11 soldiers killed in helicopter crash honored
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Fort Drum soldiers pay their respects to the soldiers who died in a Black Hawk helicopter crash.
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FORT DRUM, New York (AP) -- Eleven soldiers killed in a Black Hawk helicopter crash were honored as heroes Friday at a memorial service attended by more than 2,500 troops, dignitaries and relatives of the men.
"It's impossible to make sense of any tragic loss. Today is no exception," said Col. Kevin Wilkerson, commander of the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade.
"This is as big a loss as anyone who died in combat," he said. "Please have no doubt about it."
At the front of a hangar where the ceremony was held, 11 rifles were placed upside down, each with a helmet on top. Hanging from the rifles were the dead soldiers' dog tags. Their photos lay beneath.
"They knew they were serving something bigger than themselves," said Maj. Gen. Franklin Hagenbeck, the division commander. "These soldiers represent all that is good and great about America."
The soldiers' remains have been flown to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to be identified and will be released to their families for burial. Each was honored posthumously with the Army's Meritorious Service Medal.
The 11 died Tuesday when a Black Hawk helicopter with 13 soldiers aboard crashed on the sprawling Fort Drum Army post in northern New York. The only two survivors remained hospitalized Friday: Spec. Dmitri Petrov was in critical condition and Spec. Edwin A. Mejia was in serious condition.
Their helicopter was returning to the airfield after a routine training exercise with two other helicopters when it went down.
Investigators from the Army Safety Center are looking at every possible cause, from human error to mechanical malfunction to system failures, said Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, a Fort Drum spokesman. Officials said there were no indications of trouble from the crew before the crash.
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