We grieve for the tragic deaths of the eight marines and the sailor who lost their lives in an accident during a shore-to-ship maneuver after several days of operational training. On July the 30th, the amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) that they were riding in sank off the California coast near San Clemente Island.
Fifteen AAVs were taking part in the training, 75 miles off the mainland. They were returning to their mothership, the USS Somerset, when one AAV with 16 aboard began taking on water.
All of the Marines involved in the mishap were assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based out of Camp Pendleton. Seven of the marines were safely rescued shortly after the AAV began taking on water.
The AAV involved in the accident was recently recovered. Officials said the cause of the incident is still under investigation.
Our prayers and condolences are with the family and friends of these brave men:
- Lance Corporal Guillermo S. Perez who was from Texas
- Private First Class Bryan J. Baltierra who was from California
- Lance Corporal Marco A. Barranco who was from California
- Private First Class Evan A. Bath who was from Wisconsin
- Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem who was from California
- Private First Class Jack Ryan Ostrovsky who was from Oregon
- Corporal Wesley A. Rodd who was from Texas
- Lance Corporal Chase D. Sweetwood who was from Oregon
- Corporal Cesar A. Villanueva who was from California
I Got The News Today (IGTNT) is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos. It is a way for our community to pay respect to those who have died while in service to our nation.
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Lance Corporal Guillermo S. Perez
Guillermo S. Perez was from New Braunfels, Texas. Perez had done volunteer work with the local Lions Club before he graduated from New Braunfels High School last year.
Guillermo met David Latigo while in boot camp and the two became friends. David describes the Lance Corporal as someone who was remembered for his humor and quick wit. Latigo spoke with the News4SA team:
Lance Corporal Perez
Perez is being remembered for his infectious smile, and his affinity for Whataburger. It’s a fact Latigo says was underscored often during boot camp.
"He was truly an amazing person who impacted a lot of lives,” Latigo said “If you didn't know you, you missed out."
Lance Corporal Perez was a rifleman with Bravo Company, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/4.
Soon after the training accident in their AAV, eight of the marines were rescued. A couple of them were injured, and Lance Corporal Guillermo Perez was pronounced dead at the scene before being transported by helicopter to Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego. He was 20 years old at the time.
Private First Class Bryan J. Baltierra
RFC Bryan Baltierra
Bryan J. Baltierra was from Corona, California. He enlisted in the Marine Corps just one year ago.
A memorial of flowers sits below the Marine Corps flag outside the home of PFC Bryan J. Baltierra. The 18-year-old Marine died on the anniversary of his enlistment into the Marine Corps.
According to an article at the KCAL 9 site:
Baltierra died one year after being sworn into the Marine Corps, with his mother sharing in a statement, “My one and only son, who radiated positivity and expressed his wonderful smile to everyone he met.”
His family recently held an impromptu memorial in their driveway, where they were supported by neighbors experiencing this loss as well.
“The whole community came together and was with them every step of the way and I’m very sorry for the family,” said neighbor John Bohen.
Private First Class Bryan Baltierra leaves behind his mother, father, two older sisters and one younger sister.
Lance Corporal Marco A. Barranco
Lance Corporal Marco Barranco
Marco A. Barranco was from Montebello, California. His family and friends called him “Andy”.
He was riding in an AAV which sank. Search and rescue efforts started immediately. After 40 hours, the family was informed that the Lance Corporal was presumed to be dead. That was confirmed on August 7th, when his remains were found. He was 21 years old.
According to an article at the KCAL 9 site:
“He’s the type of person who puts a smile on your face,” said his friend Joe Rodriguez. “He’s the type of person to have a smile all the time. You’ll never see him mad.”
Loved ones said Barranco was inspired to join the military because of the opportunities it gave his immigrant parents and family.
Those who knew him best said he made them proud, because he died doing exactly what he loved.
Barranco leaves behind his parents, two sisters, a niece, and an unborn nephew. His family said they want him to be remembered for his legacy of service.
Private First Class Evan A. Bath
PFC Evan Bath
Evan A. Bath was from Oak Creek, Wisconsin and he graduated from Oak Creek High School. Soon after graduation, he fulfilled the dream he had had since he was a young boy, to be a Marine.
Bath joined the Marines in July 2019. Evan’s mother was quoted by WISN 12 News as saying:
"He was the best son a mom could ever have," said Bath's mother, Aleta Bath. "He decided he was going to go fight for those that couldn't and he was going to fight for our country."
She said she was grief-stricken Monday and described her son as funny, artistic and driven with a deep sense of right and wrong...
Bath's father said his son "was willing to die for his country. It was his lifelong goal to be a U.S. Marine. Although I'm sad he's gone, I'm so proud."
Private First Class Evan Bath died about 70 miles west of San Diego in a sunken AAV. He was 19 years old.
Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem
Navy Hospitalman Gnem
Christopher Gnem was from Stockton, California. Chris “Bobby” Gnem joined the Navy after graduating from Lincoln High school in 2016.
An article at the CBS Sacramento site, basketball coach Gary Greeno said that “although Gnem averaged only a point per game, his teammates voted him captain and most inspirational player.”
He was the only Navy man lost due to the sinking of the AAV off the California coast. An article in Stars and Stripes included a quote from Gnem’s girlfriend:
22-year-old Seaman Chris Gnem, a Navy corpsman, had been planning to get married, his girlfriend said.
“I lost the love of my life. The most purest and sweetest soul I’ve ever met. My absolute best friend in the whole world and my reason to live,” wrote Savannah Henne in a Facebook post calling Gnem, 22, of Stockton, Calif., her “soulmate.”
Private First Class Jack Ryan Ostrovsky
PFC Jack Ryan Ostrovsky
Jack Ryan Ostrovsky was from Bend, Oregon. Ostrovsky had lived in Bellingham, Washington and had graduated from Sehome High School in 2018. After graduation, he moved to Oregon to study at Central Oregon Community College in Bend.
Ostrovsky enlisted in the Marines in 2019. He was on assignment as a rifleman with the Bravo Company’s Battalion Landing Team when he was involved in the training exercise that took his life. He was 21 years old.
The Bend Bulletin checked for information about the fallen Marine, and found a personal note from the PFC:
In a Facebook post from Memorial Day 2019, Ostrovsky wrote about hiking up Pilot Butte in his military gear to honor those who have died while serving in the Armed Forces.
“In honor of our fallen service members I hiked up pilot butte carrying my gear and ammo cans,” he wrote. “I hope everyone is having a good Memorial Day and honoring those who couldn’t be here. God bless.”
Corporal Wesley A. Rodd
Westley A Rodd was from Harris, Texas. At 23 years old, he was the oldest of those presumed to be dead after a training accident in a vehicle, known as an AAV but nicknamed an "amtrac" (for "amphibious tractor"). The AmTrac is used to take Marines and their gear from the ship to the landing site.
The sinking of this particular AmTrac resulted in seven missing Marines and also a Navy corpsman. The missing Marines included Corporal Rodd who had recently became a father.
Rodd had posted a photo of himself and his newborn son on Facebook on May 14, according to Stars and Stripes.
Westley’s wife, Jamie was hoping for miraculous news that her husband had been found alive. Hope waned when the 40 hour search and rescue efforts were called off after being unable to find any of the missing crewmen.
Unfortunately, Jamie’s miracle was not to be. The remains of Corporal Wesley Rodd were found in the AAV once it was retrieved from the ocean floor.
Lance Corporal Chase D. Sweetwood
Lance Corporal Sweetwood
Chase D. Sweetwood was from Portland, Oregon. Sweetwood was born in San Diego, the eldest of five children.
He moved to Oregon when he was around the age of 10. The San Diego Union-Tribute included facts about the Lance Corporal in a news story. Sweetwood’s aunt Niki Stockdale communicated the following to the publication:
“His 2 little sisters and 2 little brothers looked up to him in every way .... he just wanted to do something good on this earth,” Stockdale wrote, adding that her nephew worked hard to graduate high school early so he could join the Marines before his 18th birthday. He succeeded, reporting to boot camp in San Diego on Dec. 17, 2018, a full seven months before turning 18.
“Chase leaves behind a family who adored him,” Stockdale wrote. “We are deeply lost without Chase in this world and our hearts are broken for his loss and the other young men who perished along with him.”
While the report from the DOD stated that Sweetwood was 19 years old, it seems that his birthday occurred during the search and rescue operation so he actually had been 18 at the time of his death.
Corporal Cesar A. Villanueva
Corporal Cesar Villanueva
Cesar A. Villanueva was from Riverside, California. The Corporal was one of the Marines from Bravo company who lost their lives in the AAV which sank during a training exercise. He was 21 years old.
Villanueva’s mother, Maria, spoke to NBC Los Angeles news:
According to Maria Villanueva, Cesar Villanueva told his two brothers before joining the Marines that if he were to die, they should not be sad and instead remember that he will always love them.
Jodie Villanueva, another relative of the fallen Marine, said the tragedy is a "hard pill to swallow," made even more difficult by the angst brought on by the recovery mission.
"I know he’s going to be truly missed by a bunch of people, his family, his friends, everybody," Jodie Villanueva said.
Corporal Cesar Villanueva was a newlywed. He was said to have a great smile, which got even brighter whenever he looked at his bride.
Sarah, his wife of one month, says her husband was a beautiful soul. "He was more than just a man in uniform. He was a great guy the greatest person I ever got a chance to meet." The source for that quotation was the ABC 7 website.
About the IGTNT series:
”I Got the News Today” is a diary series intended to honor and remember the fallen, and to remind us that each casualty has family and friends who received the terrible news that their loved one has died.
US service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diarized a few days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
Click the #IGTNT tag to see previous diaries in the series, which was begun by i dunno, and is maintained by several community members. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but show our community’s respect for those who have died.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.
