Illinois Marine among dead in warplanes crash off Japan coast
TOKYO — The U.S. military has identified five Marines, including one from Illinois, who were declared dead after their refueling plane collided with a fighter jet last week off Japan’s southern coast.
Search and recovery operations have ended after finding only one survivor, who was aboard the fighter jet.
The five crew members identified Wednesday were on a KC-130 Hercules refueling aircraft that collided with an F/A18 Hornet during regular training. The warplanes crashed into the sea south of Japan’s Shikoku island.
The Marine Corps identified one of the crew members as Cpl. Daniel E. Baker, 21, of downstate Tremont. Baker joined the Marines two years ago and is survived by his mother and father.
The others were identified as Lt. Col. Kevin R. Herrmann, 38, of New Bern, North Carolina; Maj. James M. Brophy, 36, of Staatsburg, New York; Staff Sgt. Maximo A. Flores, 27, of Surprise, Arizona; and Cpl. William C. Ross, 21, of Hendersonville, Tennessee.
They were based at Iwakuni air station near Hiroshima as part of the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152.
The two crew members in the fighter jet were recovered after the accident, but one died. He was earlier identified as Capt. Jahmar Resilard, 28, of Miramar, Florida. The Marines said the survivor was in stable condition when rescued.
The search for the five missing crew, joined by Japanese and Australian forces, was halted Tuesday and they were declared dead.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, the Marines said.