Son of former L.A. Dodgers infielder Steve Sax killed in Marine training flight crash

The son of former Major League infielder Steve Sax was one of five Marines killed during a training exercise on Wednesday, the U.S. Marine Corps said.

Capt. John J. Sax, 33 was a pilot and part of a crew of an MV-22 Osprey aircraft that crashed near Glamis, California.

Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, of Winnebago, Illinois; Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, New Hampshire; Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, of Johnson, Wyoming and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, of Valencia, New Mexico were the other crew members who died in the crash.

"It is with complete devastation that I announce that my precious son, Johnny was on of the five US Marines that perished on Wednesday, June 8, in the Osprey Military crash near San Diego," Steve Sax said in a statement. "For those of you that knew Johnny, you saw his huge smile, bright light, his love for his family, the Marines, the joy of flying airplanes and defending our country! He was my hero and the best man I know, there was no better person to defend our country."

John Sax was based in Camp Pendleton, California and received several commendations during his career, including the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

"This is an extremely difficult time for VMM-364 and it is hard to express the impact that this loss has had on our squadron and its families," said Lt. Col. John C. Miller, Commanding Officer of VMM-364.

The elder Sax played 14 seasons in majors, including eight with the Dodgers. He was named NL Rookie of the Year in 1982, made five All-Star appearances and helped Los Angeles win two World Series titles in 1981 and 1988.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Sax, son of MLB All-Star Steve Sax, killed in Marines crash