THE
THE GEM
THE GEM STATE TONIGHT... AS WE NOW KNOW THE THREE NATIONAL GUARD
SOLDIERS WHO DIED THIS
WEEK IN A HELICOPTER
CRASH.
DURING A ROUTINE
TRAINING MISSION ON
TUESDAY-- THEIR BLACK
HAWK HELICOPTER WENT
DOWN SOUTHEAST OF
LUCKY PEAK IN THE
DANSKIN MOUNTAINS.
THE CAUSE IS STILL
UNKNOWN.
IN THAT HELICOPTER...
WAS 43-YEAR-OLD JESSE
ANDERSON OF BOISE.
HE WAS A SENIOR
INSTRUCTOR PILOT-- WHO
SERVED IN THE GUARD
SINCE 2008.
HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS
WIFE AND FOUR
CHILDREN.
39-YEAR-OLD GEORGE
LAUBHAN
OF BOISE WAS ALSO PART
OF THE CREW.
HIS FRIENDS KNEW HIM
AS "GEOFF"
HE WAS AN INSTRUCTOR
PILOT -- WHO HAD
SERVED IN THE GUARD
SINCE 2010.
HE LEAVES BEHIND HIS
WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN.
THE THIRD HERO -- WAS
43-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW
PELTZER OF NAMPA.
HE HAD BEEN A PILOT IN
THE GUARD SINCE 2005.
HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY
HIS WIFE AND TWO
CHILDREN.
WHILE THIS TRAGEDY IS
DIFFICULT FOR THE
COMMUNITY -- IT TRULY
HITS HOME FOR THOSE
CLOSE TO THE SOLDIERS --
LOVED ONES, LIFELONG
FRIENDS, AND MEMBERS
OF THE GUARD.
OUR KATIJA STJEPOVIC
SPOKE WITH ONE MAN
TODAY -- ABOUT HIS
LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP
WITH GEOFF
LAUBHAN.
KATIJA-- WHAT DID HE
HAVE TO SAY?
THE PEOPLE SPOKE TO
TODAY
TODAY SAID THAT LAHBEN WAS THE KIND OF GUY WHO LIT UP ANY ROOM
WHEN HE WALKED INTO ,
AND THE KIND OF PERSON
THAT THE WORLD NEEDS
MORE OF
2:59 IT HITS HOME
BECAUSE I GREW UP WITH
HIM AND IT MAKES ME
THINK WHAT IT WOULD BE
LIKE YOU KNOW, THATS
LIKE ME NOT COMING
HOME TO MY KIDS
PHILLIP MASON IS A TECH
SERGEANT IN THE IDAHO
AIR NATIONAL GUARD.
HE MEET GEOFF LAUBHAN
IN MIDDLETON IDAHO AT
THE AGE OF SIX...AND
FROM THAT MOMENT...
THEY NEVER GREW APART.
1:21 WE SPENT MOST OF
OUR SUMMERS TOGETHER
WHEN WE PLAYED BALL
AND AS WE GOT OLDER,
WE STARTED PLAYING
SOFTBALL ON THE SAME
TEAM WITH OUR PARENTS
6:25 HE WAS ALWAYS SO
FRIENDLY AND EASY TO BE
AROUND EASY GUY TO
GET ALONG WITH, VERY
OUTGOING , THINK PEPLE
JUST LIKED TO BE AROUND
HIM 6:36
MASON SAYS LAUBHAN
COULDNT WAIT TO BE A
DAD, HE MARRIED HIS
WIFE JEN... AND THEY HAD
TWO CHILDREN CONNOR
WHOS 4 YEARS OLD AND
JILLIAN WHOS NINE
1:58 I REMEMBER WHEN
HE FOUND OUT HE WAS
GOING TO BE A DAD JUST
SUPER EXCITED, OVER THE
MOON, IT WAS THE BEST
THING FOR HIM
LAUBHAN WAS AN
INSTRUCTOR PILOT... WHO
SERVED IN THE IDAHO
ARMY NATIONAL GAURD
SINCE 2010. MASON SAYS
HE ALWAYS SAW HIMSELF
WORKING A JOB THAT
WAS 'ELEVATED'
2:10 HE WAS ALWAYS
SUPER EXCITED TO BE IN
THE MILITARY AND
ALWAYS WANTED TO FLY
HELICOPTERS SO I KNOW
HE WORKED REALLY HARD
TO GET TO THAT POINT
AND WAS SUPER EXCITED
AND HAPPY WHEN HE
GOT THERE 2:22
FOLLOWING IN HIS
FATHERS FOOTSTEPS...
4:40 I WANTED TO SERVE
BECAUSE OF MY DAD AND
I KNOW HE WANTED THE
SAME THING BECAUSE OF
HIS DAD AND HE ALWAYS
WANTED TO FLY SO I
KNOW THAT WAS A HUGE
PART OF WHY HE DID
WHAT HE DID 4:51
A HERO WHO PAID THE
ULTIMATE SACRIFICE... FOR
THE FREEDOM OF OTHERS
6:48 TO HIS FAMILY, I
LOVE YOU GUYS MI
EXTREMELY SORRY FOR
YOU GUYSES LOSS AND
I'M HERE FOR YOU, ME
AND MY FAMILY, WE ARE
ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU
7:00 7:06 MYSELF, MY
FAMILY, WE LOVE YOU
GUYS AND JEFF
NOW
NOW I
NOW I HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH GEOFF'S WIFE, JEN.
SHE IS STILL PROCESSING
EVERYTHING... BUT SHE
DID SEND ME THIS
STATEMENT FROM ONE OF
GEOFF'S BEST FRIENDS,
JASON HUNSAKER.
ITS READS:
"GEOFF WAS THE FIRST
GUY TO HELP A FRIEND IN
NEED. HE WAS A LOVING
FATHER WHO ALWAYS
HAD TIME FOR ANYTHING
THE KIDS WANTED. A
DEVOTED HUSBAND AND
THE BEST FRIEND ANYONE
COULD ASK FOR. WE
LEARNED TO BE FATHERS
TOGETHER, HUSBANDS
TOGETHER, AND FRIENDS
TOGETHER. HE WILL BE
MISSED MORE THAN
WORDS CAN DESCRIBE."
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