The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced that it will draw upon its Family Disaster Relief Fund and the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Program Fund to aid the families of the crew members of Coast Guard helicopter 6535, which crashed off the coast of Mobile, Alabama on Tuesday, February 28.
The Coast Guard Foundation will also support a memorial service for the fallen, scheduled for Aviation Training Center (ATC) Mobile on Thursday, March 8. This effort is important to the families, the Coast Guard and the community at large, as they gather to pay tribute to the bravery and fortitude of these heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice while pursuing the Service’s core values – honor, respect and devotion to duty.
Three Coast Guard members lost their lives in the accident, and the search continues for the fourth crewmember. The Coast Guard Foundation is assisting these families through its Family Disaster Relief Fund, which provides immediate assistance to families in the wake of a tragedy. Additionally, the Coast Guard Foundation will assist families through the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Program, which provides scholarship support to children of Coast Guard members who die in the line of service to our country.
“At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go out to the crew, their families and the entire Coast Guard,” said Anne Brengle, President of the Coast Guard Foundation. “During good times and in more challenging times, the Coast Guard Foundation is here to support service members and their families. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Coast Guard in grief and sorrow over this accident. To the families, I say, you will not be forgotten. We are here to support you now, in the immediate term, and long into the future, as we help provide education for children through our Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund.”
The Coast Guard service members who lost their lives CG-6535 crash were LT Dale Taylor of Snow Hill, North Carolina; Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Cameron of Portland, Oregon; and Chief Petty Officer Fernando Jorge of Cypress, California. The fourth crewmember, Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight of Thomasville, Alabama, is still missing.
“We are reminded of the risks our Coast Guard service members take every day while engaging in their mission,” continued Brengle. “In the wake of this accident, Coast Guard families need our support to get through this trying time, and the Coast Guard Foundation is here for them.”