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Marine captain from Huntingdon Valley killed in helicopter crash

The Marines were practicing desert landings when their helicopter crashed Tuesday

Capt. Samuel A. Schultz,  28, of Huntingdon Valley, was one of four Marines killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in California.
Capt. Samuel A. Schultz, 28, of Huntingdon Valley, was one of four Marines killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in California.Read more3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

A 28-year-old captain from Huntingdon Valley was identified Thursday as one of four Marines killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California during a training mission this week near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Samuel A. Schultz was a pilot assigned to the Third Marine Aircraft Wing's 465th Squadron out of Miramar Air Station. He joined the Marine Corps in May 2012.

Schultz had previous assignments in Florida, Texas, and North Carolina. He previously was deployed with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Also killed were 27-year-old First Lt. Samuel Phillips of Pinehurst, N.C., 33-year-old Gunnery Sgt. Richard Holley of Dayton, Ohio, and 24-year-old Lance Cpl. Taylor Conrad of Baton Rouge, La.

The Marines were practicing desert landings when their CH-53E Super Stallion crashed about 2:35 p.m. Tuesday in a remote area about 15 miles west of El Centro.

The heavy lift helicopter had departed the Marine training bases at Twentynine Palms to practice "aircraft landings in unimproved zones," the Marines said in a news release.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

"The loss of our Marines weighs heavy on our hearts," said Maj. Gen. Mark Wise, commanding general of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing, in a statement. "Our priority is to provide support for our families and [Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465] during this critical time."

The CH-53E Super Stallion is the largest helicopter in the U.S. military and has been in service for more than 30 years. It is used for mine-sweeping and transport, and can carry dozens of troops and tons of cargo.

This article contains information from the Associated Press.