‘Hold on to what you love.’ All five Marines killed in helicopter crash identified

Amber Coakley
·4 min read

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX5/KUSI) — All five of the U.S. Marines killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in southeastern San Diego County have been identified.

Prior to the release of all their names by the Marine Corps, the wife of Sgt. Alec Langen confirmed that her husband was among the fallen servicemembers. The 23-year-old –who’s from Chandler, Arizona — was reported to be a CH-53E helicopter crew chief.

Alec Langen enlisted in the Marine Corps on September 14, 2017, and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on October 1, 2022. His decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.

The other four victims of the crash, according to military officials, include:

  • Lance Cpl. Donovan Davis, 21, of Olathe, Kansas. He was a CH-53E helicopter crew chief.

    • Donovan Davis enlisted in the Marine Corps on September 3, 2019, and was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on January 1, 2024.

    • His decorations include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

  • Capt. Benjamin Moulton, 27, of Emmett, Idaho. He was CH-53E helicopter pilot.

    • Benjamin Moulton commissioned in the Marine Corps on March 29, 2019, and was promoted to the rank of Captain on August 1, 2023.

    • His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal.

  • Capt. Jack Casey, 26, of Dover, New Hampshire. He was a CH-53E helicopter pilot.

    • Jack Casey commissioned in the Marine Corps on May 16, 2019, and was promoted to the rank of Captain on September 1, 2023. His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal.

  • Capt. Miguel Nava, 28, of Traverse City, Michigan. He was CH-53E helicopter pilot.

    • Miguel Nava commissioned in the Marine Corps on May 26, 2017, and was promoted to the rank of Captain on November 1, 2021.

    • His decorations include the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Our sister station KSAZ in Phoenix, Arizona spoke with Langen’s wife, who said when military personnel came to her door to tell her, “my heart stopped.” The couple met a year ago, and had only been married for a month, according to KSAZ.

She shared what made her husband unforgettable. “He was everything I could’ve dreamed about. He was so funny, he would make laugh…even when I was in no mood to want to laugh. He was so generous, he cared for so many people,” Langen’s wife said.

The Marines were part of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. All of them were in their 20s.

The CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter that went down was flying from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. The crash occurred in the area of Pine Valley during a routine training mission.

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In a statement posted to social media Thursday night, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said, “This tragic mishap will be thoroughly investigated to identify the causes, learn from them, and take action to reduce further mishaps.”

The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is coordinating recovery efforts with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Civil Air Patrol, among others. As of Friday morning, those efforts remained ongoing.

Our sister station WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Michigan spoke with Nava’s former High School assistant principal and family friend. He said Nava dreamed of being a pilot.

“He was so compassionate and so determined to help others out. We did some staff reflections this week and the stories of him going into classrooms on his own time, both in high school and in the elementary school mentoring some of our young kiddos, they thought he was the greatest because he was so tall. The stories were just endless of who he was,” said Tony Petkus, Comstock Park High School assistant principal.

Rescue crews told FOX 5/KUSI the chopper crashed in an area that is difficult to access because it’s so remote. Harsh weather conditions were also reported to be a factor as this week saw a Winter Storm Warning for San Diego-area mountains.

At the time of the crash, the CH-53E and crew were conducting routine flight training. The military is investigating the crash.

“Just hold on to what you love, you’ll never know how long you’ll have it,” Langen’s wife said.

“We have been confronted with a tragedy that is every service family’s worst fear,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas J. Harvey, commanding officer of HMH-361. “Our top priority now is supporting the families of our fallen heroes, and we ask for your respect and understanding as they grieve. The Flying Tigers family stands strong and includes the friends and community who have supported our squadron during this challenging time. We will get through this together.”

For updates and further developments, please check back here.

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