A pilot gave a special tribute to three Ohio Air National Guardsmen who were among six service members killed on March 12 while supporting Operation Epic Fury.
The pilot drew three headstones and one saluting service member in a flight path near Columbus on Thursday, Fox 9 reported.
The three service members, identified as Captain Seth Koval, Captain Curtis Angst, and Master Sergeant Tyler Simmons, died when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq. They were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing.
A video shows the pilot’s tribute outlined in green as the aircraft drew the figures in the sky:
In a video message posted March 14, Ohio National Guard leaders shared their grief over the loss.
“We lost three exceptional airmen in a tragic KC-135 crash in Iraq and our hearts are extremely heavy,” one of them said, adding the loss was “deeply felt.”
“Today, we honor their service and remember the impact they had on the people around them,” he continued. Another leader said the airmen were “more than just the uniforms they wore.”
“They were our teammates, our friends, mentors who helped make the organization stronger every day. Behind each of them is a family who supported their service. Those families, and the teammates who worked beside them, please know that you are not alone,” he continued:
The additional service members who were killed in the crash were identified as Major John Alex Klinner of Alabama, Captain Ariana G. Savino of Washington, and Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt of Kentucky.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday attended the dignified transfer of the fallen service members, departing the White House on his way to Dover Air Force Base in Maryland, Breitbart News reported.
U.S. Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday the operation against the Islamic regime in Iran remained “laser-focused” and decisive, adding that “we’re winning decisively and on our terms.”
