The Mississippi Marine Corps League is planning a day of commemoration for July 13 to mark the second anniversary of the crash of a Marine KC-130T that killed 16 servicemen in bean fields outside Itta Bena.
Last year’s observance unveiled a permanent memorial along the south side of U.S. 82 across from Mississippi Valley State University. The memorial will serve as the site for the public portion of this year’s ceremony.
The marble, granite and brick memorial was designed by Greenwood advertising executive Allan Hammons. The names of all 15 fallen Marines and one Navy corpsman are etched into the memorial.
Kelsey Addison, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps League, said families of the servicemen will be returning to the area this year but will be allowed more private time than in 2018, when activities were scheduled for them as a group. The league has pledged to host the observance each year on the weekend nearest to the July 10 date of the crash.
On July 13, the families of the servicemen aboard Yanky 72 will visit the crash sites privately, followed by a lunch at Larry’s Fish House in Itta Bena. A public ceremony at the memorial will begin at 6 p.m.
Addison said arrangements are still being finalized with the main speaker, but Stacey Pickering, a former state auditor and now head of the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board, will serve as emcee.
Some of the Marines killed in the crash were from a Raiders unit headed for training; others were members of the flight crew with Flight Group 452. Addison said representatives of both units will be at the ceremony.
The Marine Corps Band is being scheduled, and a large group of Mississippi Marine Corps League members are sure to play a role.
Closing remarks will be provided by Col. Mike Quirk, deputy group commander of Marine Aircraft Group 49. Quirk was sent to the Delta following the crash and led Marines in the recovery effort.
In December 2018, the military released a report of its investigation into the crash. The probe determined that a propeller blade, which did not receive proper maintenance during an overhaul in 2011, broke off in flight and cut through the plane’s fuselage, causing the crash.
•Contact Gavin Maliska at 581-7235 or gmaliska@gwcommonwealth.com.
