Erika I. Ritchie
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Past articles by Erika:
One of the first Black Marines finally gets his Congressional Gold Medal
Nearly 20,000 Black Marines went through boot camp at segregated Montford Point → Read More
The Navy's newest amphibious assault ship just rolled up in San Diego
After a trip around South America, the USS Tripoli has arrived in San Diego and will be used to deploy Marines and their aircraft worldwide → Read More
Marines have joined the fight against California's raging wildfires
Marines with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing are assisting with the Slink Fire in the Sierra Nevada → Read More
The Marine Corps has launched two investigations into its deadliest AAV training accident ever
Military officials have launched two investigations to determine why an amphibious assault vehicle sank recently during training off San Clemente Island, killing nine of its crew in what is now being called the deadliest training accident in the history of this legacy Marine Corps seafaring vehicle → Read More
Ceremony held at Camp Pendleton for Marines and sailor killed in tragic AAV sinking
Marines and sailors at Camp Pendleton honored the men lost when their seafaring amphibious assault vehicle sank off San Clemente Island → Read More
Community outpouring helping families of men who died in Marine AAV training exercise
Hundreds gathered at a vigil at Del Mar Beach on Camp Pendleton to remember the eight Marines and one sailor who died when an amphibious assault vehicle sank off San Clemente Island → Read More
With honor ceremony, Marines and sailor who died in ocean training exercise are flown to Dover Air Force Base
The flag-draped caskets of seven Marines and a sailor who died when their seafaring vehicle sank off San Clemente Island headed to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday, Aug. 12 → Read More
How the missing Marines, sailor and amphibious vehicle were found
A U.S. Navy diving and salvage ship is on its way to the northwest end of San Clemente Island to begin recovering eight servicemen and a amphibious assault vehicle found after several days searching the seafloor → Read More
Bodies of Marines and sailor missing in deadly AAV mishap found off San Clemente Island
The bodies of seven Marines and a sailor who disappeared when their seafaring military vehicle sank in deep water off San Clemente Island during a training exercise last week have been found, officials announced this afternoon, Aug. 4 → Read More
Marine aviation support unit cases its colors amid push for a 'lighter and faster' Corps
A 3rd Marine Air Wing support unit was deactivated on Friday, July 17, at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar → Read More
Meet the Navy's newest amphibious assault ship for a 'leaner and meaner' Marine Corps
The Navy commissioned its newest amphibious assault ship on Wednesday, July 15, one designed to better deploy Marines and their aircraft from the ocean → Read More
Marine airlifted to hospital for self-inflicted gunshot at Twentynine Palms has died
A Marine found Tuesday, morning July 7, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center – Twentynine Palms, has died → Read More
2,000 Camp Pendleton Marines deploy to the Middle East as crisis response force
Four elements of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are now in Kuwait and will operate under U.S. Central Command as a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response-Central Command → Read More
‘Operation Buck Rogers’ — How Camp Pendleton Marines use drones to preserve local wildlife
“We can take a military tactic to survey wildlife ... As a wildlife manager, I would never have thought of that.” → Read More
Decorated Marine commander of legendary Darkhorse Battalion dies after sudden illness
Lt. Col Geoffry Hollopeter, a respected leader in the Marine Corps, died on April 3 after going into cardiac arrest, Marine Corps officials announced Tuesday, April 28. → Read More
USNS Mercy has treated only 54 patients since arriving in LA. Now it's sending sailors ashore to help with COVID-19
40 medical crew members will help COVID-19 patients at a nursing home home in LA. USNS Mercy has treated 54 non-COVID patients so far. → Read More
A year after this Marine disappeared on a hike, his family is still unsure what happened
Matthew Kraft, a platoon leader with the 1st Battalion/7th Marines at Twentynine Palms, part of the 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, disappeared after taking leave from the Marine Corps for a two-week backcountry ski trip along the High Sierra Route starting Feb. 24, 2019 → Read More
Family of Marine missing in the Sierras since February wants to resume search now that snow has melted
First Lt. Matthew Kraft's family hopes his body can be found now that snow has melted. → Read More
Fatal training accidents are the rise. Now the families of the fallen are pushing lawmakers to do something about it
They have banded together with families of other rollover victims to push lawmakers into action — to determine what's causing the rise in training accidents and how they can be curtailed → Read More
Camp Pendleton's Darkhorse Battalion is getting a permanent memorial
A plan to create a permanent monument for Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion/5th Marines — a unit Laguna Hills adopted in 2008 — is moving forward → Read More