Military authorities Friday publicly identified a 24-year-old U.S. Marine who was killed this week in a training accident at Camp Pendleton.
1st Lt. Hugh C. McDowell, a platoon commander assigned to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, was fatally injured when an armored vehicle overturned at the northern San Diego County USMC station about 9 a.m. Thursday.
Six other Marines suffered minor injuries in the crash.
McDowell, a native of Washington, D.C., accepted his commission as a Marine Corps officer in May 2017. His awards include a National Defense Service Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation, said 1st Lt. Cameron Edinburgh, media officer for the 1st Marine Division.
“We recognize that military operations are inherently dangerous, and we take extreme precautions to ensure the safety and welfare of our Marines,” Edinburgh said. “This is a tragic accident, and we are heartbroken at the loss of a member of our Marine Corps family. We will do all we can to comfort the family, friends and colleagues of Lt. McDowell.”
— City News Service
