Son of former Dodgers player Steve Sax among 5 Marines killed in Osprey crash in desert

Five Marines killed when an Osprey aircraft crashed Wednesday east of Brawley have been identified by the U.S. Marine Corps; one is the son of a famed former Major League Baseball player.

The Marines ranged in age from 19 to 33:

• Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, of Winnebago, Illinois, a crew chief;

• Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, New Hampshire, a pilot;

• Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, of Johnson, Wyoming, a crew chief;

• Capt. John J. Sax, 33, of Placer, a pilot;

• Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, of Valencia, New Mexico, a crew chief.

All five were on board the MV-22B Osprey that went down shortly before 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in what military officials called an "aviation mishap" while on a training mission near Glamis, according to the Third Marine Aircraft Wing.

Sax was identified as the son of former Los Angeles Dodgers player Steve Sax, who issued a statement to The Desert Sun on Saturday.

"It is with complete devastation that I announce that my precious son, Johnny was on of the five US Marines that perished on Wednesday, June 8, in the Osprey Military crash near San Diego," Steve Sax said. "For those of you that knew Johnny, you saw his huge smile, bright light, his love for his family, the Marines, the joy of flying airplanes and defending our country! He was my hero and the best man I know, there was no better person to defend our country."

Sax is remembered by his father as a child who seemed destined to be a pilot, often watching and identifying aircraft flying overhead.

"There was never any doubt from a young age that Johnny would be a pilot and his passion was to fly!" the statement said. "This loss will change my life forever and is a loss to not only the Marines but this world!"

The aircraft was based at Camp Pendleton with Marine Aircraft Group 39 and was part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Maj. Mason Englehart, a spokesperson for the wing, told The Desert Sun on Wednesday.

"It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of five Marines from

the Purple Fox family," Lt. Col. John C. Miller said Friday when the men were identified.

"This is an extremely difficult time... and it is hard to express the impact that this loss has had on our squadron and its families. Our primary mission now is taking care of the family members of our fallen Marines and we respectfully request privacy for their families as they navigate this difficult time," Miller said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The MV-22B Osprey is a twin-engine tiltrotor aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter but transit as a turboprop aircraft.

Versions of the aircraft are flown by the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force.

It was the second of three military aircraft crashes in Southern California in a week. A U.S. Navy fighter jet crashed in the Mojave Desert on June 3, killing the pilot.

All four on board a U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter survived when that aircraft crashed Thursday in the same region as the Osprey. One of the crew members suffered a non-life-threatening injury and was taken to a local hospital, Cmdr. Zach Harrell with the Naval Air Facility El Centro in Imperial County said.

Previous reporting by Desert Sun staff writers Christopher Damien and Janet Wilson.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Son of former Dodgers player Steve Sax among 5 Marines killed in Osprey crash