Sgt. Ron Helus, who died protecting others, remembered as a ‘hero’

It was 1989, and Sgt. Ron Helus was still in the academy.
The instructors there, in a dusty corner of Camarillo, would test recruits’ composure by ragging on them, ribbing them, trying to get them to laugh. If they cracked a smile — push-ups. It didn’t end there. With each rep, the jokes would continue.
For Helus, at the start of what would be a 29-year career, there was only one problem.
“He was quick to laugh,” said Scott Horton, who was in the academy with Helus.