Family mourns SoCal soldier killed in Kentucky helicopter crash

Unanswered questions have continually robbed Margaritta Gayo of sleep as she tries to grasp her brother's death tragic death.

"I need an answer," she said. "Like what happened? Where, why did it happen? How?" 

Gayo's youngest brother and best friend Sergeant Isaac John Gayo died during a medical evacuation training exercise near Fort Campbell, which rests on the Tennessee and Kentucky border. He was among the nine soldiers from the Army's famed 101st Airborne Division who died when their two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed last Wednesday.

"I told them just give me an answer if my brother is ok," said Gayo. "I don't need a lot of like words telling me this or that. And he said that my brother passed away in that accident."

The Gayos emigrated from the Philippines with their father in 2012. Their mother is still in their home country and is the main reason Isaac enlisted in 2019, said Gayo. 

"He wanted to give my family a good life, a successful life, especially my mom," said Gayo. 

Gayo's brother even bought her a home. This selflessness — this generosity — was one of Isaac's core beliefs.

"He said 'I am so excited for you. You are going to have a new home,'" Gayo recalled her brother saying. "He was always like that. The last time he said like I will be there and now he's gone."

An aviation safety team with the United States Army is investigating what led to the fatal crash. As the Gayo family waits for answers, they're trying to find peace and closure. 

"It's hard but we need to accept," said Gayo. "I always tell my mom that we need to accept what happened to him maybe his mission is done and he was already successful in giving you a good life."

Gayo said the Army is helping with funeral arrangements but right now nothing is set because of the investigation. A major that oversees Fort Campbell released a statement that said in part they are joining the families in their grief and loss of the fallen soldiers.