THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 30, 1994 TAG: 9407300243
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Margaret Blades Lewark never made it to the funeral for her son, Gilbert L. Spitzer. The Elizabeth City woman was so wracked with grief that she couldn't get out of the car for the service 20 years ago.
But Friday, she came to the U.S. Coast Guard base in Elizabeth City for the first time since to attend a memorial for Spitzer and two other civilian workers who were killed July 31, 1974, when a Navy airplane crashed into an aircraft repair workshop.
``I think it was very thoughtful for someone to think of this,'' said Evangeline White, Lewark's daughter and Spitzer's sister.
About 100 people attended the afternoon service at the Coast Guard Air Station's training room.
Among the guests were about 15 relatives of Spitzer, Joseph Spruill Jr. and Maylon D. Jones, as well as a few dozen co-workers who also were on the scene two decades ago when a twin-engine Navy TE2A Hawkeye crashed into the Aircraft Repair & Supply Center maintenance shop.
The Hawkeye's flight instructor, Lt. Cmdr. Oscar E. Lynge, also was killed, and 13 other AR&SC workers were injured in the fiery explosion after the plane veered off a runway and slammed into the building.
``We are gathered here today to honor their memory and to celebrate their legacy,'' Capt. Charles S. Harris, commanding officer of the AR&SC, said at the opening of the 40-minute ceremony.
``We also are here to pay tribute to the families who have persevered and endured this most severe sacrifice - the loss of a loved one,'' Harris said.
Lt. John K. Carter, the base chaplain, told the gathering it was important to remember what happened 20 years ago.
``Memory is, indeed, an important asset,'' he said. ``It's how we know who we are and where we come from. It shows where we hope to aspire to.
``We are all, at any moment in time, just a breath and just a heartbeat away from death. How often we forget that little, but important, lesson.''
Spitzer was 41 when he died and was a general helper at the AR&SC. Jones, also 41, was a temporary foreman at the fiberglass plant. Spruill, 50, was once the command's only parts mover and, like the other two men, was a native of the area.
Friday's service included a call to remembrance, candle lighting and a scripture reading. The Rev. Leroy Wills gave the invocation, and the Rev. Fred Hunter delivered the benediction.
James Shepard, a member of Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church, sang a capella the hymn, ``Then My Living Will Not Be in Vain.''
After the indoor ceremony, Coast Guard officials gave flowers to each of the families and placed a wreath at the crash site.
``It was really nice,'' said Spruill's widow, Rubel, flanked by her children and grandchildren. The other families echoed that sentiment.
``It's not very often that the average guy gets some reattention,'' White said as she led Lewark back to their car.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT PLANE by CNB