Fourth annual Bayou Lafourche Cleanup set for Saturday
March 12, 2015
Xavier Keion Richard
March 19, 2015
Nearly a decade ago, Lance Bergeron of Thibodaux helped his family cope with the loss of a loved one in the Iraq war.
Now it is Bergeron who is mourned, one of four Louisiana National Guard soldiers killed March 10 when their Black Hawk helicopter went down off the northwest Florida coast during a training mission.
Seven marines were also killed in connection with the same incident.
Bergeron, a staff sergeant, most recently was living in Hammond with his wife, Monique, and their children.
“These Guardsmen represent the best of us,” Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, the adjutant general of the Louisiana Guard said Monday of the four soldiers lost, all members of the 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment. “These are brave men, true men. These heroes’ names will forever be etched on our hearts and in our minds.”
Bergeron was the brother-in-law of the late Sgt. Jay Gauthreaux, who lived in Vacherie and died Dec. 4, 2006 in Iraq while on a humanitarian mission.
According to information released by the Louisiana National Guard, Bergeron’s military service began in 1998, when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Three years later he was a member of the Guard, repairing Black Hawks and perfecting his wing.
A statement from the Guard says Bergeron was extensively experienced “as a qualified enlisted flight instructor, graduate of the aircraft crewmember standardization instructor, aircraft maintainer and warrior leader course.”
The 40-year-old Bergeron was, the Guard statement reads, the crew chief others aspired to be.
Members of Bergeron’s family could not be reached Monday, when the identities of the guardsmen were announced. His funeral arrangements had also not yet been made public. But members of his military family shared accolades.
“Lance was one of the most dedicated crew chiefs that I have ever had the pleasure of serving with during my leadership,” platoon sergeant Brian Marquez said. “As the senior most standardization crew chief instructor in the Battalion, he was a subject matter expert in his job who exhibited an excitement of learning new skills and educating new unit members on the UH-60 aircraft, pilots and crew chiefs alike.”
Marquez described Bergeron as a “very family oriented father and husband.”
“He will be greatly missed,” Marquez said.
Bergeron, a combat veteran, deployed to Iraq twice, serving there from 2004 to 2005 and from 2008 to 2009.
He also served during state deployments for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Isaac, as well as Operation River Guardian.
Bergeron had more than 1,300 flight hours logged, including 377 in combat.
The other Guard fatalities were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 4 George Wayne Griffin Jr., 37, of Delhi; Chief Warrant Officer 4 George David Strother, 44, of Alexandria and
Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich, 26, of Fairfax County, Va.
The marines who died were identified as Master Sgt. Thomas Saunders; Capt. Stanford Henry Shaw III; Staff Sgt. Andrew Seif, Staff Sgt. Kerry Kemp; Staff Sgt. Liam A. Flynn, Staff Sgt. Marcus Bawol and Staff Sgt. Trevor P. Blaylock.
Thibodaux-born Lance Bergeron was among four Louisiana National Guard soldiers killed March 10 during a training mission.
