Soldier with Las Vegas ties dies in Afghanistan crash

By Mary Manning

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 | 7:22 a.m.

The 66th military member with ties to Nevada has died in overseas wars since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Pentagon said.

It's the second casualty in a week involving a Nevadan, the Defense Department said.

Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez, 23, of Reno and born in Las Vegas, was one of seven soldiers killed Monday when a helicopter crashed in western Afghanistan.

Chavez was with the Army's 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne) from Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

He is survived by his father, Pedro Hernandez; mother, Eustolia Hernandez of Las Vegas; and two sisters, Cristina and Mayra Hernandez.

Hernandez was a flight engineer, the Pentagon said.

The MH-47 helicopter went down in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan, the Pentagon said. The others killed were Chief Warrant Officer Michael P. Montgomery, 36, of Savannah, Ga.; Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyongs, 40, of Spokane, Wash.; Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, 24, of Terrell, Texas; Sgt. Nikolas A. Mueller, 26, of Little Chute, Wis.; Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, 32, of San Diego; and Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, 28, of Medford N.Y.

Another soldier with ties to the Las Vegas Valley was killed last week. Army Pfc. Kimble A. Han, 30, a former Cheyenne High School student from North Las Vegas, was killed in a roadside bomb attack Oct. 23. He had moved from Southern Nevada to Lehi, Utah, about a year ago.