Ohio sailor killed in crash near Japan was to retire soon

The cousin of a U.S. Navy sailor from Ohio says the 37-year-old man was three months shy of retiring when he was killed this weekend in a collision between a destroyer and a container ship off Japan.

Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr. was among seven sailors killed aboard the USS Fitzgerald on Saturday. He was from Elyria, roughly 25 miles west of Cleveland.

Brad Rehm tells The Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria (http://bit.ly/2sO3goB ) that word of his cousin's death was shocking.

Gary Rehm is survived by his wife, Erin.

He was part of a crew of nearly 300 aboard the destroyer when a Philippine-flagged container ship collided with it early Saturday. Authorities declined to speculate on a cause.

A delay in reporting the collision is under investigation.

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