A 22-year-old Marine from Long Beach who had just been promoted to the rank of sergeant was identified as one of four people killed in a plane crash over the Philippines last week, military officials announced Sunday, Feb. 9.
Sgt. Jacob M. Durham, who was an electromagnetic warfare analyst and served with the 1st Radio Battalion at Camp Pendleton, was flying on a routine mission in support of U.S.-Philippine security cooperation activities, officials from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force said.
“We mourn the loss of Sgt. Jacob Durham, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” said Lt. Col. Mabel B. Annunziata, commanding officer of 1st Radio Battalion. “Sgt. Durham embodied the highest traditions of the Marine Corps — exemplifying composure, intelligence, and selfless leadership. He was deeply respected and loved by his fellow Marines. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and his fellow Marines during this profoundly difficult time.”
The Beechcraft King Air 350 crashed on Feb. 6 in the Philippine Province of Maguindanao del Sur and included three contractors for the Department of Defense, military officials said.
“The aircraft was providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of our Philippine allies,” Marine officials said.
Jacob Durham joined the Marine Corps in January 2021 and was promoted to his current rank on Feb. 1. He had been deployed to the Phillippines since October, his parents, Gisele and David Durham, said Sunday.
The last they knew of his location, they said, was that their son had been near Cebu City, then moved somewhere else. He could not talk about his job much, and their last correspondence with him was on Jan. 31, Gisele Durham said.
“Wherever he was at, he would go off base, but he needed armed contractors with him,” David Durham said.
His parents said they were both surprised when he joined the Marine Corps after starting studies at Cal State Long Beach. But his father said his son was committed to the Marines and did his best to measure up.
“When you think of a Marine, you wouldn’t think of Jake,” he said, describing him as weighing 127 pounds at 5’10” when he went to boot camp. “But he went in and loved the Marines. He struggled in boot camp and got stress fractures in his legs and hips.”
But, that, his parents said, didn’t deter him.
“He didn’t quit,” his mom said.
Initially, they said, their son had hoped to join the infantry, but his recruiter told him that not everyone has to have that job. He went into cyberspace but didn’t like that so much and switched to Signals and Intelligence, which his father described as “gathering electronic signals to locate enemy headquarters and their movements.”
“He said it was interesting,” David Durham said, adding that his son had been talking about re-enlisting recently.
While his parents didn’t know much about what he did on his deployment, his mother said her son sent her pictures of various animals recently. There was a feral cat he’d become friends with, and most recently, Jacob texted them a photo of a frog.
“He loved animals,” his mother said.
Jacob Durham was a Long Beach kid who grew up on the water near his Naples home. He enjoyed kayaking, swimming, and playing LaCrosse. He attended and graduated from McBride High School.
His parents said he had a good sense of humor, and his mother said his commanders said he had a “knack for injecting comic relief” when they were doing something stressful.
“He could deliver a punchline,” she said, adding that was a skill he’d gotten from his father.
Jacob grew up as the middle child of three and his parents — who also both served in the Air Force — said he enjoyed the brotherhood and camaraderie of the Marines.
When he was first training to join, Jacob came home from workouts and was proud to report he’d done the minimum required in pull-ups, his father recalled.
David Durham told his son that he’d likely have to do more than the minimum. In the end, his parents said, their son was committed to not failing.
“They (the Marines) seemed to pull the best out of him,” David Durham said.
The Marines arrived at their home on Friday, his parents said, but they were not given much information about what their son was doing when the accident happened.
Jacob Durham’s awards and decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, a Meritorious Mast, and Naval Aircrew Insignia.
An investigation into the plane crash is ongoing.