Marine from California named as one of for people killed in Philippines plane crash
A U.S. Marine from California was identified by military officials Sunday as one of four people killed when a plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines.
Sgt. Jacob M. Durham died Thursday in the crash of an aircraft that was conducting a routine mission 'providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies,' officials at Camp Pendleton, California, said in a statement. Officials said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
U.S. forces have been deployed in a Philippine military camp in the country's south for decades to help provide training and advice to Filipino forces battling Muslim militants. The region is home to minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.
Three defense contractors also were killed in the crash, military officials have said.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines confirmed the crash of a light plane in Maguindanao del Sur province. The bodies of the four people were retrieved from the wreckage in Ampatuan town, said Ameer Jehad Tim Ambolodto, a safety officer of Maguindanao del Sur.
Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster-mitigation officer, told The Associated Press on Thursday that she received reports that residents saw smoke coming from the plane and heard an explosion before the aircraft plummeted to the ground less than a kilometer (about half a mile) from a cluster of farmhouses.
Durham's age and the California city where he was from were not included in the statement. Officials did not immediately respond to emails requesting that information.
He was trained as an electronic intelligence/electromagnetic warfare analyst assigned to 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, officials said. He joined the Marines in January 2021 and was promoted to his current rank on Feb. 1.
Durham's awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, a Meritorious Mast, and Naval Aircrew Insignia, officials said.
'Sgt. Durham embodied the highest traditions of the Marine Corps — exemplifying composure, intelligence, and selfless leadership," Lt. Col. Mabel B. Annunziata, commanding officer of 1st Radio Battalion, said in the statement. 'He was deeply respected and loved by his fellow Marines.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
2 days ago
- NBC News
A mournful Eid al-Adha in Gaza
Under the damaged dome of al-Albani Mosque in Khan Younis, families stood on broken stone and dust, raising their voices in takbir, the declaration of god's greatness, to mark the first morning of Eid al-Adha on Friday. In Gaza, the holiest of the two major Muslim holidays is traditionally a time for communal worship, the sacrifice of lambs, and shared meals. Families gather around piles of bread baked on the saj and morsels of liver fresh from the slaughter. But this year in Khan Younis, there was no feast. No lambs to sacrifice. No smell of meat cooking, no joyful reunions. The celebration, stripped of its customs, pressed on in grief. 'We don't eat meat, we don't eat liver, we are not happy like other times waiting for the Eid with joy,' Eftarag Abou Sabaa told NBC News' team in Khan Younis. Rather than the ritual sacrifice of a lamb, Abou Sabaa said, 'We sacrifice the blood of martyrs. We sacrifice our sons, our daughters, and our mothers; we sacrifice ourselves in a way that sets us apart from other people.' That morning, crowds moved quietly to the Khan Younis cemetery to visit loved ones lost to the war, and greeted each other by the tombstones of children, parents, and friends. Only the buzz of Israeli drones overhead filled the solemn silence. 'This is not an Eid of joy; it is an Eid of mourning and death,' Ahmed Darwish, displaced from Rafah to west Khan Younis, told NBC News as he stood beside the graves. 'Our children and women are in pieces. Instead of sacrificing animals, we collected body parts this morning.' On Eid, Israeli strikes continued as families wept by the bodies of their loved ones, killed before celebrations could begin. Reda Abdel Rahim Eljara told an NBC News team that Israeli air strikes had already killed her husband and one of her sons. On the first day of Eid al-Adha, she lost two more sons and her daughter-in-law. "Three months ago, on Eid al-Fitr, my son Qais got married," she told NBC News. "Today, on the main Eid, he is martyred with his wife." Umm Ahmad Al-Qatati said her son, Omar, 11, was shot as he left his tent to shower and get ready for a visit to see his father. 'He was so excited for Eid morning, but they sent him to the morgue instead,' she said. "Instead of celebrating Eid, he went to be with his Lord." Those for whom death had not come, trudged forward. At the ruins of al-Albani Mosque, Thaer al-Salmi, 14, continued to pray. "We try to find some joy by praying and wearing a few clothes to feel the Eid spirit," he said. 'I hope this war ends, and that next Eid will be like it was two years ago — a real celebration without war.'
STV News
2 days ago
- STV News
Eid al-Adha brings Glasgow's diverse Muslim communities together in annual celebration
Eid al-Adha, one of the most significant occasions in the Islamic calendar, has begun for Muslims worldwide. The annual event marks the sacrifice made by the Prophet Ibrahim, celebrated through a special animal sacrifice known as Qurbani – traditionally a sheep or goat – alongside prayers and acts of charity. The festival also marks the conclusion of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj, and will continue until Tuesday evening. Thousands of worshippers gathered at Glasgow's Central Mosque for special prayers. Muslim Council of Scotland's Omar Afzal told STV News: 'It's a key date within the Islamic calendar. It comes a day after the Hajj, which is when the pilgrims gather on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca and perform certain rituals to fulfil the pilgrimage. 'Many of the rituals come from the time of the Prophet Ibrahim.' Outside the mosque, worshippers mingled with family and friends, many wearing traditional attire from countries including Libya and Nigeria. Meanwhile, in Bridgeton, the Sudanese Muslim community came together at a makeshift mosque. Sudan has been embroiled in civil war since April 15, 2023, following tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which escalated into widespread fighting in Khartoum and other areas. STV News A mosque for the Sudanese community in Bridgeton Mahomed Arkou said: 'The war affected me because now for more than 25 Eids, I'm celebrating outside Sudan. 'I'm not able to go back home because of insecurity, because of the war. The situation is very difficult.' Feasting is a big part of Eid, with families gathering to to pray and share food in the spirit of generosity and faith. Feasting remains a central part of Eid celebrations, with families and friends coming together to pray and share food in a spirit of generosity and faith. In Glasgow, a small group from the Bangladeshi community gathered in a private home to celebrate. Shari Ali said: 'It's a time where we all come together as a family. Even if we aren't blood-related, they are people we've known for a long time in our busy lives, and we're not able to see each other often. 'During Eid, eating is a time to get to know each other very closely.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE What life is like on the most divided street in Britain's most segregated city... where just one Christian who was born there remains
It is the most divided street in Britain's most segregated city. Stanhope Street - an ordinary-looking road of red brick Edwardian houses in Leicester - is almost equally divided between Muslims and Hindus. Your browser does not support iframes.
