HAMPSTEAD, NORTH CAROLINA: A 19-year-old teenager from Madison was one of three US Marines, who were mysteriously found dead in a gas station car park in North Carolina. The three lance corporals were discovered unresponsive inside a privately owned four-door Sedan, parked at the Speedway gas station on US Highway 17 in Hampstead, about an hour's drive from where they were stationed at Camp Lejeune.
Authorities discovered the victims just after 9 am on Sunday, July 23, when the Pender County Sheriff's Department responded to a missing person complaint involving one of the marines. They were pronounced dead on the same day, and an investigation into the circumstances is ongoing, authorities confirmed. The military has identified victims as Tanner J Kaltenberg, 19, of Madison, Wisconsin; Merax C Dockery, 23, of Pottawatomie, Oklahoma; and Ivan R Garcia, 23, of Naples, Florida. All three marines were motor vehicle operators, who served with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, and the 2nd Marine Logistics Group.
Who was Tanner J Kaltenberg?
Military authorities stated that Lance Corporal Kaltenberg entered active duty in May 2021. He recently posted on social media about enjoying a 'fun' deployment to Setermoen Leir in Norway. To celebrate his deployment, the teen posted pictures of himself in military gear against the backdrop of the Northern Lights and snowy mountains. "I couldn’t post these in Setermoen Leir cause I would’ve gotten in trouble but we are coming down to the last days of deployment and it has been a blast," he wrote in the post caption. Prior to being stationed at Camp Lejeune, Kaltenberg was stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.
Kaltenberg attended Verona Area High School and played baseball and hockey throughout his scholastic sports career, according to Madison-area press accounts. Kaltenberg's military honors include the National Defence Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Medal, the Navy Arctic Service Ribbon, and the Global War on Terror Service Medal, as per JS Online. Kaltenberg's devastated sister Brianna Windisch paid him a moving tribute with an emotional post that said, "Our whole world is flipped upside down right now. I miss you fiercely bro… it’s never goodbye, it’s see you later. I love you so much."
'There’s nothing to believe it to be foul play'
The Sheriff's Sergeant Chester Ward told The Associated Press that no drugs were found in the vehicle and that there is no threat to the community. "There’s nothing to believe it to be foul play or anything," Ward said, adding "We’re waiting for an autopsy report, but we have an idea of probably what happened." Brigadier General Michael McWilliams, commanding officer of the Second Marine Logistics Group, also mourned the saddening death of three marines, saying "My deepest sympathy and condolences are extended to the family, friends, and colleagues of Lance Corporal Kaltenberg, Lance Corporal Dockery and Lance Corporal Garcia. Our focus is providing the necessary resources and support to those impacted by their tragic loss as they navigate this extremely difficult time."
