Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Spence

Died January 26, 2005 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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24, of Scotts Valley, Calif.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; killed Jan. 26 when the CH-53E helicopter in which he was riding crashed near Rutbah, Iraq. Twenty-nine Marines and one sailor also were killed.

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California Marine killed in Iraq helicopter crash

Associated Press

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. — Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Spence was counting the days until he left the Middle East and was reunited with his wife and 4-month-old daughter, his family said.

There were only nine days left when the 24-old-Marine and 30 other service members died in a helicopter crash near the Iraqi town of Rutbah, about 220 miles from Baghdad.

An infantryman, Spence was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He had previously served in Okinawa, Japan, and the Philippines before his deployment to Iraq.

Raised north of Santa Cruz in Scotts Valley, Spence was known as a free spirit with a penchant for making people laugh. After graduating from Beach High School, he worked in construction and postponed enlisting for two years until he felt comfortable leaving his family.

In the meantime, he prepared himself with daily runs. Two years ago, he married his girlfriend, Elisabeth, 22.

“His goal was to win her love and win her father’s approval. He never gave up, and he never looked elsewhere,” his mother, Becky, said.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Spence was ready to join the Marines, his mother said. The day after Spence completed boot camp, he went to get the same Marine bulldog mascot tattoo his father had.

“He always liked looking at it when he was younger and would ask questions about the service,” said his father, Jim, of Scotts Valley, a former Marine. “I felt proud then and still do.”