New York, you're the one that looks stupid for being so "knee-jerk" critical of people who use the worl "lord".

Thank you for saying that ExYahooUser. You are so right.

This is likely a malfunction of mortar or mortar shell. A real shame, and shows what dangerous work our service men and women do every day.

And I'll add a LORD since it annoys NewYorkCity so badly... lol

Sad sad to see this and read this, for all of those 6 Marines, Condolence to the family that is left behind to mourn their loses, more care should be place in this training this look too sloppy for the Marines, but once again I must said this is a sad sad time their, to see your friend and brothers die,

There were conflicting reports about what happened. According to one account, a 60-millimeter mortar shell exploded in a tube as Marines were preparing to fire it. Another account said that the shell exploded as Marines were picking it up to load it.

Something fishy about that. VERY FISHY.

RIP heroes. Condolences to their loved ones.

Probably not Ryan. I was in tanks for 6 years and on a few occasions had the crap scared out of me by malfunctioning 120mm rounds. These things are dangerous when things go wrong.

Newyorkcity- why do you diminish yourself for acting like such a jerkoff? At least Applejacks expresses sympathy towards those killed & injured.

NYC,

Besides being a jerk, you cannot spell. Only one W in Downton Abbey.

Travis, I think that was Ryan's version of immature attempt at a joke. Lame as it was, don't give him any attention. From here, he looks old enough to either choose to be more mature, or at least be funny if he is going to joke. Failure at both.

Thoughts for the families...... Let's also NOT make this a political issue.

Travis E.
Probably not Ryan. I was in tanks for 6 years and on a few occasions had the crap scared out of me by malfunctioning 120mm rounds. These things are dangerous when things go wrong.

RIP Marines......Hooah!!!

Exactly, as a Grunt myself, I had occasion to hang around mortar squads, and even the 81mm/4-duce mortars were delicate, misfire and evac were common.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzedD1zhrII

Seven U.S. Marines were killed and at least seven wounded...

Four Marines were killed instantly, military officials told NBC News. The two others died while waiting to be flown to the hospital.

That's a bit confusing!

It will be a good idea to leave politics and religion out of it and just think of the human tragedy it is to lose young lives and the lives of their families. My condolences.

in all probability, it exploded while being dropped in the Tube, manufactured by the lowest bidder.

saxon, for sure they were not made in America. What a tragedy.

Over heated tube is a possibility also.

Hotticket-

Nothing fishy here. Ordinance is dangerous to handle. Lots of sad Marine families today. Focus on them, not your conspiracy theories.

Travis E.: I was in tanks for 6 years and on a few occasions had the crap scared out of me by malfunctioning 120mm rounds. These things are dangerous when things go wrong.

Exactly **** happens even in training. This case 7 of my Fellow Devil Dogs are Dead.

Spent 4 years in 29Palms 1st Tank BN, 1st Marine DIV. Delta Company. Nothing worse then trying to clear a 120MM after the round would not fire. When trying to get the round out of the tube and then out of the ****ing tank you can hear a pin drop.

Bless these guys and all they've done for us. Their sacrifices allow us the casual laziness to sit back in safety and pontificate/enjoy life, family etc etc,.

They're with Chesty now, wherever he is.

0351 Fox Co. 2/1

sounds like someone was careless and rolled the shell around too much at some point

HOTTICKET-2304234

There were conflicting reports about what happened. According to one account, a 60-millimeter mortar shell exploded in a tube as Marines were preparing to fire it. Another account said that the shell exploded as Marines were picking it up to load it.

Something fishy about that. VERY FISHY.

RIP heroes. Condolences to their loved ones.

#1.7 - Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:16 AM EDT

Hotticket,

I can understand why you'd think that however, when the explosion happened, I can tell you that the eyewitnesses were probably among the dead.

The percussion of the explosion also sent the surrounding survivors into complete confusion. Basically like wondering around for a little while in La La land so it's very difficult for them to figure out exactly what happened.

There's nothing fishy going on. Unfortunately, the only way to truly train in the USMC, is to occasionally use live rounds. This also happens during the heat of war. Where you'll have a mortar shell go off prematurely killing the group. It's very unfortunate and sad.

RIP Comrades...

NewYorkCity,

Little hard to walk with "both" feet in your mouth huh?!
Especially when you actually diminished "yourself" during the process of asking why someone would diminish themselves. LOL

Lordy Lordy Lordy.........., gotta love it! Heh heh....

I've made the trip from Las Vegas to Reno many times! Pretty boring!

but coming over the hill and looking down in the valley where Hawthorne is located is an amazing site! Hundreds and hundreds of bunkers as far as you can see each sitting on about 1/8th of an acre and the size of a two story building.... a bit scary because the highway goes right through the middle of all of them...

Hawthorne is also home to a Naval Submarine Training facility... even though it's miles from any deep water.

Prayers to the fallen and survivors!

IFF he piks adt mee fo mih tihpoos, he B buzzy alla deh !

Give ol NewYorkCity a break. In their belief their ancestors came down from tree's millions of years ago but that still don't stop them from being a monkeys ass.

My thoughts and prayers to the famalies of the lost service people killed or injured in this accident. I'm here in Carson City, Nevada only an hour and a half away from Hawthorne, Nv. and i can tell you people that this area of the state has had more than its share of incidents in the last few years. We had the IHOP shooting with that nutcase here in Carson City, then we had the air races accident, then we had the Amtrak train derailment, we also had the huge Reno fires, and now this explosion. Whats next?? Top gun goes down in flames?? Maybe we'll just get lucky and everyone will abandon our air base up here at Area51. And yes people...IT DOES EXIST, it's just down the road. I don't suggest you go there thou, they get pissed when you drive up to the gate area.

WE NEED TO GET OUT OF NEVADA NOW!

Semper Fi brothers.

my heart goes out to the friends and family of the deceased.

Few people who haven't served realize how dangerous every day training is. As a former army medic I can assure you we saw training injuries every day. While most were not as tragic as this one, I will never get the taste or smell out of my mind of the bodies of the crew & passengers, from several helicopter crashes I had to respond to. These were soldiers on routine training missions. Training for combat. Training simulates actual combat situations as closely as possible,with reasonable precautions to prevent injuries, all equipment is routinely inspected prior to each exercise. But equipment failure is still a major cause of most accidents. A major purpose of all training is also to cut down on the number of mistakes commonly made by people while using this equipment. Not every effort is going to be successful.

May these fine soldiers rest in peace, our brothers, sisters, sons & daughters. You will be missed. Your sacrifice is what keeps us strong.

Condolences to the families and friends of our lost Marines. Hoping for a speedy and uneventful recovery for those injured. These tragedies are difficult for all Americans.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

I worked in this exact field in the United States Army and we were highly trained to properly handle munitions...I worked with the 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds, and again we were trained how to properly handle and inspect rounds...we were also advised to listen and if we heard any unfamiliar noises coming from the rounds to notify the higher chain of command. Knowing that we never had any explosions around us during my three years in the field is a blessing, and not only did we have to worry about enemy fire, but the dangers involved in trying to protect our own brothers in Arms...my prayers will be with those who lost their lives in this tragic event.

I just moved out of Hawthorne about a year ago to another town with a big base, Fallon, NV. I wondered when I lived there if something like this could happen and it has. I think it is just a matter of time before things go wrong at any base. At Fallon NAS, the F-18's fly almost all day, every day. There will be an incident sometime in the future. That's just the nature of the beast. My condolences to the families.

Hey Tonto Evolution is a fact. Deal with it.

Condolences to the families.

Semper Fi, Gents. My condolences.

Yes, manufacturing defects occur, even in things that are designed to explode. Handling, supply chain, storage, etc. Lots of places for things to go wrong. Apollo 13 explosion happened because someone put a component back on the shelf after he dropped it.

Concur with need to focus on families of the dead and wounded. Families serve too.

"All gave some, some gave all..."

To the U.S. heroes....rest in peace, faithful warriors. Your work is done. THANK YOU for your sacrifice. And to the families left behind, I share in your grief. Praying you'll gain comfort and strength from surrounding angels who fight for you now.

The only thing harder than being a Marine is being the parent, spouse, sibling or child of a Marine because you know each day, whether on foreign soil or on US soil or at sea, each day holds its own dangers. God bless and protect our servicemen and women and pls comfort those who have lost family and friends. USMC mom

PS Anyone who would try to make light or joke regarding incidents like this should be ashamed of themselves.

saxon, for sure they were not made in America. What a tragedy.

Not true. Ammunition is manufactured here in the U.S. at ammunition dumps, such as the one where the Marines were training at the time of this tragedy. RIP, and Oooragh Devildogs!

reno 911;

Youre never having served shows. If you had, you wouldn't have so many foolish questions.

reno,

Boy you have a lot of questions dude...

Everything they do is "training". When in war, you don't have the luxury to relax at all. They train to store munitions just as they're going to store them over in other countries while at war.

Why would troops from the East coast be working in a storage facility if they were getting ready for deployment?

People from all over the Country are stationed "All over the Country". This is America. Not just the East or West coast. When at war, we are one.

Depending on the munition, they store them singularly or in cases. If a case blew up, there'd likely be more injuries. It only takes one to injure or kill many people man.

viet nam,

Give reno a break. He obviously never served but sure is curious and wants to know.

Take care...

reno 911: Look at the Google map and look up Hawthorne Army Depot its not just a depot its also has training areas. Just like most military bases, 29 palms is not just a Base it also has the biggest Marine Training Grounds in the USA. Look at Fort Knox, it just does not hold Gold its also a base and has Training ground too. Foolish Civilians don't understand this don't ever wander onto a Military Property you might find yourself in the middle of a dam minefield so to speak from all the unexploded ordnance.

FYI: When I say Training grounds, I'm talking about Live fire exercise areas.

In 1977, NAD was transferred to the Army, and renamed the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant (HWAAP). In 1980, HWAAP was redesignated as a government-owned contractor-operated facility. Day & Zimmermann Hawthorne Corporation (DZHC) is the current operating contractor. In 1994, the facility received its current name of the Hawthorne Army Depot (HWAD).

Currently, Reserve Marines from 4th Marine Logistics Group (4th MLG) conduct annual training exercises at the Hawthorne Army Depot as well as surrounding desert areas.

By the way Reno911 here:

OCEANSIDE, Calif. – Marines and Navy SEALs are using an Army facility to train for Afghanistan, and soldiers are missing out, two U.S. senators report.

The Army’s weapons depot in Hawthorne, Nev., is an outpost that features high altitudes and high desert — two features that make it a strong stand-in for Afghanistan.

Nevada’s two senators, Democrat Harry Reid and Republican John Ensign, want the Army to take a page from the Corps and expand its training opportunities at the remote post, which lies east of Reno and is the largest ammunition storage facility in the continental United States. .

“We are concerned that the armed forces do not currently have a designated high desert training area and facilities to support preparation for current operations and potential contingency operations,” Sens. Reid and Ensign wrote in a Jan. 27 letter to Army Secretary John McHugh. Hawthorne “is an ideal location for preparing our service members for the terrain, altitude, climate and logistical challenges they currently face in Afghanistan. We are urging you to formally add training support to the (depot) mission.”

The senators asked the Army to add training support to the Hawthorne depot’s mission statement, which has largely highlighted its mission as a key ammunition storage facility. The depot, which spans more than 147,000 acres, falls under the Joint Munitions Command, based in Rock Island, Ill.

Business at the Hawthorne depot has more than tripled from 2008 to 2009, largely due to the regular cycling of Marines who maneuver through as part of extended “Mountain Warrior” training that originates at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif.

Nearly 10,500 service members trained at Hawthorne in 2009, including Marines conducting live-fire training and realistic combat resupply operations with simulated roadside bomb scenarios as well as Army Special Forces units that conduct combat drills, dismounted patrols and other training in the high-desert terrain.

“Hawthorne’s unique ability to simulate the harsh realities of combat make this under-utilized asset a national treasure as our forces fight in preparation for deployments to Afghanistan and other contingency areas,” the senators wrote.

The Hawthorne depot sits at an elevation of 4,330 feet and nearby mountains top 10,000 feet — altitudes twice as high as what combat troops experience when they train at other desert training areas, including the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., the senators noted. The depot land includes Mount Grant, Nevada’s highest peak, which tops 11,224 feet.

“The harsh contours and rocky terrain create challenges that force tactical adaptations that can only be properly rehearsed in that environment,” they wrote. “The roads and trails at Hawthorne closely approximate those our troops will find in Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush.”

At Hawthorne, Marines access training facilities that include high-altitude live-fire ranges, mock villages and urban centers for raids and other scenarios developed by MWTC training planners, and they conduct foot and mounted patrols operating from a forward operating base and small combat outposts

Marine units that sent elements to train at Hawthorne last year include Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, which is slated for Afghanistan duty, and 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, which spent a month away from their home base at Twentynine Palms to train in the high Sierras.

They only load them into trucks. This doesn't add up right.=Thats why it does not add up for you. They were not loading them onto trucks. They were conducting live fire exercise>>> GET IT NOW.

I don't think we should use "live rounds" for training. Why must our servicemen die for training? They could rig something so it could go off as a mock explosive if the training mission don't go as plan. They don't have to use real explosives that can kill them for training. I don't like this at all. Our service men's lives deserve more value and respect than to put their lives at risk greatly during training with explosives.

My condolences and prayers to the families of the deceased and prayers for the wounded and their families.

Look, what happened is a terrible thing. But, the god factor is just nonsense. Any prayer or angel talk is just silly and selfish. An accident happened and people died. It's not complicated. There's nothing spiritual about being dead. It is possible to be a "well wisher" without mentioning your sole mythical beliefs. To you it's real, I know, but, please keep it to yourself out of respect.

Also, soldiers are not automatically heros. They don't protect our freedom. They fight political made wars for US interests. If you served in WW2 or earlier, then yes, you fought for our freedoms. Otherwise, it's a nice fantasy and it is a romantic thought. But, let's be real, please.

No disrespect to the fallen, who knows the truth about the character of the individuals. You don't.

Thom723 in post 1.38 wrote in part: "I worked in this exact field in the United States Army and we were highly trained to properly handle munitions...I worked with the 60mm and 81mm mortar rounds, and again we were trained how to properly handle and inspect rounds...we were also advised to listen and if we heard any unfamiliar noises coming from the rounds to notify the higher chain of command."

Noises? How?

Accidents can happen at anytime. No conspiracy need apply. Condolences to the families and the injured.

But, the god factor is just nonsense

No more of a non sense than an unstable nothingness.

please keep it to yourself out of respect.

so please do the same.

DavyJonesDetroit in post 1.41 wrote in part;"Yes, manufacturing defects occur, even in things that are designed to explode. Handling, supply chain, storage, etc. Lots of places for things to go wrong. Apollo 13 explosion happened because someone put a component back on the shelf after he dropped it."

http://www.space.com/8193-caused-apollo-13-accident.html

Cue Led Zepplin's "Communication Breakdown".

reno 911: Leather neck thanks for the info and the heaping helping of attitude.

Your very welcome and its Leatherneck918, I dont **** with your screen name, dont **** with mine.

huskergal,

Did I introduce and place my spiritual beliefs towards the grief of others? No, I would not do that. I am not selfish like churchy people. I thought I was quite neutral and respectful.

truthgoddess in post 1.53 wrote; "I don't think we should use "live rounds" for training. Why must our servicemen die for training? They could rig something so it could go off as a mock explosive if the training mission don't go as plan. They don't have to use real explosives that can kill them for training. I don't like this at all. Our service men's lives deserve more value and respect than to put their lives at risk greatly during training with explosives."

Its for value and respect in latter aspects of training to do live fire. Simulations cannot generate the innate knowledge reaction that a screw-up can kill you. Secondly, its 'fine tuning'. If a person's going to make a mistake you'd want it to be in a controlled (as best you can) environment where correction(s) can be made before it kills somebody.

The same things done in shipboard damage control and fire fighting training, air crew survival training, and in aspects concerning other career fields.

Condolences to the family, friends and fellow warriors of the deceased. May they Rest In Peace.

To the survivors. Thank you for your service. Best of luck and may you have a speedy recovery.

To all the men and women who have severed. That allows the rest of us to enjoy the Freedoms that we do.

Thank you For Your Service.

God bless and god speed, those things are dangerous.

Devil bless and devil speed. What? Was that rude? No different then changing the word to god.

See my point? Not everyone believes. Try showing some respect for the living too. Non-christians (or whatever you believe in) read and post here too. This isn't your church

USMC Vet-2238128 said:

" Ordinance is dangerous to handle"

Ordnance is even more dangerous to handle.

USMC

'65-'71

RIP brothers

reno 911 said:

"Sad story. R.I.P. soldiers."

Just a small detail;

They were Marines, not "soldiers".

USMC

'65-'71

RIP brother Marines

Did I introduce and place my spiritual beliefs towards the grief of others? No, I would not do that. I am not selfish like churchy people. I thought I was quite neutral and respectful.

I am not churchy. I do not believe in religion. So no, you are not being respectful; just rude and disrespectful to others. Also, I am not judging you. You beliefs are yours and mine are mine. There is no need to belittle anyone; just be tolerant.

See my point? Not everyone believes. Try showing some respect for the living too. Non-christians (or whatever you believe in) read and post here too. This isn't your church

Everyone has a right to post on this site. We are given freedom of speech and religion by the constitution. May I ask who give you permission to be intolerant of Christians? I am not a Christian, but I pray and I pray in secret. It is not in bad taste to say "I'll pray for you." It is only in bad taste to stand there and pray in front of people. I haven't seen anyone here do that, have you?

We should all feel sadness over this loss of life. This is a horrible reminder of the dangers our brave men and women face everyday serving our nation.

As far as all the theories about what happened; let the Marine Corp. investigate then we’ll know the truth about this tragedy. Until then honor all those that have died and those who continue to service… they deserve our respect and support.

To show that you care give to: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

I see why your dissapointed and ashamed A-hole people can say what they want so stfu.

huskergal in post 1..59 wrote, in part;

But, the god factor is just nonsense

"No more of a non sense than an unstable nothingness."

Not true. Creator deities vanish in a puff of broken logic. Believers also insist that their particular deity gets the credit-even if there are much older creator deities. With believers insisting everything must be 'manufactured' the question; "Who created your god" arises with the ever recursive in time line of deities (Its "turtles" all the way down). The first step back disproves the individuals deity from being the "Primary Manufacturer".

The problem is with a deity being exempt from being manufactured this opens the door for the universe qualifying, too. The universe not requiring to be manufactured is much simpler as well as not requiring the 'mind pretzeling' Creator deity(ies) do.

Creator Deities self-destruct on their own. Creator Deities younger than the Babylonian Tiamat-the-Dragon, who's some 5,500 years old, are also eliminated via age.

Objective evidence tracks back to a point to where the laws of physics do not yet exist. I understand mathematics provide some ideas what came 'before'. How to verify this, or even if it can be verified, is the question. Because a question may not be able to be answered now doesn't mean it won't be answered later. The cure of the ancient scourge of Leprosy circa 1945 demonstrates this.

The fate of the universe question, which might also pertain to the 'front end', seems to have some glimmers from recent Hadron Collider data. It will be fascinating to see what they find concerning the structure of the universe-"front end", "back end", "middle" or "none of the above".

Your believing in a Creator is your business, but there's no logic or reason to it. For many people their religion gives them comfort and there's nothing wrong with that.

There's nothing wrong with people who lack belief in; god(s), goddess(es) either.

Kind Regards,

Thank you, sea2see - you said it beautifully! My deep felt condolences to the family, friends and fellow soldiers of the ones who lost their lives. And my prayers and thoughts are with the wounded also. My gratitude and respect to all who serve and have served throughout our nation's history.

@ reno 911

Why are we still deploying troops to Afghanistan?

Not sure other than rotating troops out as their tours end. My nephew (army sniper) was deployed to Afghanistan in December. I think we'll have troops there for some time still despite what the political thumb suckers are telling us.

Condolences to the families of the 7 marines who lost their lives.

Some post here will never know how this is unless they are put in that position period.

How was the sergeant responsible for faulty munitions?

It has to do with the Chain of Command. Sometimes "it" rolls downhill. In this case, the issue is going to go uphill because lives were lost. Someone will be blamed for not properly supervising--they always are--and then the command itself will be investigated for its training history.

Time for a "Safety stand down."

It was a mortar round that misfired. Could have been a variety of causes, including the fact that the round was defective, the tube holding the mortar was defective. They would know until a full investigation is made.

My sympathies to the next of kin. My prayers for those injured.

Semper Fi

My heart just breaks for these young Marines, anytime soldiers are suddenly taken from their loved ones., So youthful and willing to take a bullet to defend America. Even as there are those who insult them, ridicule this great nation these men and women would lay down their lives for. It's just no one plans on dying this way. Yet life can truly be unfair and cruel. Taking such courageous decent soldiers suddenly from our ranks by such awful senseless methods.

God speed these departed souls to their eternal rest.Sympathy,prayers for Peace and strength comfort to all who now mourn. While swiftly healing, with no complications for all those who were injured.From one old Marine to these others, Semper Fi and God Bless.

That remains to be seen. There will be an investigation to determine if the round was in fact faulty, and if the proper SOP was followed. If the marines weren't following SOP, whoever was in command will be blamed. That's how it works.

Windancersong--my friend--you also have said it beautifully! And thank you for your service and for protecting my freedom!

Reno: because that moron in office before Obama got us locked in to TWO unnecessary wars that are difficult for us to disentangle from. It's easy going IN to a war, not so easy going out. Or do you not know your military history?

Oh, and way to go for making another "Blame Obama" post. At a time of tragedy, let's just spill your political agenda out again!

And you just did the same thing !!

Have to be a fool to think that any higher ups care about the peons doing the real work

Or, have to be a fool to read any more into this than just a tragic accident.

I have to wonder why 14 troops were clustered in such a tight area.

Training??

Unless you have been a mortarman, you don't know jack@!$%# about the situation.

There are two safety devices to a mortar round. One that holds the safety pin in the round and the one that pops out as the round leaves the tube. There are two explosive devices on the round, the one that explodes and drives the round out of the tube. The second explodes upon impact at the target.

There is a firing pin at the base of the tube that ignites the charge that expels the round. If this fails to ignite it leaves an armed round in the tube. Now comes the delicate job of removing the round and putting the safety pin in. The tube is tilted so that the round slides out while another catches the round before the second safety releases and reinsert the safety pin.

This is probably where the problem occurred. Some one allowed the mortar round to come out far enough that the arming safety pop out and dropped it on the ground--that was all she wrote as the round fell on the ground. WWII mortarman

Reno,

I don't know about firing mortars................ that's why I asked.

From your previous posts plus this one, it seems to me you are trying to conjure up conspiracy where there is none. Accidents happen, both in civilian life and in the military. So whether its training or no training, or hardware malfunction or human error, the only fact is that its an unfortunate accident.

Wow, a WWII Mortarman, thank you for your service! I served 14 years as a Mortarman, the safeties and such have changed over the years, but the rounds are still very safe. I am wondering myself if the accident happened because of a misfire and the subsequent actions of removing the misfire. I am sure that one the investigation is complete that there will be a sufficient answer.

CNN sucks, they never report the real news

They all Suck!

Please refrain from calling Marines "Soldiers", and vice-versa.

@Gerlacher...Get help.

Thank you Ger, not many know the difference. I was a soldier, my son is a Marine. God bless them all.

Exactly! Many people are unaware that there IS a difference between a Soldier, Sailor, Airman and a Marine. A Soldier is Army, A Marine is Marine..... I was a Soldier, My Daddy was a Soldier, my Son was a Soldier, my Brothers were Marines... and many other family members served in branches of the Military Services.

To Gerlacher and davwin - You both just increased my awareness - thank you.

And likewise, thank you, thoughtfulmichgal.

they are hardly more than mercenaries and deserve to be spit upon.

NewWorldOrder stooge--If you are going to call anybody a mercenary, save that term for those who send our troops into harms way for personal gain (I'm thinking, as an example, of LBJ and his wife owned a lot of the companies that supplied the Viet Nam War) or personal retribution (I will also always wonder if Bush went after Saddam Hussein before going after Osama bin Laden for personal retribution because Saddam tried to kill Bush Sr.--or maybe because there was more oil involved?)

As far as being spit upon--that comment of yours reminds me of the stupid crap protesters did to our troops when they returned from Viet Nam. My recommendation to you is to go see a cranio-proctologist ASAP.

It couldn't have been said any better than that DWoody. Thank you for your service to this great country.

Ditto. DWoody, thank you.

Thank you, DWoody! Your service is so greatly appreciated! My dad was in the Navy towards the end of WWII. He served aboard the USS Hancock. He was an airplane gunner, and also worked munitions. Of all the good things he did in his lifetime, he was the most proud of his service in the Navy.

Well said DWoody ! And THANK YOU and your son for your service !

Thank you and your son for serving our country. I have the greatest respect for you and all those who serve.

DWoody - Thank you and yours for your service. Know that most of us actually appreciate that.

To the families of ALL of our fallen... God bless, and thank you. Your debt can never be repaid.

To everyone who serves or has served. Thank you.

To the sarcastic, know-it-alls... How about you show some gratitude for your right to say whatever you want. If not, then I'll exercise my right by telling you to shut up.

DWoody, thank you for your service and sacrifice. To everyone else, unless you have been in the service or you are a family member of someone in the service, you will NEVER appreciate the sacrifice as much as those of us who have, because you have never experienced it firsthand. As a proud mom of a Marine, my heart grieves with the family members of those Marines....it could just have easily been my son who was there at that time....accidents happen in spite of the training...they train continuously so that in the heat of the battle, they don't have to question or stop and think....they will know what to do...they train in the sun, rain, and dark of night, hot or cold because they never know when or where they will be sent or in what conditions they will be fighting. They could be called out at a moment's notice and they have to be READY. And if you don't think our guys and gals are fighting for YOUR freedom, just where do you think this country would be today if they don't go overseas and fight....you very well could be fighting in your own front yard. I am not saying the military does everything right...there are plenty of mistakes I'm sure...but these guys were training to be the best they could be...we may never know exactly what happened...they are heros just as much as if they were killed on the battlefield. All our military make sacrifices...their wives/husbands, children, parents, and extended family make sacrifices every day...they miss birthdays, Christmas, weddings, births, family celebrations ....yes they know when they sign up that this will happen but actually doing so is not made easier by that knowledge. My heart goes out to the families, they are in my prayers. God bless them all. Semper Fi

My apologies for my ill-tasted sense of humor. I meant no harm, nor meant any disgrace or dishonor. I am thankful for the sacrifices our young men and women offer this nation on a daily basis. I have lost 2 family members and have 4 others who currently serving. I have lost a little brother, and an uncle to military\combat related deaths... I would have gladly have served had I been accepted into Military. But they don't take disabled into their ranks... however they accept their ranks being disabled, but not the other way around.

CMcCrary Jumping off stupid afflicts all humans. its in our nature. Realizing and owning up to those shortcomings often causes embarrasment and discomfort for an individual. Its also commendable as too often now days folks who make stupid choices don't have the rocks to admit it and simply appologize for bad judgement.

CMcrary, I agree with Craigo the Willers of old. We all make mistakes, and I for one appreciate your apology. The important thing for all of us is to learn from our mistakes.

Roger that Bubba!

M-29 could be a "booger bear" trying to get a hang-fire cleared, especially if the fuze is faulty. A few times we had to take the tube out of the base-plate with the round still in the tube. Then place it in a dug out"misfire" pit and hope the fuze train was broken and not a slow burner. The "pucker factor" was definitely there!

Funny is it always happened in training but in real world, all things went well. Perhaps the training ammo was a bit old in this incident, as our training ammo was from the 60s and early 70s. Some of the .50 cal ammo was from the 40s and 50s! Lots of misfires there.

RIP Brothers.

I remember in 94-95 we were firing mortar rounds from 1969...Had alot of misfires with those...

Yes defending your freedoms. Everyone in dot mil takes an oath to defend the constitution. The document that guarantees our way of life. Even yours. To do so with proficiency requires training. Sometimes the training is dangerous. Not as dangerous as the vitriol that comes out of people like you.

Your screen name is right out of the movie Idiocracy.

I'm not an american (thank god)

lol at your constitution, what a joke

LOOZZER: We are very grateful that you aren't an American. Punk

Loozzer......you sure picked the right fake name, so glad you are not "American" and thinking, with your mind set it may be a good idea for you to go back to your homeland.