Osprey Memorial - Semper Fidelis Memorial Park VA
N 38° 32.582 W 077° 20.577
18S E 295808 N 4268670
A monument to eight air crewmen of the USMC who lost their lives testing the Osprey aircraft stands near the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA.
Waymark Code: WM9203
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 06/15/2010
Views: 4
The V-22 Osprey is a tiltrotor multi-engine and dual-piloted aircraft designed for combat and support. It is the only aircraft in the world with the vertical lift capabilities of an helicopter and the capabilities of a fixed wing aircraft. The Osprey made its combat debut in Iraq. The Marine Corps have the most Ospreys in their fleet of all the military branches. (Read more
info
on the Osprey.)
Unfortunately, the testing of the Osprey has not been without tragedy. Thirty deaths, 26 of them Marines, have resulted from crashes. Family members of eight of the crewmen who died in accidents organized the Osprey Memorial Foundation to honor them. Four of the men were killed during testing in Arizona on April 8, 2000 and four were killed in North Carolina on December 11, 2000. The foundation raised $85,000 to design and erect a monument in their honor at the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park in Triangle, VA. The monument was placed during a special dedication ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps
on May 31, 2008.
The monument is made of polished black granite and stands 10' tall. Gold aviation pilot wings back-to-back with air crew wings cap the monument as if to soar towards heaven. The three steps of the base represent Honor, Courage, and Commitment.
The inscriptions:
Face:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
THE FEW THE PROUD
WITH WINGS
Base:
SEMPER FIDELIS
______________
______________
FOR THE AIRCREWMEN WHO PERISHED WHILE
TESTING THE MV22 OSPREY IN THE YEAR 2000
Left side panel:
APRIL 8, 2000
______________
LTCOL JOHN A. BROW
MAJ BROOKS S. GRUBER
SSGT W. BRYAN NELSON
CPL KELLY S. KEITH
Right side panel:
DECEMBER 11, 2000
______________
LTCOL KEITH M. SWEANEY
LTCOL MICHAEL L. MURPHY
SSGT AVELY W. RUNNELS
SGT JASON A. BUYCK
Back:
THE OSPREY MEMORIAL
FOUNDATION WAS FOUNDED
IN 2003 BY EIGHT FAMILIES
TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF
THEIR LOVED ONES
The museum and park are a part of the Marine Corps Heritage Center in Triangle, VA and is adjacent to the Quantico Marine Corps Base. It is open daily to the public from 9 AM to 5 PM except for Christmas. There is no admission to any of the facilities.
NOTE: The Osprey Memorial was moved and I have changed the original coordinates to its present location. Please read my revisit below for more information and updated photos.
References: