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45 Cameraman Dies in October 8, 2002 As the United States braced for the one-year anniversary of 9/11, IBEW cameraman Larry Greene had his sights set on Iraq, the nations next focus in the war on terror. It was September 6, 2002, and the CBS news cameraman was on assignment covering a story about Iraqi violations of a ban on oil exports. He was in a Navy SH-60B Seahawk helicopter hovering 80 miles off the Iranian coast when the aircrafts rotor blade clipped the mast of a Syrian freighter. The helicopter plunged into the sea. Four U.S. Navy sailors aboard the plane survived with non life-threatening injuries. Greene, 50, was killed. The rest of his crew, reporter Randy Paige and producer Matt Goldberg, were on a guided missile cruiser 200 yards away from the Syrian vessel at the time of the crash. Local 45 Business Manager Lloyd Webster said Greene, a longtime shop steward, would be sorely missed. "He was a vibrant member of the local," Webster said. "He was a very competent cameraman who represented the IBEW in a professional manner." Webster said Greene was known as Leapin Larry for the enthusiasm and energy with which he covered stories for the CBS news affiliate in Los Angeles. A look through the photographs of Greene on the Local 45 web site shows a man at home on military aircraft and vessels. In some, he is posing with military personnel; most others capture him with a camera resting on his right shoulder. A member of the CBS special assignment unit, Green traveled the world with his camera, particularly the Middle East, covering the news aboard Navy vessels in the Indian Ocean and at military installations in Bahrain. Greene was highly respected by his colleagues. "Larry was always the guy you wanted to be your cameraman," said reporter Nancy Jacoby. "Hed always get the shot, no matter how dangerous or sneaky, and he always stayed within the law and within the journalism ethics, but he was able to get wonderful miracle stories because he was so persistent." In January, Greene was part of the KCBS team honored with the prestigious Dupont-Columbia University Award for a report on lead paint hazards in Southern California schools. Greene also received numerous Emmys, including one in 1996 for his coverage of the Malibu fire. He won many awards from the Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles, and served on its Board of Directors in 1997 and 1998. Pat OBrien, host of the syndicated show Access Hollywood, emceed Greenes memorial service, attended by 900 people. "He was one of the best in the business," OBrien said. "He was the best because he wasnt just a cameraman, he was a soundman, reporter, anchorman. He did it all in the field. He made me better as a reporter."
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