Marine drowns in Apra Harbor, Guam

Stars and Stripes ^ | 20 Feb 04 | Fred Zimmerman

[GATOR NAVY]

A Marine assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit drowned Tuesday when the tank in which he was riding fell off a U.S. Navy landing craft, air cushioned hovercraft and sank in Apra Harbor, Guam.

Cpl. Adam S. Lipford, 22, of Madisonville, La., was in an M1A1 battle tank when it fell into the harbor Tuesday afternoon, according to Marine Capt. Bill Pelletier, 13th MEU public affairs officer.

Rescue and recovery personnel recovered the Marine just after 6 p.m., Pelletier said. Lipford, who was assigned to 3rd Platoon, Company B, 1st Tank Battalion, Battalion Landing Team 1/1, was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m. at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.

Pelletier said the accident occurred during the fourth day of an agricultural wash down.

“At the end of every deployment, units are required to undergo inspections to ensure the vehicles are free of environmental or agricultural contamination,” said Pelletier in an e-mail. “All our vehicles are offloaded … washed, inspected … and put back on the ships once they’re certified clean.”

The tank Lipford in which was riding was being transported from the wash down site on a Guam beach back to the USS Germantown. Pelletier said the cause of the accident is under investigation.

[GATOR NAVY]

LCAC.

Strange accident here. Not enough info to tell what happened.

[SAMWolf]

Cpl. Adam S. Lipford

[snippy_about_it]

I remember Brian telling me when they were getting ready to leave Iraq that this cleaning and loading of equipment could be dangerous.

Sorry to hear about the death of this Marine.

[GATOR NAVY]

If the tank fell off while the LCAC was underway, then it seems fairly obvious the tank was improperly secured. I don't know how often they carried tanks (we never did). If rarely, then unfamiliarity with the tank could have been the cause. There's a big difference between securing a tank and an LAV.

[SAMWolf]

Hopefully more details will come out.

[LibKill]

Could be that someone screwed the pooch. Could be that whatever kind of tie-downs are used failed.

Gonna have to wait and see what comes out in the investigation.

Most accidents are caused by human error.

[DUMBGRUNT]

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/FCB7163CD5CEF8AA85256E3F003EAA6A?opendocument

13th MEU Honors Fallen Comrade
Capt. Bill Pelletier

APRA HARBOR, GUAM -- More than 2100 Marines and Sailors of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) gathered on the flight deck of USS PELELIU (LHA 5) Feb. 19 to pay their respects to Cpl. Adam S. Lipford, a tanker from Battalion Landing Team 1/1, who died Feb. 17 during the MEU's port visit to Guam.

Following several prayers and a song, LtCol. Brian Beaudreault, BLT 1/1 commanding officer, addressed the assembly on a balmy Pacific morning and spoke of a meritorious Marine who served as an outstanding example for his fellow Marines and excelled during the 13th MEU's WestPac deployment in such places as Iraq, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates.

"The BLT is a richer unit for having Adam Lipford in our ranks," said Beaudreault. "He was loyal, respectful, dedicated and generous. He was the type of Marine that makes this job rewarding each and every day, a Marine that asks for so little, yet gave so much."

During the ceremony, Lipford was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal he had earned for outstanding performance as a squad leader in Kenya in January. As the USS PELELIU, USS OGDEN and USS GERMANTOWN departed the harbor today, each ship laid a memorial wreath in the water.

1stLt. James Kozel, B Co., 3rd Tank platoon commander, said he could think of no better Marine with whom to have the privilege to serve.

"As far as being a Marine goes, as far as being a tanker, as far as everything we know (about him), absolutely he's head and shoulders above the rest, one of the best Devil Dogs I've had the privilege to serve with in my career."

Kozel spoke of cold, wet nights in the field during workups and the deployment, saying Lipford would cheer and entertain his platoon with tales of crawfish-eating back in his native Louisiana.

"He kept the whole platoon going, and he was the glue that held us all together. Adam will be in our hearts and in our minds forever in Third Platoon."

Lipford died when the M1A1 tank he was riding in fell off a U.S. Navy LCAC and sank in Apra Harbor as it was being transported from the tank washdown site to the GERMANTOWN. His body was recovered and will be escorted back to Louisiana by members of his platoon. The ships of Expeditionary Strike Group One are on their way back to the United States and are scheduled to return to southern California around mid-March.

In his closing remarks, Beaudreault recounted an instance from the Guam port visit in which he and Lipford had the opportunity to spend some time together on the pier on liberty after the day's work had been done.

"I thank him for that memory and for many others from our time together in UAE. Adam will be sorely missed."

-30-

[fourdeuce82d]

Very sad. Ex- Army dogface sending out a "Hooah" to the marine.

Any ex-tankers out there who can fill us in on the ability of a driver to un@$$ an M1 from the driver's station?

[bkwells]

Wow... Sorry to hear about this.

Every time an LCAC or LCU was going to carry a tank, there was always a little more concern in the air.... especially from the LCAC crews. The air temp plays a part in how much they can load. But it sounds like it wasn't secured to the LCAC very well.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Let us know if you hear any more on this. Thanks.

[Bogey78O]

One of the guys at work was driving down the street when a cable tie which held a metal u-guard broke. If you've ever seen a jet fire a missile then you can imagine what it looked like. No one was killed but one car that almost got harpooned by it was driven into a ditch.