Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
The small group in Lakeland was like a family, say colleagues of the three men killed in a military plane crash.
By JOSH ZIMMER
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 5, 2001
LAKELAND -- John Duce, an amateur skydiver, was the unit's first pilot in command. Robert Ward, a former Marine and fitness buff, was a talented technician with a bright military future. Eric Larson, a recent arrival from the Alaska National Guard, was about to fulfill a lifelong ambition of flying as a captain for a major airline.
The three Florida National Guard members were killed Saturday morning when the twin-engine C-23 Sherpa aircraft they were piloting in heavy rains crashed in Unadilla, Ga. Eighteen members of the Virginia Air National Guard also died.
"I lost three brothers," Staff Sgt. John Grotheer said during a Sunday afternoon press conference at the Lakeland base for the 171st Aviation Battalion.
Grotheer, one of the the unit's senior non-commissioned officer, was saved by a twist of fate. Nearly speechless, he said he was scheduled to fly on the plane but canceled to attend his son's 14th birthday.
Hundreds of miles away, military crews battled slick, muddy conditions as they tried to recover the remains from the crash. The plane went down as the Florida crew ferried the Virginia Air National Guard members from Hurlburt Field to Oceana Naval Air Station, Va. The guards, part of a heavy engineering and construction unit, had finished two weeks of training at the Fort Walton-area facility.
Officials weren't sure how long the recovery would take because of deep mud in the area, which has had nearly 4 inches of rain over the weekend.
"It's a quagmire," said Lt. Col. Deborah Bertrand, a spokeswoman at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Ga., which had tracked the plane.
Although the rain had stopped, winds were expected to force crash site crews to halt work overnight, said Faye Williams, a spokeswoman at Robins Air Force Base. "You're trying to get big flat beds, heavy equipment in and out," she said. "You don't want to have a problem with stabilization."
Gov. Jeb Bush gave permission for bases across the state to fly their flags at half-staff. Maj. Gen. Ronald Harrison, head of the state's National Guard, visited each family and shared Bush's condolences. He said the governor would call the families personally.
Hundreds of sympathy calls and letters have come in since the crash, Harrison said at the press conference.
"There's obviously a lot of shock, disbelief" among the families, he said. "Yet they're married to professionals. They're handling it as well as can be expected."
Duce, 49, is survived by his wife, Miechell, a 17-year-old son, Justin, and a 12-year-old daughter, Danielle. The Orange Park resident had about 30 years military experience.
Ward, 35, was a Lakeland resident with nearly 20 years military experience. He is survived by his wife, Glenda, and a step-daughter, Sharon.
Larson, the only traditional weekend volunteer, lived in a Land O'Lakes subdivision with his wife, Jennifer. He spent about 18 years in the military.
Relatives of Larson and Ward would not comment. Unit commander Chief Warrant Officer Joseph McDonough said that Ward's wife was taken to a hospital for an unstated condition that can be aggravated by stress.
Members of the guard choked back tears as they remembered their friends during the press conference.
The 171st Aviation Battalion is part of the National Guard's air transportation arm that also serves other military branches. A family relationship had developed within the small unit, colleagues said. They knew what went on in each other's lives.
"These people came to our home," said Linda McDonough, the commander's wife. "We celebrate their joys and cry with them at their trials."
Some former Marines said they easily bonded with Ward, whom Sgt. David Patton said was "always smiling, always had a cup of coffee in his hand."
Duce "was just an all-around great guy," Spec. John Care said. "Every time I had a question, he helped me out.
"There's no stopping what we do," he said. "You block out the emotions and drive along."
Duce was thinking of retiring in five years and perhaps spending time at his small ranch near Ocala where his wife keeps horses, commander McDonough said.
Larson, who joined the unit less than a year ago, was less well-known. McDonough called him a "very good pilot" who was set to begin a captain's training program after having flown commuter routes in 737s. He was set to become the unit's fourth pilot in command, McDonough said.
Retired Army Sgt. Greg Johnson, a neighbor, said Ward would have risen within the non-commissioned ranks.
"His plan was to go . . . from crew chief probably going to warrant officer," Johnson said. "Constantly studying. He would have been a commander's dream."
A list of National Guard personnel killed Saturday in the crash of their C-23 Sherpa:
Chief Warrant Officer John Duce, 49, Orange Park (pilot)
Chief Warrant Officer Eric Larson, 34, Land O'Lakes (pilot)
Staff Sgt. Robert Ward, 35, Lakeland (flight engineer)
Master Sgt. James Beninati, 46, Virginia Beach, Va.
Staff Sgt. Paul J. Blancato, 39, Norfolk, Va.
Tech Sgt. Ernest Blawas, 48, Virginia Beach, Va.
Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Bridges, 34, Chesapeake, Va.
Master Sgt. Eric Bulman, 60, Virginia Beach, Va.
Staff Sgt. Paul Cramer, 44, Norfolk, Va.
Tech Sgt. Michael East, 41, Parksley, Va.
Staff Sgt. Ronald Elkin, 44, Norfolk, Va.
Staff Sgt. James Ferguson, 42, Newport News, Va.
Staff Sgt. Randy Johnson, 41, Emporia, Va.
Senior Airman Mathrew Kidd, 24, Hampton, Va.
Master Sgt. Michael Lane, 35, Moyock, N.C.
Tech. Sgt. Edwin Richardson, 48, Virginia Beach, Va.
Tech. Sgt. Dean Shelby, 40, Virginia Beach, Va.
Staff Sgt. John Sincavage, 28, Chesapeake, Va.
Staff Sgt. Gregory Skurupey, 35, Gloucester, Va.
Staff Sgt. Richard Summerell, 51, Franklin, Va.
Maj. Frederick Watkins, 36, Virginia Beach, Va.
-- AP