MEMORY OF ASPIRING FIREFIGHTER KEPT ALIVE WITH FUND.Byline: Kermit Pattison Daily News Staff WriterSix years ago, Shane Kilgore's dream of becoming a Ventura County firefighter ended in a fiery explosion at sea off the coast of Japan. The tragedy, which killed the Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. sailor, prompted the Ventura County Professional Firefighters Association to create an award in his name, the $1,000 Shane Kilgore Memorial Scholarship for aspiring firefighters. ``We're trying to encourage students that regardless of how difficult it is to break into the fire service, they should not give up their dreams,'' said Ken Maffei, president of the firefighters association. The winners of the annual award for 1996 are Carrie Sitton and Michael Hartley, both children of Ventura County fire captains. Sitton, 26, attends Humboldt State University Not to be confused with Humboldt University of Berlin. Humboldt State University (HSU) is the northernmost campus of the California State University system, located in Arcata, California. , majoring in sports medicine sports medicine, branch of medicine concerned with physical fitness and with the treatment and prevention of injuries and other disorders related to sports. Knee, leg, back, and shoulder injuries; stiffness and pain in joints; tendinitis; "tennis elbow"; and . She is the first person to win the scholarship twice. Michael Hartley, 20, of Newbury Park attends Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. , studying criminal justice. He plans to attend California Lutheran University Mission statement The University's mission statement is as follows: "California Lutheran University is a diverse, scholarly community dedicated to excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. in the fall. The $1,000 scholarships go to Ventura County residents who work as firefighters for any agency, their children or aspiring firefighters. Robert ``Shane'' Kilgore graduated from Simi Valley High School Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California which was established in 1920 as the first high school in the valley. It nestles in the Santa Susana Mountains and is adjacent to the San Fernando Valley, part of the city and county of Ventura. in 1986 with the goal of one day becoming a Ventura County firefighter. He joined the Navy, hoping the experience on fire suppression teams would help him land a coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. spot in Ventura County's fire academy. The 22-year-old sailor was mortally wounded June 20, 1990, when a fire broke out aboard the aircraft carrier Midway 125 miles off the coast of Japan. Suffering from second- and third-degree burns over 85 percent of his body, he died eight days later at a military hospital in Texas. ``What touched me about him is he really wanted to become a Ventura County firefighter,'' said county fire Capt. Jerry Vandermeulen, a friend of Kilgore's family. ``It's super-competitive to get hired, so he went into the Navy to get that extra edge. Just to get the job we have now, he basically gave his life.'' |
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