THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 19, 1996 TAG: 9602190050
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: ELLENVILLE, N.Y. LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Capt. Ronald C. Walkerwicz was proud to be a Marine, like his father and uncle who served before him. And his family, while mourning his loss Sunday, spoke of their pride in him.
A veteran of the daring rescue mission in Bosnia that picked up Capt. Scott O'Grady, Walkerwicz was an accomplished pilot and a family role model.
He was killed in a training accident Friday when his AV-8B Harrier jump-jet crashed in North Carolina, according to Marine officials.
William Walkerwicz, Ronald's father, said he and the young pilot's relatives were heading to the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station on Sunday to be with Ronald Walkerwicz's fiancee, Joanie Burke. The couple was to be married in April.
``No one was to blame for this,'' said William Walkerwicz, a former Marine who once served at the same air station where his son was based. ``We knew he was doing something he was proud of, and we were so proud of him.''
Both his father and his uncle, Michael, said Ronald Walkerwicz, a quiet boy who became an officer adored by his family and fellow Marines, accepted the risks of military life.
``He talked about the risks, but that never really bothered him,'' Michael Walkerwicz said. ``Ronnie knew he was involved in a dangerous job.''
Ronald Walkerwicz experienced those risks first-hand while serving in Bosnia. The six-year Marine veteran piloted one of the two Harriers that flew support for the helicopter mission that rescued O'Grady last year, Michael Walkerwicz said.
``We were so afraid that it was Ronnie that went down in Bosnia, not Scott O'Grady,'' his uncle said. ``When I found out it wasn't him, I was so relieved, but then I felt ashamed because there was still a good man out there. I'm proud that Ronnie helped get (O'Grady) home safely.''
``He may not have agreed with everything going on over there, but he was happy to participate in that mission, and very happy with the results,'' William Walkerwicz said.
At least 11 Harriers, noted for their ability to take off and land vertically, have crashed in eastern North Carolina in the past five years. The Marine Corps grounded all Harriers nationwide in 1993 for a two-day review after a Harrier crashed and burned at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville.
In October, a pilot ejected safely before a Harrier jet crashed into the Atlantic off the North Carolina coast. The pilot was rescued by a Navy helicopter about 110 miles east of Elizabeth City.
In September, a pilot was killed when his jet bumped into the rear of another and went down in the Neuse River.
But Walkerwicz's father does not blame the jets. ``He was just thrilled to fly. He was happy to be a Marine.''
KEYWORDS: FATALITY ACCIDENT HELICOPTER ACCIDENT MILITARY by CNB