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Funeral Held At Miramar Cemetery For Marine Killed During AAV Mishap

Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood in this undated photo.
GoFundMe
Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood in this undated photo.

One of nine servicemembers killed last month when an amphibious assault vehicle sank in the ocean near San Clemente Island was laid to rest Friday at Miramar National Cemetery.

Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 18, was among those killed in the July 30 maritime training mission when the vehicle they were in took on water and sank.

Family members say the Portland resident was born in San Diego and grew up in Chula Vista, and died one day before his 19th birthday.

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Sweetwood was honored during a Friday morning funeral that included military honors and a procession from the Patriot Guard Riders.

Eight Camp Pendleton-based Marines, including Sweetwood, and a Navy sailor died in the mishap. Seven other members of the crew survived.

Their remains were recovered after a two-day search, then flown earlier this month to Dover Air Base in Delaware for preparation for burial, with Sweetwood returned to San Diego on Thursday.

A GoFundMe page created by Sweetwood's aunt Niki Stockdale has nearly quadrupled its $5,000 goal.

The amphibious troop-transport vehicle was en route to a waiting ship during a maritime training mission about 80 miles west of Encinitas when it foundered for unknown reasons about 5:45 p.m. July 30, according to Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

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The 26-ton vessel went down roughly 1,600 yards from a beach on the northwest side of the island in water nearly 400 feet deep.

Also killed in the incident were:

• Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 18, of Corona;

• Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello;

• Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin;

• Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, a Navy hospital corpsman 3rd class;

• Pfc. Jack-Ryan Ostrovsky, 20, of Bend, Oregon;

• Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 22, of Harris, Texas;

• Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside;

• Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 19, of New Braunfels.