aviators, Son Tay Raiders, and veterans of
the ill-fated Iranian hostage rescue mission of 1980.
In addition to the Warrior Foundation, the Night Stalkers have
their own veterans' organization which does all it can to support
the families of the unit's fallen. Despite the relative novelty of
the unit, in a service that prides itself on the seniority of some
of its mossier old units, the Night Stalkers' memorial already
contains seventy names. Indeed, the last entry on the memorial wall
came only two weeks before this, when an MH-6 was downed in
Yusufiyah, Iraq, killing MAJ Matthew W. Worrell and CWO5 Jamie D.
Weeks.
In another reminder that helicopter operations are always risky,
on Sunday the Department of Defense also identified two Marines who
died in a non-hostile helicopter accident near Taqaddum, Iraq on
May 27. Marines Capt. Nathanael J. Doring, 31, of Apple Valley, MN,
and Cpl. Richard A. Bennett, 25, of Girard, KS, were assigned to
Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, Marine Aircraft Group
39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp
Pendleton, CA.
Aero-News extends our heartfelt condolences to the family and
friends of these fallen airmen. Fly safe.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
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