Fallen Marine from West Covina escorted to final resting place with honors


WHITTIER >> A massive convoy of law enforcement officers from throughout Southern California escorted the flag-draped casket of U.S. Marine Ruben Velasco of West Covina to his final resting place on Friday night.
Velasco, a 19-year-old private first class and lifelong San Gabriel Valley resident, perished along with two fellow Marines on Aug. 5 in an MV-22 Osprey tilrotor aircraft crash off the coast of Australia.
His devastated family met the airplane carrying Velasco’s body at LAX before a sea of law enforcement officers from throughout the region, joined by Patriot Riders and elected officials, accompanied the family in a silent tribute to Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier.
PHOTO GALLERY
West Covina police, Covina police, South Pasadena Police, Santa Ana police, Los Angeles police, Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers and federal agents were among those taking part in the escort.
Grateful Americans and fellow military veterans lined the route outside the cemetery with flags and saluted the young warrior’s casket as it passed.
A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the SkyRose Chapel at Rose Hills, 3888 Workman Mill Road., followed by a funeral Thursday at 11 a.m.

PHOTOS/VIDEO of escort courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. PHOTOS of Ruben Velasco courtesy of family.

 

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Man killed in double-fatal crash in Downey identified as Camp Pendleton Marine

DOWNEY >> One of two people killed in a pickup truck crash on the 5 Freeway in Downey over the weekend has been identified as a Camp Pendleton-based U.S. Marine, coroner’s officials said Sunday.
Samuel Tristan Flynn, 20, died at the scene of Saturday morning’s solo-vehicle crash along the southbound 5 Freeway, just north of Paramount Boulevard, Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner-Medical Examiner said. Originally from Washington state, Flynn was a Marine based at Camp Pendleton.
A 21-year-old Rancho Santa Margarita woman riding as a rear passenger in the 2002 Dodge Dakota also died in the crash, California Highway Patrol officials said. Her name was not released Sunday pending notification of her family.
A third person riding as a passenger in the truck, a 21-year-old Irvine woman, suffered moderate injuries, officials said.
Flynn was driving the truck at an unknown speed about 4:50 a.m. when the truck veered to the right, left the roadway and struck a tree, California highway Patrol officials said. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

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