SantaCruzSentinel.com -- A Santa Cruz County Marine died in Iraq Wednesday, in the U.S. military’s deadliest day since the war began.

Lance Cpl. Joseph B. Spence, 24, was killed when a CH-53E helicopter went down in Western Iraq, said Marine Capt. Chris Perrine at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

Spence listed Santa Cruz as his "residence of record," Perrine said, but a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Defense said Spence was from Scotts Valley.

Spence enlisted in the Marine Corps in December 2001, Perrine said. He attended the School of Infantry in March 2002, where he trained to be a rifleman. Spence was assigned to Hawaii that May, Perrine said.

While a Marine, Spence earned the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

He is survived by his parents and wife. Attempts to reach his family Thursday night were unsuccessful.

The Super Stallion helicopter was transporting troops to prepare security for Sunday’s elections. The military is investigating the crash, and it has not given any indication it was caused by enemy fire, officials said.

Twenty-six marines and one sailor stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and four Marines based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego were killed in the accident.

The Pentagon identified the sailor killed as Petty Officer 3rd Class John D. House, of Ventura. House was a 28-year-old who never got the chance to meet his baby boy, born Christmas Eve.

House had written letters home describing the camaraderie and responsibility he felt for the Marines in his unit, his parents told the Ventura County Star.

"In one of the letters he wrote, "I know all of them ... even in the dark, by their mannerisms," Susan House of Simi Valley read, choking back tears. "I don’t know how I am going to deal with losing any of them. It is my job to take care of them and keep them safe.

As of Thursday, at least 1,418 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,085 died as a result of hostile action, the Defense Department said. The figures include three military civilians.