Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonah D. McClellan
Death: Sep 21, 2010
of St. Louis Park Minn.; assigned to the 5th Battalion 101st Combat Aviation Brigade 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Fort Campbell Ky.; Died Sept. 21 in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash during combat operations in Zabul province Afghanistan. Also killed in the crash were: Army Maj. Robert F. Baldwin Army Sgt. Marvin R. Calhoun Jr. Lt. (SEAL) Brendan J. Looney Senior Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collection) David B. McLendon Navy Special Warfare Operator 3rd Class (SEAL) Denis C. Miranda Army Staff Sgt. Joshua D. Powell Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class (SEAL) Adam O. Smith and Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew G. Wagstaff. Father says Wash. soldier among helo victims The Associated Press VANCOUVER Wash. — A father says a Clark County Wash. soldier is among the victims of a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan that killed nine service members. Rod McClellan tells The Columbian that 26-year-old Army Chief Warrant Officer Jonah McClellan is among the dead. The elder McClellan says his son was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot with the 101st Airborne and grew up northeast of Battle Ground. Jonah McClellan leaves behind his wife Nina and their three small children. His father says Jonah McClellan graduated from Battle Ground's Summit View High School in 2002 and joined the Army in August 2003 so he could learn to fly helicopters. Rod McClellan says his son went to Afghanistan in March for his second one-year tour. The cause of Tuesday's crash was not immediately clear. One of deadliest days in war for 101st Airborne By Jake Lowary The (Clarksville Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle With the deaths of five soldiers in a helicopter crash Sept. 21 was one of the deadliest days for the 101st Airborne Division since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began. The crash announced by International Security Assistance Force officials killed nine NATO service members and injured two civilians. Five of the soldiers were assigned to 101st Airborne Division’s 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. The other casualties were U.S. sailors. The crash is the worst in Afghanistan in four years according to The Associated Press. Tuesday’s crash was the deadliest since May 2006 when a Chinook helicopter went down while attempting a nighttime landing on a small mountaintop in eastern Kunar province killing 10 U.S. soldiers. Fort Campbell spokesman Rick Rzepka said the crash happened in Qalat Afghanistan which is in the southeast corner about 50 miles northeast of Kandahar and is still under investigation. The cause of the crash was not known. ISAF officials have said there was no enemy fire reported in the area at the time of the crash but the Taliban has claimed it shot down the helicopter. The Taliban often exaggerate their claims and sometimes take credit for accidents. According to a news release from Fort Campbell killed were: * Maj. Robert Francis Baldwin37 of New Boston Ill. Baldwin entered the Army in February 1994 and arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2007. Baldwin was an Aviation Liaison Officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company. Baldwin is survived by his wife Danielle M. Baldwin; daughters Rachel and Meaghan Baldwin; and sons Keegan and Patrick Baldwin all of Clarksville. He is also survived by parents Gary and Cheryl Baldwin of New Boston Ill. * Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Gabriel Wagstaff34 of Orem Utah. Wagstaff entered the Army in January 2002 and arrived at Fort Campbell in May 2007. Wagstaff was a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot assigned to Bravo Company 5th Battalion. Wagstaff is survived by his wife Tiffany A. Wagstaff of Clarksville; and parents Ronald and Suzanne Wagstaff of Orem Utah. * Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonah David McClellan26 of Minnesota. McClellan entered the Army in August 2003 and arrived at Fort Campbell in September 2006. McClellan was a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot assigned to Bravo Company 5th Battalion. McClellan is survived by his wife Nina S. McClellan; sons Ayden and Renn McClellan; daughter Ayla M. McClellan; and parents Rodney and Susan McClellan all of Battle Ground Wash. * Staff Sgt. Joshua David Powell25 of New Berlin Ill. Powell entered the Army in November 2004 and arrived at Fort Campbell in June 2005. Powell was a UH-60 Black Hawk crew chief assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company 6th Battalion. Powell is survived by his father David A. Powell of Springfield Ill. and his mother Susan B. Needham of Pleasant Plains Ill. * Sgt. Marvin Ray Calhoun Jr.23 of Osceola Ind. Calhoun entered the Army in June 2006 and arrived at Fort Campbell in December 2007. Calhoun was a construction equipment repairer serving as a door gunner and was assigned to Bravo Company 5th Battalion. Calhoun is survived by his wife Yamili Sanchez and daughter Yohani Sanchez of Fort Hood Texas and parents Marvin Calhoun Sr. and Susan Needham of Elkhart Ind. The 101st CAB deployed in March to support NATO forces in southern Afghanistan. Its roughly 3000 soldiers make up the 20000-plus soldiers from Fort Campbell that are currently deployed. Including the crash 11 soldiers from Fort Campbell Died in the first three weeks of September. Operation Enduring Freedom