Wayne County man among those injured in training
A Fremont man is among the eight U.S. service members who were injured during a mortar shell explosion in Nevada Monday night that claimed the lives of seven Camp Lejeune Marines.
Posted — UpdatedA Navy Corpsman, HM3 Ian S. McClanahan was in serious condition Thursday at a Reno, Nev., hospital for what the military says were very serious injuries.
His name was among six released Thursday evening of those injured in the blast at Hawthorne Army Depot in Hawthorne, Nev.
"My heart just dropped when I found out, because Ian was one of the good kids," his high school teacher, Faye Davis, said. "He was one of the ones that you remember."
McClanahan is a 2009 graduate of Charles B. Aycock High School in Pikeville and was a volunteer with Fremont Volunteer Fire Department while in high school.
Former Fire Chief Danny Tillman called him a dedicated and enthusiastic worker.
"It was his nature. He loved helping people," Tillman said. "He was doing what he wanted to do."
Others injured in the blast include Lance Cpl. Sean J. Burke, Lance Cpl. Douglas L. Hand II, Lance Cpl. Myles E. Harris. Sgt. Caleb W. Patton and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ryan P. West.
The five were listed in fair condition Thursday evening.
The names of two others were not released. They were treated for minor injuries.
Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a 60-mm mortar round to explode in its firing tube during a training exercise at Hawthorne, a warfare training facility in Nevada's high desert.
Those injured, as well as the seven killed, range in age from 19 to 26. All of the seven killed were members of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune.
Lance Cpl. Mason J. Vanderwork, 21, of Hickory, was the only North Carolina native killed in the blast.
He joined the Marines in June 2010 and was promoted to his current rank by August 2011. That year, he was also deployed to serve in the war in Afghanistan.
He received several awards, including the National Defense Service Medal.
Also killed were Pfc Joshua M. Martino, 19, of Clearfield, Pa.; Lance Cpl. David P. Fenn II, 20, of Polk City, Fla.; Lance Cpl. Roger W. Muchnick Jr., 23, of Fairfield, Conn.; Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Taylor, 21, of Marietta, Ohio; Lance Cpl. William T. Wild IV, 21, of Anne Arundel, Md.; and Cpl. Aaron J. Ripperda, 26, of Madison, Ill.
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