1st Sgt. Julio Cesar Ordonez of San Antonio. Courtesy photo

Special to the Southside Reporter

Four Texas National Guardsmen, including one from San Antonio, and three soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard were killed Sept. 18 when their helicopter crashed in Iraq.

1st Sgt. Julio Cesar Ordonez, 54, from San Antonio, 1st Lt. Robert Vallejo, 28, from Richland Hills, Warrant Officer Corry Ardel Edwards, 38, from Kennedale, and Sgt. Anthony Luke Mason, 37, from Springtown, died in the crash.

Three soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard – Chief Warrant Officer Brady Rudolf, 37, from Oklahoma City, Sgt. Daniel Eshbaugh, 43, from Norman, and Cpl Michael Thompson, 23, from Harrah, Okla. – were also killed in the accident.

The CH-47 Chinook was en route to Balad Air Base after midnight about 60 miles west of Basra at the time of the crash. The helicopter was a part of an aerial convoy flying from Kuwait to the U.S. military base. The Chinook is designed to transport troops and supplies to troops in combat.

The crash is currently under investigation.

The soldiers were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade from Grand Prairie and were called to active duty in June. They completed two and a half months of training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and were deployed to Kuwait in August. The soldiers were to join their unit already in Iraq.

Ordonez was posthumously promoted to sergeant major and is survived by his wife Leticia, sons Julio and Jacob, and daughters Joyce and Judith. Ordonez was born in Honduras and joined the military on April 29, 1982. Before joining the Texas Army National Guard he served with HHC, 6-112th in Arkansas as a helicopter engineer.

Vallejo was posthumously promoted to captain and is survived by his wife Hillary Ann. Vallejo joined the Army National Guard on April 6, 1999. His previous assignments include HHC and D Company 2-149th Aviation, and he was currently assigned to B Company 2-149th Aviation. Lieutenant Vallejo was a pilot.

Edwards was posthumously promoted to chief warrant officer 2 (CW2). He is survived by his wife Nanette, and sons Killian Hunter and Logan Samuel. Edwards joined the military on Dec. 30, 1992. Before his current assignment he served with Company G, 3-149th Aviation, and Company D 2-149th Aviation, as a maintenance officer. He served in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 19 June, 2003 to 30 April, 2004, and was en route to join his unit in Balad, Iraq.

Mason was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant and is survived by his wife Melanie Laree and daughters Ashley Nicole, Jamie Rosalee and Megan Irene. Mason joined the Texas Army National Guard on Feb. 13, 2007, and attended basic training and advanced individual training to become a helicopter engineer. Mason deployed in February to September, 2003, and was en route to join his unit in Balad when the accident occurred.