History of our Fund
Over a one year timeframe in 1992, two E-2 Hawkeyes crashed in support of operational missions, killing ten aviators and shocking the E-2/C-2 family as a whole. As a result of these tragedies, eight children lost their fathers and the VAW / VRC community felt an urgent need to provide assistance to those left behind. The VAW / VRC Officer Spouses Association was established in 1993 and with the support of Commodore, Captain Ed Caffrey, founded the VAW-VRC Memorial Scholarship Fund with the mission to honor those lost in E-2/C-2 aviation-related mishaps.
The Memorial Fund recognizes the ultimate sacrifice of these servicemembers by providing college scholarships to the children of those who are tragically lost in aviation mishaps. As of 2018, over $340,000 has been awarded to fulfill this mission, now granting 100% of the average annual cost of college tuition.
In 1999, merit scholarships were incorporated to further support the dependents of our community. To date, over $200,000 has been awarded. These scholarships are available to all dependents of our officer and enlisted VAW / VRC personnel and awarded based on merit.
