Missouri helicopter pilot killed in Black Hawk crash lived life 'to the fullest'

Ryan Collingwood, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
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Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri

Zachary Esparza's positive energy was infectious.

From his days at Bayless High School in St. Louis, Southeast Missouri State University, and throughout his 13-year military career, friends say Esparza's lively personality had a way of lighting up the room.

Esparza, one of the nine Army service members killed in Wednesday's Black Hawk helicopter crash near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was also a mentor-like figure among his peers.

The Chief Warrant Officer 2 started his military career as a satellite communications specialist before entering the Army Warrant Flight program in 2015, and became a MedEvac helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne Division and served throughout the world.

Esparza, 36, the son of former Bayless Board of Education member Misty Overstreet Esparza, had a wide spectrum of interests. He was a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan, an outdoorsman, snowboarder, and a self-proclaimed charcuterie board artist.

Among his greatest passions was making his loved ones laugh.

In 2018 he mailed out Christmas cards dressed as National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" character Uncle Eddie, sporting a robe and trapper hat in front of an RV.

"He was one the most genuine, fun-loving spirits who could spark a conversation with anyone and always would be the center of the party," Ryan Christy, a friend of Esparza's in the Army, posted to Facebook. "While also being someone a lot of us leaned on when we were struggling after losing MFO400R."

MFO400R was a 2020 Black Hawk helicopter operation in Egypt that resulted in a crash that killed seven, including five U.S. service members.

Esparza, whose residence is listed in Jackson, Missouri just north of Cape Girardeau, had six siblings.

"Zac lived his life to the fullest while defending his country and traveling the world. He passed away while doing what he loved most, flying his aircrafts," his sister, Rebecca Esparza, posted to Facebook. "Let’s celebrate the light that Zac brought into our lives and learn to live how Zac lived — to its fullest."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Zachary Esparza, killed in Fort Campbell helicopter crash, remembered