Background
On July 11, 2017 a Marine Corps C-130 crashed in Mississippi killing 15 Marines and one Navy Corpsman. Six of the Marines and the Navy Corpsman belonged to the Second Marine Raider battalion, based at Camp Lejune in North Carolina. The command, created in 2006, is the newest – and, at about 2,800 troops, the smallest – of the military’s elite special operations forces, along with the better-known Navy Seals and Army Special Forces.
How We Helped
Shortly after the crash, Hillwood Airways was contacted by the Brothers in Arms Foundation and asked if they could support a proposed Marine Corps Honor Flight. Flights were quickly arranged to support families, Honor Guards and Raider teammates attending funerals in Indianapolis, Washington, D.C. and San Diego.
Special Arrangements
Two separate Hillwood Airways crews dispatched and supported these Marine Honor Flights for two days in Indianapolis followed by an additional seven days in Washington, D.C. and San Diego. The entire Hillwood Airways team contributed to these flights.