5 Missing U.S. Marines Declared Dead

December 11, 2018

Tokyo--U.S. Forces Japan on Tuesday declared dead five Marines who went missing after two U.S. military aircraft collided midair off southwestern Japan and crashed into the ocean last week.

The five were the crew members of a KC-130 aerial tanker stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps air base in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

The search and rescue operations for the crew members by U.S. forces, Japan's Self-Defense Forces and others were terminated the same day, the ministry said.

The collision, which also involved an F/A-18 fighter jet stationed at the Iwakuni base, occurred during a training mission off the coast of Kochi Prefecture early

Thursday morning. The two aboard the fighter jet were rescued, but one of them was confirmed dead. Jiji Press