El Toro Marines Eulogize 2 Women Victims of Crash

Two female Marines from Orange County who were killed in a helicopter crash were eulogized Saturday by their commanding officer as loyal friends who “lit up any endeavor of which they were a part.”

About 200 people gathered at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station chapel for a memorial service for Sgt. Brenda L. Schroeder and Cpl. Lisa D. Tutt, the two reserve Marines who died May 27 when two transport helicopters collided during military maneuvers over the Nevada desert. Marine researchers believe the two are the first female Marines to have been killed in a helicopter crash.

“Lisa and Brenda were positive, responsible” people, said a tearful Col. D.F. Underwood, commander of the reserve contingent at El Toro. “They epitomized all the traits we would like to see instilled in all of our Marines.”

Schroeder, a 29-year-old mother of four who lived in Santa Ana, was a “hard-working and fiercely proud individual,” Capt. R.C. Benford said. “She wouldn’t take a back seat to anyone.”

But at the same time, Benford recalled that Schroeder “was always there with a cheerful comment. She had a personality that reminded us of a sister.” Schroeder, a native of Baltimore, was a Marine for nine years, serving as a field radio operator and mail clerk. She is survived by her husband, Michael R. Schroeder.

Tutt, 23, was remembered for “touching us with her happiness and warmth,” Chief Warrant Officer R. Futami said. “Being around her was a pleasure because she made us feel good about ourselves. She taught us that anything is possible with a positive attitude.”

A native of Los Angeles, Tutt was a graduate of La Quinta High School in Westminster. She had been a Marine for 5 1/2 years, and was a unit diary clerk for a fighter attack squadron at El Toro. Tutt, who lived in Santa Ana, is survived by her parents, a sister and a brother.

Schroeder and Tutt were killed in a crash of two CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters about 70 miles east of Reno. The two women were seated in the rear section of one of the helicopters, which broke off after the collision and landed about 1,100 yards from the front section in which three other Marines survived. The cause remains under investigation.