MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- It has been more than a year since two Marine Corps Air Station Miramar pilots were killed in the sandy desert of Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On May 29 they were remembered in a special way.
May 2 marked the one-year anniversary of the fateful mishap when Lt. Col. John C. Spahr and Capt. Kelly C. Hinz were killed.
On Memorial Day, the Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs Calif., dedicated an F/A-18 Hornet in memory of these pilots that had lost their lives during their time of service.
“The museum had received an F/A-18 which was an old ‘Death Rattlers’ aircraft used at MCAS El Toro, California,” said Lt. Col. Hunter Hobson, commanding officer, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Hobson was the Operations Officer of VMFA-323 at the time of the mishap. “The museum wanted to paint the plane the colors of VMFA-323, so they contacted us and we started coordinating with the museum and eventually sent some Marines from the squadron who volunteered their time to the Palm Springs Air Museum to assist with the work.”
“It was a project that was a lot to work, but was put together well,” said Hobson.
After arriving to assist the museum staff, we found out there was a lot of work to be done to these aircrafts if we wanted them to look how we wanted, said Cpl. Mason Villafane, corrosion control supervisor, VMFA-323. “The Marines went there and performed outstanding.
After six long days of working on the plane everything went according to the plan.”
“We painted the name of each pilot on the plane, and the aircraft now stands as a static display outside of the museum for everyone to see,” said Villafane.
Memorial Day is a day for Marines and family members to take time out and remember their fellow Marines and who courageously lost their lives in past battles.
“It has been a year since they perished,” said Hobson, as he took a moment to remember his fallen brothers. “For the families, seeing the memorial was quite emotional.”
“I flew a lot with Spahr,” said Capt. John Dixon, quality assurance officer, VMFA-323. “He always had time for us no matter what … he always had a calm attitude and was constantly teaching us new things that were helpful to our flying, like a father figure.”
Maj. Spahr was posthumously promoted to Lt. Col. following his death on May 2, said Hobson.
“Both were well trained pilots, and it was Capt. Hinz first combat deployment” said Dixon. “They were pilots that were looked up to. I grew to know each of them very well and they were like brothers to me.”