ROBERT A. FORWALDER, LT, USN
Robert Forwalder '89
Lucky Bag
From the 1989 Lucky Bag:
Robert Allen Forwalder
Akron, Ohio
Bobby-boy, you made it. A long career at USNA as a General Engineer comes to an end. It feels like yesterday when you left your home in Akron, Ohio to come to the Academy. 3/c you met some of the best friends you could ever have, your roommates; make that one roommate after you and he convinced the other to leave by moving his belongings to another room. This was only the beginning of your exciting career as a Mech. E; that is, until you ran into "Q-tip head" and "the Maj.". The divine light of GE was now upon you. The "gay" club and Airborne Training Unit took up the remainder of your time. Oh year, Bobby proposed to his girlfriend 2/c year during Christmas Leave. Scratch the former two and insert the latter. After his roommate followed suit and proposed to his fiancee, it became ever so important to graduate. This is why they called room 4036 "Gouge Central" for General Engineers. With the masses of "gouge" being passed on in Rock Hard 23, who also saw the divine light, many-a-mid will be hooked. It's a graduation, the weddings, and off to P-Cola for a career in the Navy. From your roommate to you, "til we meet-aaaa-gainnnn faaaaaaaaat." CJE
Robert Allen Forwalder
Akron, Ohio
Bobby-boy, you made it. A long career at USNA as a General Engineer comes to an end. It feels like yesterday when you left your home in Akron, Ohio to come to the Academy. 3/c you met some of the best friends you could ever have, your roommates; make that one roommate after you and he convinced the other to leave by moving his belongings to another room. This was only the beginning of your exciting career as a Mech. E; that is, until you ran into "Q-tip head" and "the Maj.". The divine light of GE was now upon you. The "gay" club and Airborne Training Unit took up the remainder of your time. Oh year, Bobby proposed to his girlfriend 2/c year during Christmas Leave. Scratch the former two and insert the latter. After his roommate followed suit and proposed to his fiancee, it became ever so important to graduate. This is why they called room 4036 "Gouge Central" for General Engineers. With the masses of "gouge" being passed on in Rock Hard 23, who also saw the divine light, many-a-mid will be hooked. It's a graduation, the weddings, and off to P-Cola for a career in the Navy. From your roommate to you, "til we meet-aaaa-gainnnn faaaaaaaaat." CJE
Loss
From The Daily Press on March 27, 1993:
NORFOLK — Five Navy airmen died early Friday when their E-2C Hawkeye surveillance plane crashed into the sea while returning to the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Ionian Sea.
They were members of the Norfolk-based Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 124.
The victims are Lt. Cmdr. Jon A. Rystrom, 38, of Stromburg, Neb.; Lt. William R. Dyer, 26, of Cookeville, Tenn.; Lt. Robert A. Forwalder, 25, of Uniontown, Ohio; Lt. Patrick J. Ardaiz, 28, of Baltimore; and Lt. John A. Messier, 30, of Bellevue, Wash.
President Clinton said, "They made America proud, and I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the relatives and the shipmates of those five servicemen," the Washington Post reported.
The plane went down shortly before 1 a.m. one mile from the Norfolk-based carrier, which had just arrived in the Ionian Sea on a six-month European deployment. The E-2C was one of two that had flown their first mission off the Yugoslav coast, covering U.S. cargo planes dropping food to besieged Muslims in Bosnia.
The plane's first approach to the carrier deck for landing was aborted, said Cmdr. Steve Honda of the Atlantic Fleet's Naval Air Force, "They had a 'foul deck waveoff,' which means the flight deck was not ready to receive them," said Honda. "That is not unusual."
Approximately one mile past the front end of the carrier, the plane crashed into the water, Honda said. He said the planes had been in international airspace and said that the incident "is not related to any hostile fire from the former Yugoslavia."
From Steeljaw Scribe:
Paul Gallagher, fellow VAW alum, dropped by a short bit ago to pass along a remembrance of one of the crews we lost in the early ’90s. See, one of the hallmarks of the E-2/C-2 is the (still) relatively low mishap rate. Mishaps, and in particular, mishaps that result in the loss of some or all of the crew were relatively rare events. In the early 1990’s though we had a spate of losses that spiked the rate. In one relatively short period two aircraft were lost – Closeout 602 (VAW-126) and Bear Ace 603 (VAW-124) – the latter 16 years ago tonight/tomorrow AM… and, well, let Paul tell the story:
I was the Maintenance Officer of the VAW 124 Bear Aces in 1993. Turbo Tom Parker was the Skipper, Billy Wo Wolters was the XO. He was off the ship the night of the mishap at some operational meetings ashore.
The circumstances of this mishap formed in my mind at the time, the intractable opinion that nobody except aviators should ever command aviators. The following facts (to the best of my recollection) are germane:
The Bear Aces were embarked in USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT. As we departed the U.S. we were right in the path of what would become known as the storm of the century. As a result, the airwing was not able to accomplish our refresher CQ. The decision was made to push to the Med because we needed to relieve the JFK on time to insure they did not exceed the 6 month deployment rule.
The translant was slow due to extremely rough seas, so we were never able to accomplish any flying enroute, and we were late getting to the Med. There was a great deal of pressure to get us into the Adriatic because of the Bosnia Herzegovina tensions, and the JFK had to get out to make the 6 month timeframe. Once inchopped to the Med we were ordered to steam directly into the Adriatic to replace them without having yet CQ'd. Our CAG Willie Moore and the CARGRU Jay Johnson were known to have strenuously objected, but higher authority only relented to the extent that they allowed us ½ day of flight ops to allow the pilots who would fly our missions the next night one day trap.
That was the circumstance leading up to the mishap. That first night we were scheduled to fly in support of some airdrops of food to starving Bosnians for our first real mission of the deployment, but the night we were to commence the weather was terrible. Once again, we were aware our leadership had requested that we not fly due to our lack of NATOPs qualifications, and the fact that the weather was forecast to be below minimums. Despite the persistent objections of our aviation leadership; at the EUCOM level it was directed we fly the missions – a decision probably made by an Army infantry officer. Bear Ace 603 took off and was in the goo immediately off the deck. As I understood it from others who flew that night they probably never broke out. A couple of airwing pilots who were airborne that night estimated it went above 25,000 ft.
During the recovery Bear Ace 603 made a good approach, but was waved off fairly late for reasons I don't recall however, it was NOT for technique. They did a shallow climb, reached about 700 feet, nosed over and flew into the sea. The last broadcast from the aircraft while in their fatal descent was a calm acknowledgement of the climb and turn downwind directions from CATCC.
The XO of the Tomcat squadron was head of the mishap board. Their conclusion was that the mishap pilots must have been suffering from debilitating vertigo. There simply was no other explanation.
The crew of Bear Ace 603 was John "Frenchy" Messier, Pilot, Billy Ray Dyer, copilot, Jon "Rooster" Rystrom was the CICO, Pat "Aardvark" Ardaiz was the ACO, and Bob "McFly" Forwalder was the RO. For many years, a day would not go by in which I wouldn't think of them, now after even more years I'd have to say a couple of days doesn't go by — you never shake that sadness when something like that happens to the guys in your outfit, I know for the Bear Aces that were there, we never will.
Other Information
From the June 1993 issue of Shipmate:
Lt. Robert A. Forwalder, 25, died suddenly on 26 March 1993 when his E-2C Hawkeye went down off the coast of Bosnia. Memorial services were held at the USNA Chapel, Grace Baptist Church in Akron, Ohio, and at the Memorial Chapel in Norfolk, Virginia.
He was born on 24 April, 1967 and was a 1985 graduate of Green High School, graduating second in his Class. He graduated with honors from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1989 with an Engineering degree.
At the Academy he was active in the USNA Men's Glee Club, Protestant Chapel Choir, and the Airborne Training Unit.
Upon graduation he received Naval Flight Officer training in Pensacola, Fla., and was designated in March 1991, after completing the E-2C FRS. He served a short time with VAW-122 and received the Navy Achievement Medal for his outstanding diligence during the squadron's decommissioning. He then joined VAW-124 on-board THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71).
Surviving are his wife, Katie, and son Sean Robert, of Virginia Beach, Va.; his father Melvin and mother Beverly, of Uniontown, Ohio; his brother, Petty Officer Ronald Forwalder and his wife Cindy, both of NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii; grandparents, Doris and Kenneth Wagster, of Uniontown, Ohio, and Lillie Forwalder, of Arlington, Kansas.
In lieu of flowers contributions are suggested to the Robert Forwalder Memorial Fund, 2256 Mansion Cross Main, Virginia Beach, Va. 23456. The fund is for the future education of Sean Robert Forwalder (born 10 APR 93).
"Bobby" as his friends knew him, was an outgoing and dedicated man. His will to succeed in all aspects of life was most admirable. As Naval Officer's we must open our eyes to the dangers of Naval Aviation. We must be prepared to fly in danger's way at anytime, anywhere. As a Husband, he was loving; as a Son, he was admirable; as a Brother, he was a best friend; and as my Roommate, he was my brother. God Bless You Bobby. Lt. Calin J. Evon
From Akron Beacon Journal on February 15, 1985:
Green High will send a three-member team to Academic Challenge at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at WEWS-TV (Channel 5.) Green representatives will be senior Robert Forwalder and juniors Paul Bellis and Chris Hillman. Faculty adviser is Faith Andrus. Forwalder, the team captain, hopes to enter the Air Force Academy. He participates in track, serves as chaplain of the National Honor Society and is a member of the choir and ensemble. His hobbies are music and swimming.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Green High School 1985 salutatorian and recipient of school’s manhood award.
Voted Most Intelligent and Senior of the Month for September.
Donn Force, counselor at Green High School, said Robert had perfect pitch as a singer in the Green Ensemble and as a guitar player. At the Naval Academy, he was part of a choral group that sang for President Reagan.
Robert married Katherine Lee Brown on June 10, 1989 in Eastern Shore Chapel, Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 1991 he survived an ejection from his Navy plane.
Letter to the Editor by L.W. Patterson in 1993: "I had the privilege of knowing this man for more than 22 years. You could not ask for a more dedicated person. He was dedicated to his country, his family, his church and the Navy. He graduated second in his class at Green High School and was a graduate of the Naval Academy. He wanted to fly more than anything else, but his eyes kept him out of the pilot’s seat. So he settled for the next best thing and became a flight officer. His plane went down returning from a mission of mercy over Bosnia, with all the crew. Forwalder was a real American role model for anyone to look up to. He will be missed." Earlier in his letter, he questioned why TV and radio stations asked for donations for the families of two Cleveland Indians who had died but didn’t ask for donations for Forwalder’s widow who was pregnant with their only child.
He has a memorial on Find A Grave.
Photographs
"John Goldsberry presents the Manhood Award to Robert Forwalder."
From his high school yearbook
From his high school yearbook
From his high school yearbook
From The Akron Beacon Journal on February 15, 1985
From The Akron Beacon Journal on April 2, 1993
"Lt (jg) Forwalder in his stateroom, USS Forrestal (CV-59) 1991"
"On the flight deck of the USS Forrestal (CV-59)"
"Bob in his stateroom on USS Forrestal during his time in VAW-122"
Other
From the Daily Press, Newport News, Virginia on October 12, 1993:
Katie Forwalder was 8 ½ months pregnant when her husband, a Navy flight officer was killed in the crash of his E-2C Hawkeye radar plane in the Adriatic Sea.
Mrs. Forwalder, 27, not only went from wife to widow. She also lost 25 percent of the medical benefits covering her pregnancy. "Nobody told me this was going to be a problem," she said. "I assumed that this was all under my CHAMPUS coverage."
But the military health system's promise to pay all costs for the pregnancy ended when Bob Forwalder's plane crashed. His wife had to pay more than $1,000 in unexpected bills.
Congress and the Pentagon may change that situation, in part because of Mrs. Forwalder's case and the letters it has generated from her doctor, her family and fellow officers in her late husband's unit.
Her obstetrician, Dr. Raymond Lackore, still remembers the pledge he made to Forwalder the last time he saw him. The 25-year-old Forwalder had come in with his wife for her checkup just a few days before deploying. The couple listened to the baby's heartbeat and talked about the delivery.
Forwalder had asked to stay home in Virginia Beach from the six-month cruise until the baby was born, but his squadron needed everyone for air operations over Bosnia.
"I shook his hand in the hallway, and I looked him straight in the eye and told him I would take care of her," Lackore said. "He left, and the next thing I knew, he was dead."
Lackore refused to bill Mrs. Forwalder for the extra charges incurred when her benefits changed. "I couldn't see chasing her for this money," he said.
But he can't understand why the military didn't keep her 100 percent coverage. "This is his son. This is his creation," the doctor said.
Forwalder and four other crewmen died March 26 when their plane went down near the carrier Theodore Roosevelt. Their bodies were never found, although divers salvaged pieces of the plane's fuselage and radar dome.
Then, on April 9, her birthday, a package arrived. It was her husband's belongings, shipped to her from the carrier. Early the next morning, their son, Sean Robert Forwalder, was born.
Soon, Mrs. Forwalder found out that she was no longer considered a Navy wife. Instead, CHAMPUS – the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services – counted her as a nonactive-duty dependent, eligible for 75 percent reimbursement of health costs.
Because federal law prescribes the change in status, Sen. Charles S. Robb, D-Va., has proposed changing the rule.
Meanwhile, the Defense Department is looking at what it can do.
"The department does not wish to compound the grief of families who fall into this situation," Edward D. Martin, acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, wrote to Sen. John W. Warner, R-Va.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
