Flying was a dream and a passion for Marine Corps Capt. Benjamin Sammis.
Since he was 10, Sammis had wanted to take to the skies. In 1999, the native of Rehoboth, Mass., earned his wings after graduating from The Citadel.
The 29-year-old, who lived in Vista with his wife, Stacey, died Friday when a Super Cobra attack helicopter crashed during combat operations southeast of Baghdad.
"He was doing his dream. He knew the risks were there, but he loved doing what he was doing," said Bruce Morris, a family friend.
Sammis' wife, whom he met in basic training, issued a short statement that touched on his love of flight. "Sometimes in life, you are lucky enough to find and marry your best friend. Ben and I were that lucky. He was the most gentle, loving and kind man I know. He loved flying and he loved his country."
The crash is under investigation; some news reports indicate the AH-1W gunship may not have gone down in combat.
Relatives of another pilot, Capt. Travis Ford, who also died in the crash, said the Super Cobra crashed in the darkness after hitting a target in central Iraq.
Sammis, the middle of three sons born to a Marine drill sergeant, excelled in sports while growing up in Rehoboth, a town of 10,000 in southeastern Massachusetts.
He raced sailboats and yachts, played soccer and tennis, was an Eagle Scout and performed in school plays, his high school American history teacher Bill Cute said.
He loved to teach younger kids to sail and enjoyed seeing their confidence grow, Morris said.
Sammis joined the Marine Corps in 1995. His death was the first Rehoboth war-related casualty since Vietnam, Cute said.
– By Angela Lau
