PHOENIX — Southwest Airlines honored one of Arizona's own: Marine Sgt. Alec Langen, 23, who was one of five Marines killed in a helicopter crash in early February.
Langen's parents have been working at Southwest for 25 years and he hoped to join them as an aircraft mechanic after he finished his service. To show their support for Langen and his family, Langen's funeral service was hosted inside a Southwest hangar in Phoenix.
There were no suits at the service: Guests wore their favorite western wear because as Langen's dad shared, his son said "no one will wear a suit to my funeral."
TAPS was played by a lone bagpiper and the Marines performed a flyby with the same type of helicopter that crashed.
"As we say goodbye to these five Marines, we unite in gratitude, expressing our heartfelt thanks and honoring those who gave their all for our country," Southwest said in an Instagram post.
Authorities said the helicopter, the CH-53E Super Stallion, vanished Feb. 6 while crews were conducting flight training on their way back to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego from Creech Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas. The military confirmed that all five Marines were dead two days after the helicopter vanished.
Langen enlisted in the Marine Corps back in September of 2017. Langen's decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Good Conduct Medal, among others. All five of the Marines killed were in their 20s and Langen was a newlywed.
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