Flags to fly at half-staff in honor of JBLM helicopter crash victims
Gov. Bob Ferguson has directed U.S. and Washington state flags to be flown at half-staff on Friday to honor the four soldiers who died in a military helicopter crash last month.
In the Monday announcement, Ferguson said he is “deeply saddened” by the deaths of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Cully, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Andrew Kraus, Sgt. Donavon Scott and Sgt. Jadalyn Good.
Flags are directed to stay at half-staff at all state agency facilities until sunset or close of business Oct. 17.
The Army identified the four soldiers on Sept. 22, days after the MH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crash near Summit Lake in western Thurston County. Scott, 25, was from Tacoma and Good, 23, was from Mount Vernon; 35-year-old Cully was from Sparta, Missouri, while 39-year-old Kraus was from Sanibel, Florida.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm the loss of four courageous Night Stalkers from the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), who tragically lost their lives on Sept. 17th during a training mission,” Col. Stephen Smith, the unit’s commander, reportedly said.
A news release from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command said the crash was an “aviation mishap,” and that its cause was being investigated.
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