Remains of Second Pilot Recovered in Iraq

AP ^ | 5/4/5 | ROBERT BURNS

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON -- Military investigators said Wednesday they located the remains of the second of two Marine Corps fighter pilots whose planes crashed in south-central Iraq earlier this week.

The remains of the first pilot, Maj. John C. Spahr, 42, of Cherry Hill, N.J., were found on Tuesday.

The second pilot's identity was being withheld by the military until his family could be notified, according to a Central Command statement.

Both pilots were flying single-seat F/A-18 Hornet fighters about 30,000 feet over south-central Iraq when radio contact was lost on Monday evening. Officials said previously that investigators concluded the two planes probably collided in the air. They had launched from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

Earlier Wednesday, officials disclosed that wreckage of both F/A-18 Hornets had been found, and they said the search for the second pilot was continuing.

The Central Command statement provided no details about the recovery of the second pilot, including whether the body was found near the fuselage wreckage. It reiterated earlier statements that there was no indication of hostile fire in the area at the time the planes went missing.

Spahr was executive officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. He was a native of Cherry Hill, N.J., and a graduate of the University of Delaware.

The Pentagon on Wednesday night issued an official announcement of Spahr's death. It said his plane "apparently crashed" but provided no details.

Spahr had been flying F/A-18s since 1993, according to his official biography. He attended the Navy's "Top Gun" fighter weapons school in 1996, later was an instructor pilot there and was embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation when the Iraq war began in March 2003.

[SmithL]

Rest in Peace

[maxwellp]

Be with God now, beloved American Marines.

[Snoopers-868th]

"High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr

http://www.skygod.com/quotes/highflight.html

"Put out my hand and touched the face of God."

Rest in Peace

[A.A. Cunningham]

MAJOR JOHN C. SPAHR
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
MARINE FIGHTER ATTACK SQUADRON 323

Maj. Spahr was born and grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and attended St. Joseph's Preparatory High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education Studies and a Masters of Science Degree in Exercise Physiology.

He completed OCS in December of 1989 and was granted a reserve commission to 2ndLt in the United States Marine Corps. After completing TBS, he was ordered to basic flight training at NAS Pensacola, Florida with follow on orders to intermediate and advanced jet training at NAS Kingsville, Texas. He received his wings in February, 1993 and was transferred to VMFAT-101, MAG-11, 3D MAW at MCAS El Toro, California for training in the F/A-18.

On April 28, 1994 he was ordered to VMFA-314 at MCAS El Toro, California. While serving with the "Black Knights" he served as Powerline, Airframes, Quality Assurance and Flight Officers. In May, 1996 he received a regular commission in the United States Marine Corps. He attended the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and upon completion in June 1996 was reassigned as the S-4 Officer. He embarked aboard the USS Nimitz with the United States Naval Forces Central Command from October 7 through February 7, 1998 in support of Operation Southern Watch and was further reassigned as the Assistant Maintenance Officer. On August 26, 1998 he was ordered to the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California as the Headquarters and Service Company Commanding Officer and Battalion Air Officer. On August 16, 1999 he was ordered to the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), NAS Fallon, Nevada as an Instructor Pilot. On June 4, 2002 he was ordered to VMFA-323 at MCAS Miramar, California and there assumed the duties as the "Death Rattlers" Operations Officer. He embarked aboard the USS Constellation, "Americas Flagship" with the United States Naval Forces Central Command from December 19, 2002 through April 21, 2003 in support of Operation Southern Watch and sustained combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Returning from the seven-month deployment on June 2, 2003, Major Spahr assumed the duties of Aviation Maintenance Officer.

Major Spahr's personal military decorations include the Air Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

http://www.3maw.usmc.mil/mag11/vmfa323/CommandElement/xobio.asp

[Herakles]

Something is wrong here.

Two planes with the most advanced avionics in the world, two pilots with thousands of hours of advanced training, and probably an AWACS out there somewhere keeping track of them, and it seems that they collide over a country the size of California where there is little or no commercial traffic and with significantly less traffic than there was during the war.

What’s the whole story?