Procession honors Southern California Air Force major killed in Osprey crash
Loved ones gathered for a final salute to an Air Force major killed in an Osprey crash in Japan.
The Nov. 29 airplane crash killed eight service members in Yakushima Island, including U.S. Air Force Maj. Luke A. Unrath, 34, a Southern California native.
A procession to honor Unrath took place Wednesday from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside.
A flag-draped casket was unloaded from an aircraft and placed into a hearse as a long line of servicemembers stood at attention.
Community members and residents were also seen lining the streets in solidarity.
“They need all the support we can give them right now.,” said Sue Holley, a Riverside resident. “He deserves all the respect I can give him and just by standing here is my way of giving my respect to the man.”
U.S. Air Force Major Luke Unrath, 34, was one of eight U.S. military service members killed in an Osprey crash on Nov. 29, 2023. (Unrath Family) U.S. Air Force Major Luke Unrath, 34, was one of eight U.S. military service members killed in an Osprey crash on Nov. 29, 2023. (Unrath Family) A procession to honor Luke Unrath took place on Dec. 13, 2023 from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside. (KTLA) A procession to honor Luke Unrath took place on Dec. 13, 2023 from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside. (KTLA) The eight eight U.S. military service members killed in an Osprey crash on Nov. 29, 2023. (U.S. Air Force) In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Nicholas Hawkins, signals an MV-22 Osprey to land on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on May 17, 2019. When the U.S. military took the extraordinary step of grounding its fleet of V-22 Ospreys this week, it wasn’t reacting just to the recent deadly crash of the aircraft off the coast of Japan. The aircraft has had a long list of problems in its short history. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amber Smalley/U.S. Navy via AP) In this photo provided by Japan Coast Guard, debris believed to be from a U.S. military Osprey aircraft is seen off the coast of Yakushima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. A crew member who was recovered from the ocean after a U.S. military Osprey aircraft carrying six people crashed Wednesday off southern Japan has been pronounced dead, coast guard officials said. (Japan Coast Guard via AP) A procession to honor Luke Unrath took place on Dec. 13, 2023 from the Los Angeles International Airport to a mortuary in his hometown of Riverside. (KTLA) In this Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2013 photo, a Japanese Self-Defense Force photographer runs by a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft during the Japan-U.S. bilateral military exercise called “Forrest Light” at Aibano training site in Shiga prefecture, western Japan. U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircrafts participated in a Japan-U.S. bilateral military exercise for the first time in Japan Wednesday, aiming to ease long standing anger over the heavy presence of American troops on Okinawa. (AP Photo/Koji Ueda)
Unrath was among eight airmen who died when their U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed during a routine training mission. After an extensive search, the bodies of seven crew members were recovered by divers from the sunken wreckage so far.
Unrath was a CV-22 pilot and a flight commander based at Japan’s Yokota Air Base. He began active duty in 2014 and was assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Wing.
He grew up in Riverside and graduated from Martin Luther King High School. He went on to receive a Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Cal Poly Pomona.
“I actually went to high school with Luke and his siblings,” said Carissa Brown, a former classmate.
When she heard of his passing she said, “It was devastating. He is the sweetest person with the sweetest family, the most kind and loving family.”
In a statement, Unrath’s parents said:
“It would be impossible for us to express in a few words what an amazing son Luke was. Even though we raised him in faith, he taught us so much, what it is to live a Christ-centered life. He chose this path and career because he wanted to help people.”
His parents said Unrath was a triplet who shared a close bond with his siblings. One of his brothers was among those who escorted his body from LAX back to his hometown on Wednesday.
“For giving us the freedoms we have, we’re so grateful and thankful for his life and his service,” Brown said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the Air Force Special Operations Command said a “preliminary investigation information indicates a potential materiel failure caused the mishap, but the underlying cause of the failure is unknown at this time.”
“The U.S.-made Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane, during flight,” according to AP.
A week after the deadly crash, the U.S. military grounded all Ospreys and officials said it was expected to remain in place until the cause of the crash is determined.
The other seven servicemembers killed in the crash were identified as:
-U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeffrey T. Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minnesota
-U.S. Air Force Maj. Eric V. Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah
-U.S. Air Force Capt. Terrell K. Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, New York
-U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary E. Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Florida
-U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jake M. Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia
-U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brian K. Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio
-U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob “Jake” M. Galliher, 24 of Pittsfield, Mass.
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