Depot maintains memorial to Enduring Freedom
In the NADEP Cherry Point H-53 Hangar, Overhaul and Repair Supervisor Donnie Causey stands next to an H-53 helicopter that has special significance. The helo is undergoing standard depot level maintenance, but what makes it special is that the names of two Marines who died while serving in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom are stenciled on the nose landing gear door. The two aircrewmen, attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), were killed during a combat re-supply mission in December of last year when another helicopter they were flying in crashed due to mechanical failure. In honor of their memory, their names were painted on the nose landing gear doors of all the helicopters assigned to the MEU. (Photo by Gary Rice)