LIVES REMEMBERED - On the 30th anniversary of a tragedy that took the lives of 12 special operators, sons, husbands, fathers and men were remembered for their service in a ceremony at Antelope Island. MythiliGubbi
On October 29th 1992, a helicopter was on a joint special operations training exercise from Hill Air Force base when the aircraft crashed into the Great Salt Lake, taking the lives of 12 operators.
“These guys know the risks but they are willing to take that risk and they are willing to train and trust that their training is going to bring them through the risk, it doesn’t always happen that way,” said Cathie Smith, who lost her late husband Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Strauss that night. “I miss him every day. My kids miss him,” said Smith. “There’s been lots of occasions where my daughter got married and her dad wasn’t there to walk her down the aisle but still, bittersweet. Nice to gather with these people.”“A great way to keep their memory and to honor them and remember them and never let their memory die,” said Smith.
“The effort to bring this into existence, started with one individual – the father of one of the fallen rangers,” explained Dan Schilling, retired air force lieutenant colonel, combat controller and special tactics officer.