7 Marines Killed in Training Exercise Identified

March 20, 2013 — -- The seven Marines killed in a training exercise explosion in Nevada this week ranged in age from 19 to 26, most of them veterans of the war in Afghanistan, the military said in announcing their identities this evening.

"We send our prayers and condolences to the families of the Marines and sailors who have been killed and injured in this tragic accident," said Brig. Gen. Jim Lukeman, 2nd Marine Division commanding general, in the written announcement. "Our first priority is to provide them with the support they need during this very difficult time, and we're doing that right now."

The victims were identified as:

Pfc. Joshua M. Martino, 19, of Clearfield, Pa.

Lance Cpl. David P. Fenn II, 20, of Polk City, Fla.

Lance Cpl. Roger W. Muchnick Jr., 23, of Fairfield, Conn.

Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Taylor, 21, of Marietta, Ohio

Lance Cpl. Mason J. Vanderwork, 21, of Hickory, N.C.

Lance Cpl. William T. Wild IV, 21, of Anne Arundel, Md.

Cpl. Aaron J. Ripperda, 26, of Madison, Ill.

Five of the seven joined the Marines in June 2010, with Wild a Marine since October 2010 and Ripperda since September 2008.

Vanderwork's mother, Melissa, told ABC News affiliate WSOC-TV that she had a special bond with her son.

"He was truly my best friend. Not only my son but my best friend and my hero," Melissa Vanderwork said as she fought back tears. "He wanted to see the world," she added.

Chip Watts, Mason Vanderwork's high school football coach, called him a "team player" and a tough individual.

"Pure tenacity. Work ethic. Desire. Whatever the kid did, he did it 100 mph," Watts told WSOC.

VIDEO: 7 Marines Killed in Training Exercise Identified

Late Tuesday, the seven fallen Marines, all from the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Camp Lejeune, N.C., were honored at a memorial service in the small military town of Hawthorne, Nev.

Flags flew at half-staff as hundreds gathered to pay their respects to the Marines, who were killed when a powerful 60mm mortar exploded in a tube during a training exercise.

"For those guys to lose their lives the way they did, in a training exercise, it was horrible," Michael Aulet said Tuesday night at the vigil.

Many in Hawthorne said they heard the sirens and medical helicopters flying in to rescue the Marines. The explosion occurred at the Hawthorne Army Depot 140 miles southeast of Reno Monday when a mortar round exploded in a tube at 9:55 p.m. MT.

The Marines have issued a suspension on the use of all 60mm mortars and their associated tubes while they conduct a review of what caused a round to explode. The suspension will affect mortars used both in training and in deployed settings.

Eight others were also injured in the blast and transported Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno for injuries that included trauma fractures and vascular injuries, hospital spokeswoman Stacy Kendall told ABC News Tuesday.

"I feel sorry for those families. We'll try to do as much as we can for them," Maria Lohand said, who works at the Army Depot and has children in the military.

Hawthorne has a population of approximately 3,000 people, with many personally connected to the military.

"This is Hawthorne. This is what Hawthorne's about. When something happens here we all band together," Michael Sours, a veteran, said at the vigil.

In addition to those killed, a Navy corpsman was considered very seriously injured, the military said in announcing the names of the dead Wednesday night. Five Marines were seriously injured and two Marines were treated for minor injuries and released.

It was not clear where the Marines were standing or what caused the blast, which Brig. Gen. Lukeman said was under investigation.

The Marines had been training at the Hawthorne Army Depot and the nearby Mountain Warfare Training Center for the past month, Lukeman said. The training was not in anticipation of an imminent deployment, he said.

The mountainous desert terrain of the 230-square-mile depot was used as a training location for special forces, since it "provides a realistic simulation of the situation in Afghanistan," according to the depot's website. The depot is also used as a storage site for ammunition awaiting demilitarization.

It takes several Marines to fire a 60mm mortar, and they must "work together to provide constant and accurate high-angle suppressive fire," according to the Marines' website.

The mortar the Marines were using is a "lightweight company mortar fired from a stationary position," Lukeman said.

ABC News' Michael S. James contributed to this report.