Deaths Of 2 RivCo Servicemen Recalled After General Admonished

CAMP PENDLETON, CA — The U.S. Marine Corps announced Wednesday that another high-ranking officer has been relieved of duty over an ocean-training accident that killed nine service members near San Clemente Island last summer — including two servicemen from Riverside County.

Nineteen-year-old Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra of Corona and Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside were among the Camp Pendleton-based troops killed when their landing craft sank during the training mission off the San Diego coast.

Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi, who was commander of the 1st Marine Division when the 26-ton amphibious-assault vehicle went down, had been assigned to the post of inspector general of the Marine Corps following the disaster.

Last month, Gen. David Berger, commandant of the USMC, suspended Castellvi from all military duties. Berger's latest decision regarding Castellvi permanently removed him from the IG position, USMC public affairs Maj. Jorge Hernandez said.

"In addition, the commandant took adverse administration action against him," Hernandez said. "The commandant personally and formally counseled him for his failure to properly train the Marines and sailors for whom he was entrusted and for the inadequate evaluation of the AAV platoon before it was attached to the 15th (Marine Expeditionary Unit)."

Such a reprimand "typically prevents an officer from being promoted or serving in a role where he/she would be charged with the responsibility of caring for Marines and sailors," the spokesman noted.

Eight Marine Corps riflemen and a Navy hospital corpsman ranging in age from 18 to 22 died when the amphibious troop-transport vessel foundered late on the afternoon of July 30 during the maritime training mission about 80 miles west of Encinitas and went down in water nearly 400 feet deep.

Seven members of the crew aboard the AAV were able to escape the sinking craft and survived.

The body of one Marine was recovered shortly after the accident. The naval Undersea Rescue Command recovered the other victims' remains from the sea floor eight days later.

According to a GoFundMe page established for Villanueva's family, the Marine was committed to his service.

"I served with Nova with FAST Co. Bravo Co. 4th plt and deployed to Bahrain with [Villanueva]," the page read. "He constantly exemplified what hard work and what 'Right' looks like as Marine. Nova was more than kind-hearted and always was cracking jokes. These are some things that he should be remembered for forever."

In a statement, Baltierra's mother said, "My one and only son, who radiated positivity and expressed his wonderful smile to everyone he met."

On Aug. 12, the remains of all the men were transferred from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to Dover Air Force Base. Military pallbearers escorted each of the late servicemen's caskets aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 bound for the Delaware base for preparation for burial, after which they were released to their families for final arrangements.

In March, the commanding officer of the 15th MEU, Col. Christopher Bronzi, was relieved of command "due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command following completion of the command investigation into the assault-amphibious-vehicle mishap," according to a USMC statement.

—City News Service contributed to this report.