Indiana Native Dies in Plane Crash ( S-3B Viking Plane crash kills entire crew)

The Indiana Gazette ^ | 8/14/04 | CHAUNCEY ROSS and RANDY WELLS

[WV Mountain Mama]

The U.S. Navy confirmed Friday that an aviator from Indiana was among four crewmen killed in the crash of a Navy jet in the Pacific Tuesday.

Lt. Commander Scott Zellem, 35, was one of four San Diego-based airmen in a S-3B Viking jet that crashed on an uninhabited island after it had taken off from the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, deployed in the Western Pacific. The others killed were Lt. Patrick Myrick, 31, of Santa Monica, Calif.; Lt. James Pupplo, 34, of Selden, N.Y., and Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Joshua Showalter, 24, of Fontana, Calif.

Zellem was a 1987 graduate of Indiana Area High School and a 1991 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

He had been a pilot in the U.S. Navy for 13 years. In May 2003, he was a flight officer on the first of two Navy S-3B Vikings that carried President George W. Bush onto the USS Abraham Lincoln, where Bush addressed the nation following the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

(snip)

[WV Mountain Mama]

My husband and I went to high school with Scott, and my husband played football with him 7-12 grades. He was the kind of guy that fathers would have loved their daughters to bring home. It is so sad that this has happened to the entire crew and him. Prayers for his wife, son and family. If this was already posted, I apologize, I did a search. Besides, he was worth it.

[null and void]

Prayers up.

[WV Mountain Mama]

Fallen hero ping

[null and void]

Navy Lt. Commander Scott Zellem was flying in an S-3B Viking like this one when it crashed 42 miles from Iwo Jima.

[WV Mountain Mama]

Thanks!

[null and void]

Seemed the least I could do.

[Jeff Head]

God rest his soul and that of the entire crew...and God bless and keep and give peace and comfort to their loved ones.

[soozla]

"Prayers for his wife, son and family."

May they be comforted to know he is in God's loving care.

[WV Mountain Mama]

If you don't read the whole article, you miss the story about how Scott told GWB he should wear the flight jumpsuit instead of a regular suit when he addressed the troops on the carrier.

[Kaisersrsic]

From the Obit:

Memorial contributions may be made to a college fund established by friends of the family for son Tanner, age 1, to the following: Collegebound Fund, account 030-03540, FBO Tanner Zellem. Mail to Bernstein Investment Research and Management, 225 South Sixth St., Suite 5100, Minneapolis, Minn. 55401.

[BlessedBeGod]

Prayers for his friends and family.

[Professional Engineer]

Memorial bump

[GregB]

As a former EMT I worked with his mom Sally,she has been in charge of the local Red Cross for a long time. She was quite a women,God Bless her in her hour of need.

[pubmom]

How awful, Scott graduated with my husband! Prayers for his family.

[pubmom]

Prayers for this family please.

[giznort]

Prayers for Scott and the entire crew...may God have mercy on their souls, and comfort those who mourn their passing. God bless these souls.

[trussell]

Prayer ping.

Please post your replies to WV Mountain Mama

WV Mountain Mama , my prayers going up for All of them and their families. So tragic...all of them so young!

pubmom, thank you for the ping

Blessings,
trussell

If you want on/off my prayer ping list, please let me know. All requests happily honored.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[Alamo-Girl]

I join in prayer for this hero and his loved ones! I pray also for the other heroes who went home with him and their loved ones.

[Kathy in Alaska]

RIP Lt Cdr Zellem and S-3B Viking crew members