SFC Juan Guerra was a US Army 76Y unit supply logistician assigned to the US Military Advisory Group with the American Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador. He was responsible for the management of the weapons, ammunition, equipment and property issued to the Special Forces advisors serving with the El Salvadoran military units engaged against the FMLN rebel insurgency.

On Feb. 25, 1991, SFC Guerra was onboard the trailing aircraft in a flight of two UH-1H helicopters on a routine support mission to conduct supply inventory visits with military advisors in the eastern part of the country. Shortly after departing from Ilopango Airbase, his helicopter experienced a tail rotor driveshaft malfunction, resulting in the loss of aircraft control and crashing into Lake Ilopango, a deep volcanic lake to the southeast of the airbase. All five Soldiers onboard died in the crash impact.

Killed with SFC Guerra was pilot in command Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul Timmer, copilot Warrant Officer Eric Funderburg and crew chief Sergeant David Coleman from Company B, 4th Bn., 228th Avn. Regt., based in Honduras; and attached door gunner Specialist Marvin Simpson from the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama.

From March 11 to 28, 1991, a joint US Navy-Army team conducted a recovery of the crew and the aircraft. Four of the Soldiers were recovered from inside the helicopter at the lake crash site by a tethered remote-controlled submersible drone. However, SGT Coleman’s body could not be located and he remains missing in action.

The Army in 1996 awarded posthumously the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal to all five Soldiers for their service in El Salvador.

Fallen with SFC Guerra-Llopiz:
SGT David McAuthor Coleman
WO1 Eric David Funderburg
SPC Marvin Todd Simpson
CW2 Paul Stephen Timmer Jr.

Update by the Company B commander in 2024.