A close friend of mine passed today in San Diego. To help his family with travel and funeral costs from San Diego to Caldwell, I am asking you for help.

http://www.gofundme.com/junior

Junior was an amazing man, dedicated to God, his family, and the Marines. Any help you can provide would be sincerely and greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Are his parents the next of kin? If so, they should be receiving an immediate $100,000 death gratuity from the government to cover the cost of burial, travel, and other expenses. That's separate and in addition to the $400k SGLI policy. Are they in contact with the CACO (casualty assistance calls officer)? The CACO should be waiting hand and foot on the NOK and helping them make the funeral arrangements and assisting with other issues relating to payment of insurance, burial locations, and funeral honors.

I too am interested in the desperate need for money when the death gratuity should have been paid already, and the Marine Corps would pay to have his body taken to Caldwell. Is the Marine Corps withholding his death gratuity pending alcohol investigation of that motorcycle crash?

Unfortunately he turns out to have been a recently discharged Marine. Yet another reason why hanging around Twentynine Palms even one day longer than the government requires you to be there is a bad idea.

http://forums.texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp?topic_id=2465578&forum_id=35&page=last#r39088762

Here's a link to an updated version of the report on this accident. Based on the story it appears that Cpl VanHoorebeke was still on active duty (probably on terminal leave) at the time of the accident. If the information released from his unit is correct (service began in Oct 2010) he should have been within the initial term of active duty enlistment since a four year term of active duty is the norm. If so, the next of kin should be receiving the insurance and death gratuity that would come with that status.

http://www.hidesertstar.com/news/article_d6051f70-be87-11e3-b915-0019bb2963f4.html

quote:

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Posted: Monday, April 7, 2014 12:07 pm | Updated: 9:24 pm, Tue Apr 8, 2014.
By Courtney Vaughn Hi-Desert Star | 5 comments
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK— Two motorcyclists were killed after a head-on collision Sunday afternoon at Joshua Tree National Park.
According to the California Highway Patrol, 62-year-old Patricia Root, from British Columbia, was riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle north on Park Boulevard around 1:50 p.m. when she was struck head-on by 27-year-old Elmer VanHoorebeke Jr., of Twentynine Palms.

The CHP concluded VanHoorebeke, a Marine Corporal with the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft wing in Twentynine Palms, was headed south on Park Boulevard on a Yamaha sport bike about 1.7 miles south of the park’s west gate.

He lost control of his vehicle and crossed the double yellow lines, colliding with Root.
Root was pronounced dead at the scene.

VanHoorebeke was flown to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. He succumbed to his injuries a couple hours after the crash, according to a Riverside County coroner’s report.

Both victims had riding partners on separate bikes near them at the time of the crash, CHP Officer Joan Griffin reported Monday morning. Griffin said VanHoorebeke may have been a new rider.

According to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, where he was stationed, VanHoorebeke had served since October 2010.

During his service, he served in Operation Enduring Freedom and received the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign medal, Sea Service Deployment ribbon, the Korean Defense Service medal, a Global War on Terrorism service medal, National Defense Service medal and NATO Medal-International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan.

His Facebook page indicates he attended Texas A&M University.

“The accident is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol,” Capt. Justin Smith, public information officer with MCAGCC, stated Tuesday. “3rd Marine Aircraft Wing was saddened by the news of Cpl. VanHoorebeke’s passing and our condolences go out to his family, friends and fellow Marines.”

The highway patrol does not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors in the collision.

CHP officer Jake Griffith investigated the crash.

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