AW2 Alexander Ross LeMarr HM-15; MH-53E BUNO: Unknown Born: Unknown Died: January 16, 2008 Hometown: Parker, CO

Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News
January 20, 2008
Alexander Ross LeMarr, Aviations Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class (Air Crew) 25, of Parker, died in the service of his country January 16, 2008. Loving son of Helen and Lou. Brother of Alethea, Brandon, and Katherine. Grandson of Alex Uschak. Brother-in-law of Brian, Vail, and Clint. Uncle of Jordan, Brian, Blade, Tyler, Kolbe, Xander, and Draven. Graveside services Friday, Jan. 25th, 11 AM, Fort Logan National Cemetery, Staging Area "C".

Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Families learn of crash victims
January 19, 2008
By Fanny S. Chirinos, Beth Wilson
CORPUS CHRISTI — The family of one of three men killed in a Navy helicopter crash Wednesday thought their son had returned to safety when he came back to Corpus Christi last month from Bahrain. Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander LeMarr's family, including two sisters, a brother and seven nieces and nephews, gathered Friday at his parents' home in Parker, Colo., about 25 miles south of Denver. His father, Lou LeMarr, said his son, an aviation warfare system operator, had called Wednesday morning to say he would be flying that night. When the morning news on Thursday had a ticker about a helicopter crash in Texas, the family immediately figured it was their son. The family waited until about 11 a.m. Thursday for the Navy to confirm the details in person. "It's a terrible waste," LeMarr's father said. "We all kind of thought he was going to be safer here."
Navy officials Friday identified LeMarr, 25, Lt. Joshua Gross, 30, of Johnson City, N.Y., and Petty Officer 2nd Class David Davison, 22, of Guthrie, Okla., as the three airmen killed in the crash. Davison also served as an aviation warfare system operator. Guthrie Mayor Chuck Burtcher described Davison as smart, sharp as a whip and confident. "He was quiet but had an air of confidence about him, and was just the kind of young man you would like for your son to be," Burtcher said. "I could search a dictionary looking for every superlative out there about the great young man he was." A 35-year-old pilot survived the crash and his condition was upgraded Friday from critical to fair, hospital officials said. The Navy is not releasing his name but officials said he was from out of state.
Corpus Christi was LeMarr's first duty station after school in Norfolk, Va. He had been in the Navy four years and had been stationed at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi for several years. Gross and Davison had been at the base for about six months. Lou LeMarr said his son loved playing uncle to his six nephews and one niece, playing video games, wrestling and taking them for rides in his off-road Jeep. "He enjoyed coming home and being the big uncle," he said. LeMarr said his son last visited their Colorado home in July, but the family connected via a Web cam on Christmas Eve. "He was able to watch us all open our gifts," he said. LeMarr said the way his son talked about Sea Dragon helicopters made him wonder if mechanical failure contributed to the accident. "He was concerned about those helicopters he was flying, their age, the number of hours they had on them," he said.
The MH-53E Sea Dragon anti-mine helicopter was reported down at about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday between Corpus Christi and Petronila, between County Road 61 and Farm-to-Market Road 2444. It had been on a routine training mission. The bulk of the charred helicopter wreckage was wedged beneath guy wires for a 1,000-foot-tall communications transmission tower that serves the South Texas Public Broadcasting System. It is unclear if hitting the tower caused the accident or the tower was struck during the crash. The four service members were assigned to the HM-15 Blackhawk squadron at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. "We grieve with you and are here for you," Cmdr. Frank Dowd, who leads the squadron, said Friday afternoon during a news conference on base. Dowd also thanked first responders to the crash. "I'm in awe of the overwhelming support we've received from the community," he said. Further details about the crash were not released, pending two investigations by the Navy -- one a safety investigation and the other a command initiative to determine the cause and culpability, which can take months.

Parker Chronicle
January 25, 2008
Parker Resident Dies In Navy Training Accident
By Chris Michlewicz
A 25-year-old Parker man killed in a U.S. Navy training accident near Corpus Christi, Texas, was laid to rest this week. Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Alexander Ross LeMarr was killed Jan. 16 when the MH-53E Sea Dragon anti-mine helicopter he was riding in crashed in a field near the Naval Air Station at Corpus Christi, where he was based. Two other crew members killed in the accident were identified as Lt. Joshua Gross, 30, of Alameda, Calif., and Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class David Davison, 22, of Guthrie, Okla. The pilot, an unidentified 35-year-old man, was the only survivor of the crash and is in stable condition, according to the U.S. Navy Web site.
The MH-53E helicopter, which was from Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron 15, reportedly clipped a television tower at about 8:15 p.m. Jan. 16 while on a routine training flight. The Navy is still investigating the accident, but a determination on the cause could take months.
LeMarr's body was flown to Denver International Airport from Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., Jan. 23 with full military guard. A Navy officer will stand watch over the body until LeMarr is laid to rest at 11 a.m. Jan. 25 at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver. Arrangements are being handled by Ponderosa Valley Funeral Services in Parker.

Corpus Christi Caller Times
January 18, 2008
Investigation continues into Navy copter crash
3 crew members who were killed in training flight to be ID'd today
By Mike Baird
CORPUS CHRISTI — The three men killed in a Navy helicopter crash Wednesday night have been identified as Lt. Joshua Gross and Aviation Warfare System Operators Second Class Alexander LeMarr and David Davison. According to a Navy news release, Gross, 30, is from Alameda, Calif.; LeMarr, 25, is from Parker, Colo.; and Davison, 22, is from Guthrie, Okla. One crew member, a 35-year-old man, survived the crash.
The Navy is not releasing his name, but said he remains hospitalized in stable condition. The MH-53 Sea Dragon anti-mine helicopter was reported down about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday between Corpus Christi and Petronila.
The bulk of the charred helicopter wreckage was wedged beneath guide wires for a 1,000-foot-tall communications transmission tower that serves the South Texas Public Broadcasting System. It was unclear whether the helicopter hit the tower while crashing or if hitting the tower caused the accident. "We went off the air about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday," said Don Dunlap, president and general manager of the station. "We thought it was weather-related and sent a technician who learned parts of the antenna were on the ground." The beacon light was knocked off and components in the top 75 feet of the antenna were damaged, Dunlap said. "It looks like it was hit at about 950 feet," Dunlap said.
The station was operating again by about 10:30 a.m. Thursday on low power but programming may be on and off the air from the weak signal, and they would appreciate their viewers' patience. Crews can't repair the damage until Navy officials complete their cleanup of the wreckage. It is one of six similar communication towers in that area, Dunlap said. These towers are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission, and all pilots have flight plans with coordinates for the towers, said Todd Jackson, president of Coast To Coast Tower Services, of Waxahachie, who constructs and repairs communication towers.
Jackson was at the KEDT tower Wednesday afternoon surveying the site and said that at the time there was no damage to the tower. Two separate investigations are under way by the Navy. One is a safety investigation that's "privileged internal to the Navy for garnering lessons learned and trying to prevent similar mishaps," Robertson said. The second investigation is a command initiative to determine the cause and culpability, which can take months, he added.
Navy officials would not say when the helicopter left Naval Air Station Corpus Christi nor when it was scheduled to return. Lt. Steve Mason, a spokesman for the helicopter squadron, said the MH-53 Sea Dragon does not have ejection seats, and crews are trained to slow speed and spin toward the ground. "Once on the ground, there are two emergency doors in the cockpit and three others in the back as well as a hatch, a ramp and pop-out windows," Mason said.
One crew member, a 35-year-old man, survived the crash and remained in critical but stable condition in intensive care Thursday, said Sherry Carr-Deer, spokeswoman for Christus Spohn Health System. "His family is with him," Carr-Deer said, "but I'm not authorized to give information regarding his required treatment." The remains of the other three crew members were found at the crash site and are being handled by the Navy, Nueces County Medical Examiner's office officials said.
The crew of four was sufficient for the nighttime familiarization training mission, Nunnally said, and there are some weather conditions that inhibit training, he said. "Part of this investigation will look at weather conditions to help determine what missions should or shouldn't be flown." At Corpus Christi International Airport at 8 p.m. Wednesday, visibility was not restricted, said Steve Smart, meteorological technician with National Weather Service, who was working at the time of the crash.
"There were some low cloud formations, but there was not dense fog occurring across the area at that time." It was anticipated, he said, and a dense fog advisory was issued at 8:58 p.m. and remained in effect until 4 a.m.
Fanny S. Chirinos contributed to this story.

Corpus Christi Caller-Times
January 18, 2008
Witness describes fiery crash
By Dan Kelley
David Herrera was home with his wife and son Wednesday night when he heard a loud thumping passing over his house. It was, he said, "too close." "It sounded like a struggling helicopter." A former Marine, Herrera said it had been a long time since he heard that sound.
He walked outside and saw what he thinks was the helicopter's rotor lights through the night sky. He smelled burnt fuel. "It was the kind of smell you get when a bad exhaust system passes you on the highway," the 34-year-old photographer said. "At that point, I said, 'It has to be low.' Then he saw the lights dip down and he witnessed an explosion about a mile and a half from his house.
He watched the flames shoot up. Then he saw two flares about 30 seconds apart. "It was as if someone is trying to get attention, as if someone is trying to say, 'there is movement,'" Herrera said. He called 911, but someone else in the vicinity beat him to it.
There has been speculation that the helicopter hit a television tower, but Navy officials aren't saying whether they think that was the cause of the crash. Herrera said he didn't hear anything like a loud bang before the helicopter passed over his home, and he didn't hear a sound that indicated to him that the aircraft hit the tower. But he can't rule out an impact with the tower as a part of the crash, he said.