LEFLORE COUNTY, Miss. (WSVN) — A day after a U.S. military plane crashed into a Mississippi field, a man stopped on the side of the road to honor the 16 service members who were killed.
“I’m out here today to show my respect for the fallen. Felt in my heart to come out and honor them,” David Weeks told Fox 13.
According to the Marine Corps, the KC-130 refueling aircraft “experienced a mishap” when it went down Monday afternoon, killing 15 Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were aboard.
On Tuesday, Weeks stood just a few hundred yards away from the crash site to play “Taps” on his trumpet. The song is played at U.S. military funerals and memorials.
Weeks is a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group that serves as an honor guard at service member funerals. He says he joined the group as a way to honor his father, who fought in World War II.
“These men and women join the service not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of our country. They made the sacrifices, willing to just lay everything on the line,” Weeks said. “They put their lives on the line every day for us, and I think more Americans ought to be more appreciative of them.”
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but officials do not believe foul play was involved.
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