Community Corner

Miami Coast Guard Remembers Fallen Guardsmen

The annual ceremony included a wreath laying.

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Paul Scicchitano, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge

MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard remembered its fallen Guardsmen during a ceremony on Wednesday at Miami Opa-Locka Executive Airport.

Coast Guard Air Station Miami hosted the remembrance ceremony to honor air crew members who lost their lives in the line of duty in the Miami area.

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Navy Lt. Larry J. Brant, chaplain, gives the keynote speech at the Coast Guard Air Station Miami remembrance ceremony.

One tragedy occurred on Jan. 17, 1979 when a Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard was involved in a midair collision during its landing descent with a civilian helicopter that was in a takeoff climb. Both aircraft were cleared by the tower along parallel flight paths, but were not advised of each other.

The Guard lost Lt. R.G. Ausness, Lt. R.C. Shearer Jr., Petty Officer 1st Class R.E. McClain and Petty Officer 3rd Class J.B. Case in the collision.

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A wreath and flowers were placed on a memorial.
Another loss for the Guard came on Feb. 1, 2001 when Coast Guard Auxiliarists Casey Purvis and Robert Fuller were killed as a Piper PA-32 was performing night intercept training with an Air Station Miami HU-25 Falcon jet crew.
During the flight, the auxiliarists entered the clouds and subsequently crashed, according to the Coast Guard.

Photos courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard

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