May 27, 2002
Troops in Philippines salute helicopter crash victims
Associated Press
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines - American troops in the Philippines marked Memorial Day by paying tribute to 10 colleagues who died in an Army helicopter crash there last February.Air Force Maj. Richard Sater, spokesman for the U.S. troops in the south, said soldiers offered songs and prayers for the eight dead army soldiers and two air force staff during a private service in a military camp in the southern city of Zamboanga, near Basilan island.
"We consider those soldiers and airmen patriots," said Sater, who worked with some of the men killed in the crash.
The MH-47E Chinook crashed into the sea on Feb. 22 after ferrying the final batch of Green Berets to Basilan where they are training local troops battling al Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.
Only the remains of eight were found off the southern tip of Negros island. Sater said an investigation was continuing to determine the cause of the crash.
Four minor mishaps, causing no fatalities or injuries, have also taken place involving U.S. aircraft on the counterterrorism exercise that began in January.
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