Marine Killed in Camp Pendleton Training Accident ID’d

Friday, May 10, 2019

Credit: U.S. Marines

Above: 1st Lt. Hugh C. McDowell in this undated photo.

Military authorities Friday publicly identified a 24-year-old U.S. Marine killed Thursday in a Camp Pendleton training accident.

1st Lt. Hugh C. McDowell, a platoon commander assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, was killed about 9 a.m. Thursday when an armored vehicle overturned at the northern San Diego County USMC station.

Six other Marines sustained minor injuries in the crash.

McDowell, a native of Washington, D.C., accepted his commission as a Marine Corps officer in May 2017. His awards include a National Defense Service Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation, said 1st Lt. Cameron Edinburgh, spokesman for the 1st Marine Division.

"We recognize that military operations are inherently dangerous, and we take extreme precautions to ensure the safety and welfare of our Marines," Edinburgh said. "This is a tragic accident, and we are heartbroken at the loss of a member of our Marine Corps family. We will do all we can to comfort the family, friends and colleagues of Lt. McDowell."

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