Community members take part in the Gundam 22 Memorial 5K Run at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Hundreds of runners gathered Wednesday morning at this airlift hub in western Tokyo to honor eight airmen who died when a CV-22 Osprey went down off Japan’s coast a year ago.
The memorial run, consisting of three laps around the base golf course, marked the anniversary of the Nov. 29 crash of the tiltrotor assigned to Yokota’s 21st Special Operations Squadron. The tragedy led the U.S. military to ground its fleet of about 400 Ospreys between Dec. 6 and March 8 while investigators examined the cause.
The accident investigation found a catastrophic mechanical failure at fault, compounded by a “lack of urgency” by the crew at the time, according to the accident report.
Yokota’s Ospreys remained grounded until July 2 — 216 days after the crash. Now, the squadron has resumed operations, and its tiltrotors can be seen flying overhead once again.
Service members take part in the Gundam 22 Memorial 5K Run at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Lt. Col. Matthew Davis, commander of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, addresses runners ahead of the Gundam 22 Memorial 5K Run at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Community members prepare to take part in the Gundam 22 Memorial 5K Run at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Ahead of Wednesday’s run, airmen gathered in a parking lot to recite the names of their fallen comrades:
• Maj. Jeffrey Hoernemann, 32, of Andover, Minn.
• Maj. Luke Unrath, 34, of Riverside, Calif.
• Maj. Terrell Brayman, 32, of Pittsford, N.Y.
• Maj. Eric Spendlove, 36, of St. George, Utah
• Tech. Sgt. Zachary Lavoy, 33, of Oviedo, Fla.
• Staff Sgt. Jake Turnage, 25, of Kennesaw, Ga.
• Staff Sgt. Jake Galliher, 24, of Pittsfield, Mass.
• Senior Airman Brian Johnson, 32, of Reynoldsburg, Ohio
“They mattered because we matter,” Col. Richard McElhaney, commander of Yokota’s 374th Airlift Wing, said addressing the runners. “Everything we do here matters.”
Community members take part in the Gundam 22 Memorial 5K Run at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
Community members take part in the Gundam 22 Memorial 5K Run at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Nov. 27, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
The memory of the fallen weighed heavily on the runners’ minds, Lt. Col. Matthew Davis, commander of the 21st Special Operations Squadron, said after the event.
Davis recalled how the Yokota community rallied around his unit after the accident.
“We were able to get back on our feet and continue our mission, which is important for this theater, because of the support of the base,” he said.
Since resuming operations, the Osprey squadron has trained for missions such as hostage rescue and humanitarian assistance, Davis said. He credited the broader Yokota community for the squadron’s resilience, noting the immediate outpouring of support after the accident.
People brought food and drinks to the squadron, he said, and mental health professionals and chaplains also provided support.
Among the runners was Megan Rollins, whose husband is a firefighter at Yokota. She wore a “Gundam 22” shirt, referencing the crashed Osprey’s call sign, and reflected on the fallen airmen’s families.
“I was praying for the names of all the guys and thinking about their family members,” she said. “This time of year is probably going to be somber for them for a couple of years, but hopefully, one day, it will be filled with happy memories of their lost loved ones.”
