Frederick Marine Died In Mississippi Military Plane Crash: Reports

FREDERICK, MD — A U.S. Marine from Frederick was one of the 16 service members who died in the military plane crash in Mississippi Monday, according to reports.

Staff Sgt. William Kundrat, 33, served in Iraq and was stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina at the time of the U.S. Military plane crash, News4 reports.

The KC-130 used for refueling spiraled and crashed into a soybean field in rural Itta Bena, about 85 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, officials said. Though the refueling tanker took off from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, Marine Capt. John Roberts said the plane was under the command of the 4th Marine Air Wing, which is part of the Marine Forces Reserve headquartered in New Orleans.

See Related: Mississippi Military Plane Crash Leaves At Least 16 Dead

"I have very good memories of being in Boy Scouts together and going through that process, and growing up," Kundrat's childhood friend Corey Thomas told News4. "He was a Marine from the beginning. I always expected him to follow that route."

Kundrat's mother, Lynda, called him "one of the elite of the elite."

Gov. Larry Hogan took to Facebook to share his condolences to the Kundrat family.

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is about 115 miles southeast of Raleigh and about 20 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.

The station was authorized by Congress just before the start of World War II. It supports the 2nd Marine Aviation Wing, providing, among other services, KC-130 aircraft used for in-flight refueling. The station covers 45 square miles and has nearly 14,000 Marines, sailors and civilian employees.

The crash is still under investigation. The Marine Corps plans to release all of the names of the deceased when all their families have been notified.

See the News4 post here.

Photos credit: WLBT-TV via AP