The U.S. military said late Thursday that after 43 days of recovery and salvage efforts it has concluded its search for the remains of the last of eight airmen who died aboard a V-22 Osprey that crashed off the coast of Japan in November.
Remains of seven airmen who died in the Nov. 29 mishap were located and recovered during the search off the southern tip of mainland Japan, but Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement that the body of Maj. Eric Spendlove could not be found.
“Our eighth airman, Maj. Eric ‘Doc’ Spendlove, was not recovered and next-of-kin notifications were made about the conclusion of operations,” the command said. “The majority of the aircraft was recovered, and Air Force Special Operations Command continues the investigation into the cause of the mishap.”
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Spendlove, 36, was a native of St. George, Utah, and was the medical operations flight commander. He received his commission through the Health Professions Scholarship Program at the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine and entered active duty on July 1, 2017, according to Air Force Special Operations Command.
“Eric exemplified the definition of a quiet professional with steadfast devotion to his family and profession,” Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Pellegrino, 1st Special Operations Squadron commander, said in a…
