LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The body of a young local soldier killed earlier this month in Afghanistan will return home this week, with a procession planned through the streets of Kelseyville and Lakeport on Tuesday and a separate public memorial service to take place next weekend.
Sgt. Richard Allen Essex, 23, of Kelseyville died on Thursday, Aug. 16, in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, as Lake County News has reported.
Essex's body will be returned to Lake County on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by Operation Tango Mike on behalf of Essex's family.
Essex, a door gunner on the helicopter, was serving in the U.S. Army, and was assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, based at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Along with Essex, the crash killed 10 others, including six other members of the US military. Officials have said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Essex was a 2008 graduate of Kelseyville High School, a poet, musician, artist and athlete.
Based on Essex's wishes, a procession will travel through Kelseyville, past Kelseyville High School, and then through Lakeport.
Community members are asked to pay their respects and honor Essex by lining Main Street in Kelseyville at 12 p.m. and Main Street in Lakeport at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday.
On Saturday, a special public memorial service for Essex will be held at Kelseyville High School, 5480 Main St.
Essex's family invites the community to honor and celebrate his life at the service, which will begin at 11 a.m. on the school's football field.
The gates will open at 8 a.m. to fire, law enforcement and military personnel for vehicle staging. At 10 a.m. the gates open to the public.
Additional details of the procession and services will be posted as they become available.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .