Academy teams with Fort Carson to honor fallen 'stars'

  • Published
  • By Amber Baillie
  • Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Last week cadets, veterans and local military personnel dedicated a star to fallen service members and their families to allow their legacies to shine for generations to come.

Fort Carson and the Academy hosted the April 10 ceremony at the Falcon Club, and teamed with Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases to commemorate those across the Defense Department who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and to strengthen the foundation of support for families of the fallen.

"The star provides an enduring memorial and is a fitting way to honor the sacrifices of all who have and will pay the ultimate price of freedom," said Vice Commandant of Cadets Col. Dale Holland, who gave opening remarks at the ceremony.

Representatives from the Academy's Dean of Faculty, Preparatory School and 10th Air Base Wing attended. The cadet a cappella group "In the Stairwell" performed the national anthem and cadets from the Academy's Physics and Astronomy Club also participated in the event.

Cadet 1st Class Thomas Dickinson, cadet in- charge of the club, explained the history of the Fallen Heroes star.

"The star lies in the plane of the Milky Way galaxy and is likely similar to our sun," he said. "It is immense and incredibly old, likely over a billion years in age and hundreds of thousands of times the mass of the Earth. It is a constant beacon in the night sky and should continue to burn for more than five billion years."

Dickinson said the white-yellow star is too small to see with the naked eye.

"You need a telescope or binoculars to spot it," he said. "It was a real privilege participating in the event to honor those who gave their lives for their country and their families."

Survivor Outreach Services and Army Community Service adopted the star, and have been providing services to fallen warrior families since 2009, under the Army Community Service. Their ongoing partnership with the Academy allowed the ceremony to occur here and increase relations among local military installations.

The ceremony was a great opportunity for the military to come together because it affects all local military bases, said Col. Mike Van Valkenburg, head of the Chemistry Department here.

"The star is a great symbol that will remain in the sky and is a powerful reminder of fallen loved ones," he said. "It was a moving ceremony and the strength of families of the fallen is unbelievable."

Academy cadets and staff were able to demonstrate their expertise residing at the Academy, Holland said.

"We have the facilities, technology and brain power to provide the address of a star," he said. "The ceremony provided a venue for cadets to share what they have learned in their classes and in the physics and astronomy club to inform families on how to find the star."