Crane to honor fallen Marine

Scott A. Zubowski was killed in Iraq. [Order this photo]

U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Scott A. Zubowski, from North Manchester, will be memorialized when a one-acre Realistic Ground Antenna (RGA) test range on the NSWC Crane base is named in his honor.

The ceremony will be at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman will be the keynote speaker. Representatives from the offices of U.S. Congressmen Dan Burton (R-5th District) and Baron Hill (D-9th District) will read letters of support during the ceremony, according to NSWC Public Affairs Officer Pam Ingram.

She said the idea evolved from some of the older engineers at the test site wanting to instill in some of the younger engineers that the work they do every day is more than just engineering. It is in support of the warfighters on the combat fields around the world.

"They (the engineers) feel very strongly about the importance of what they do and wanted to show that this (work) just isn't an engineering task," Ingram told the Greene County Daily World.

They decided it would be fitting to dedicate a one-acre plot in the test field to the first Hoosier who was killed in the Iraq war by an IED. A monument has been erected in his honor at the site.

LCPL Zubowski, 20, and another Marine, died when a roadside bomb exploded under their Humvee during combat operations near Fallujah in Iraq's Al Anbar province on Nov. 12, 2005.

Zubowski was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, his first tour was from February to October 2004. He returned to Iraq in July and was scheduled to come home before his 21st birthday in March.

LCPL Zubowski is survived by a widow, Klancey Zubowski; his parents Richard Zubowski and Barbara Weitzel; and two brothers, Staff Sergeant David Zubowski and Brian Zubowski.

IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan are typically hidden along roadsides and used as weapons against American and coalition troops. The bombs can consist of normal household electronics or military equipment, according to Ingram.

They're small enough to be hidden almost anywhere, including in animal carcasses and cars, and can be detonated by remote control or by a call from a conventional cell phone.

Ingram explained further the reason for honoring Zubowski at this particular test site.

"NSWC Crane performs a significant amount of work on IEDs for the United States Marine Corps, this RGA test range was built to better test antenna and vehicle combinations for electronic jamming of IEDs. NSWC Crane requested and received permission from the Navy and Marine Corps to name this new range in honor of LCPL Zubowski. Naming the test range after Scott, a native Hoosier, is an indelible reminder of the day-to-day bravery displayed by our Marines and soldiers and the critical importance of the work being done at NSWC Crane," she said. "At the start of the Iraq conflict more than 50 percent of fatalities and injuries suffered by our Warfighters were caused by IEDs. That number has been significantly reduced in part due to the testing and development of jamming systems."

Zubowski's dad appreciates this recognition for his fallen son.

"It's an honor," Rick Zubowski told the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. "We're glad to see him get it."