By Beth Wallach and Jennifer Marino
His passion was always sports, but his dream was to be a Marine. First Lt. Winchester, USMC, sacrificed his life for that dream. He was killed in Iraq on Sept. 3 during his second tour of duty.
"His nickname was Bigfoot," said Alex Tallarico, of Rockville Centre, who coached Winchester in basketball from fifth through eighth grade. Though not a giant by basketball standards, Winchester was a towering figure among what Tallarico called, "a vertically challenged team." That made him the obvious choice to play center. Although it wasn't a natural position for him, Winchester played center because that's what his coach and team needed him to do. He was a "smart, competitive kid," according to Tallarico, "who was always in the mix because he taught himself to play the position."
Another RVC resident, Brian Watson, met the future Marine when they were in fifth grade, playing CYO basketball. Watson went to St. Agnes, while Winchester, who grew up in the Greystone section of Rockville Centre, attended Oceanside schools, but the two formed a friendship that lasted through their years at Chaminade and beyond.
When fellow Chaminade students started getting into the colleges of their choice, Winchester, who wanted to go to Navy, was on pins and needles while he waited to hear from the admissions office. His friends knew he'd been accepted when they arrived at school one day and saw a huge U.S. Navy banner plastered inside his car's rear window. "Being a Marine was in his blood," said Watson, adding that the only person that ever inspired awe in Winchester was his maternal grandfather and inspiration, Dominick Gatta, a former Marine himself and an ex-professional boxer who lives next door.
Winchester's years at Navy were happy and productive ones. As demanding as the workload was, he found time to captain the football team. Just as it was in basketball, he didn't play a glamour position. "He was a lineman," said Watson. "They're the ones who get the least credit, and that didn't bother him."
Rob Hock, of Rockville Centre, was a year behind Winchester at the academy. He said that playing lineman led Winchester to bulk up, but that in order to become a Marine, he had to drop a lot of weight. "He wanted to be a Marine so badly, he dropped the weight," said Hock.
He had dreamed of following in his grandfather's footsteps since he was a boy, and the events of Sept. 11, 2001, solidified Winchester's commitment to join the Marines. In his heart he was a "New York kid," one who had great affection for the city and the people of his hometown.
When he came home for Christmas last year, Winchester got together with his buddies, but the guys he commanded in Iraq were never far from his thoughts. His friends here knew he had seen some rough things in Iraq, but that in his heart of hearts, he knew he was doing the right thing over there. "I'm doing this for you guys," Winchester told his stateside friends, "so you don't have to worry about something like 9/11 happening again." Kevin Flynn, who played lacrosse with Winchester at Chaminade, said it was obvious that his friend was doing what he wanted to do and that he was very proud.
Winchester was a first lieutenant with the ground infantry, and there was no doubt in Watson's mind that his buddy would have risen much further in the ranks. While it took his boyhood friends longer to find direction, Winchester instinctively knew the direction that was right for him. "We respected and admired him astronomically," said Watson.
Tallarico, who knew Winchester through soccer, basketball and Chaminade, saw the same qualities when he coached him, but didn't realize to what extent those qualities would dictate the direction of Winchester's life. He agreed with Watson's assessment that Winchester's commanding presence stood out in a group. "He was a man among the boys," said Tallarico.
Hock, who has also served a tour in Iraq, understood Winchester's commitment to the corps. Hock said that Winchester kept giving orders to his men even after he was hit. "I'm sure no one who knew Ron would be surprised to hear that. His well-being was secondary to his men. That epitomized his commitment to his men, to his job and to the Marine Corps. In a grander scheme, it shows his commitment to his community and service to his country."
On May 14, 2003, during his first tour of duty in Iraq, Winchester wrote a letter to the Herald, in part to let the people in Rockville Centre know that the events of Sept. 11 had not been forgotten, and to allay the fears of his sister, Kristine, and his parents, Marianna and Ronald. In it he wrote, "I am very proud to be a Marine, and being from New York amplifies it. During the war, I have been on the front lines, being in the infantry, and the people back home have much to be proud of."
