Lieutenant Commander Ronald Lee Wise "Rhino" Memorial Field

Lieutenant Commander Ronald Lee Wise Jr., known as "Rhino," was born on December 15, 1962 in Key West, Florida. He graduated from Elizabeth Forward High School in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania in 1980, lettering in football and baseball, and graduated with honors from The Citadel in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. Commissioned into the United States Navy in August 1985, he began naval aviation training at Naval Air Station Whiting Field flying the T-34C, then continued training in Kingsville, Texas, flying the T-2C and TA-4J aircraft. He earned his "Wings of Gold" on January 6, 1989, was assigned to fly the A-6E Intruder, and reported to VA-42 in Oceana, Virginia to learn the aircraft's combat employment. In October 1990 he joined VA-75 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, flew 36 combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait, and distinguished himself on strikes against heavily defended Iraqi targets. He later took part in Operation Deny Flight and Operation Southern Watch, was VA-75's Junior Pilot of the Year for 1993, and then served from November 1993 to January 1996 as an instructor at the Strike Weapons and Tactics School, Atlantic, where he helped enhance F-14 air-to-ground academic and flight training and was selected as the school's Pilot of the Year in 1994. Chosen to transition to the F-14 Tomcat as a department head, he was instead detailed to VA-75 in 1996 to fill a shortage of experienced senior aviators, deployed aboard the USS Enterprise for Operation Southern Watch and Decisive Endeavor, and helped fulfill the Intruder's final operational commitments before retirement. In February 1997 he reported to VF-101 for aerial combat training, completed that training in March 1998, and then joined VF-103, the Jolly Rogers. In June 1998 he deployed aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to the Mediterranean Sea, and on July 30, 1998, during his fourth carrier deployment, he lost his life while serving his country. During his career he earned three Strike/Flight Air Medals, including a combat "V" for valor, four Navy Commendation Medals including a combat "V" for valor, three Navy Achievement Medals, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, and other service-related awards.

Boston, Pennsylvania · United States