MATTHEW J. COLOMBO, LT, USN
Matthew Colombo '82
Lucky Bag
From the 1982 Lucky Bag:
MATTHEW JAMES COLOMBO
Aurora, Ohio
"No Problem"
Sometimes the lights are all
shining
On me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it's
been
He came; he had no problems; he
graduated
MATTHEW JAMES COLOMBO
Aurora, Ohio
"No Problem"
Sometimes the lights are all
shining
On me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it's
been
He came; he had no problems; he
graduated
Loss
Matthew was lost on June 18, 1987 when his F-14A Tomcat crashed in North Carolina while practicing for an airshow. He was the Radar Intercept Officer; the pilot was also lost. They were both members of Fighter Squadron (VF) 33.
Other Information
From The Akron Beacon Journal on June 20, 1987:
Lt. Matthew Colombo of Aurora, 27, and Lt. Bill Davidson of Buford, S.C., were killed when their F-14 Tomcat crashed in the Dare County Naval Bombing Range while they were practicing for a flight demonstration, a Navy spokesman said.
Colombo was the plane's radar intercept officer and Davidson was the pilot, the spokesman said.
Colombo, a graduate of Aurora High School, had logged over 900 hours of flight time and had made more than 200 landings on aircraft carriers, the spokesman said.
He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982, and after completing flight training at the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Fla., he was designated a naval flight officer in August 1983, the Navy reported.
After receiving training in the F-14 as a radar intercept officer, he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 33 at Naval Air Station, Oceana, Va. He also had served aboard the aircraft carrier USS America.
He had received awards, including the Air Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Sea Service Ribbon.
Survivors include his parents, Donald E. and Marcia of Aurora; brothers, Donald of New York City, and Mark, David and Peter, all of Aurora, and sisters, Sue and Mary of Aurora.
Colombo was to marry Wanda Kline of Quakertown, Pa., on July 11.
Matthew has a memorial at his parents' gravesite.
Photographs
From the 1982 Lucky Bag.
Related Articles
William Davidson '81 was also lost in this crash.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
