Dane R. Balcon Memorial Park
Assigned to the 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rdBrigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
SPC Dane Balcon was killed September 5, 2007, when an IED detonated near his unit. On the day that SPC Balcon was killed, Dane was scheduled to be off duty, but his commitment to his country and service led him to volunteer for the mission when his team needed another member. Army CPL William “Billy” Warford was also killed.
Born in 1988 at Luke AFB in Arizona, SPC Dane R. Balcon was destined to serve. It came as no surprise to his family that at only three years old, he told his mother he wanted to be a soldier as Dane was born to a family rich in service. He was fourth generation military. Dane had a great-great grandfather who served in WWI at the age of 20, two great grandfathers who served during WWII, a grandfather who served in Vietnam, and is the son of a father that served during the Balkans conflict and a Mother with a 22-year-long Air Force career.
In High School, Dane spent his time in the ROTC program to prepare for his future in the military, and in his senior year, served as the Drill Team Commander of his ROTC unit. He also had a love for playing the snare drum, despite not knowing how to read sheet music. Dane was never one to shy away from a challenge, especially when he believed in himself, so Dane used his passion to become the first-chair snare player on the drum line.
Dane graduated from High Sand Creek High school and enlisted in to the Army in 2007 after attending a semester of college classes. He attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma before deploying to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in Balad, Iraq on July 7, 2007 at the age of 19-years-old.
“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Dane and the ultimate price he paid and the supreme sacrifice he made for a cause he felt was far greater than himself,” his mother, Carla Sizer, said. “He truly believed in what he was doing and was so proud to have the opportunity to be a soldier and to serve his country.”
The Bronze Star recipient lived a passionate life, fighting earnestly for what he believed in, in the hopes that one day he would help provide the possibility of peace and the chance of a good life for those who had suffered.
When he was just a senior in high school, Dane was asked to write about his greatest fear in an essay, stating:
“When I go, I hope that they remember me and what I did. [I was] once asked what my fear was and I said that mine was failure which is true. But my greatest fear, the thing I fear most is being forgotten, because I will never forget what I have done. I will never forget those days in the sun… thriving in my moments with my brothers in hard earned glory.”
SPC Dane Balcon was 19 years old from Glendale, Arizona.
American Fallen Soldiers - https://americanfallensoldiers.com/army-spc-dane-balcon/
This park memorial also recognizes those who have served to protect us and the freedoms that we enjoy today. Please come by to enjoy the park and honor those that sacrificed for us.
Balcon Park is owned and managed by Woodmen Hills Parks and Rec. For park hours and support click the link above.
Do you have additional information about the fallen soldiers on our memorial wall? Click Here to email us your information and we will review it to add to our our database
Picture | Name | Rank | Branch | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Noah H. Harter | PVT | USMC | Noah Henry Harter, 25, died unexpectedly in Colorado Springs, Colo., on May 12, 2015.
He was a Marine, a student, a son, a brother, grandson, friend and entrepreneur.
Noah was born on Nov. 26, 1989, in Dayton, Ohio, to Mark and Kimberly (Krawiecki) Harter. He was a 2008 graduate of Rampart High School in Colorado Springs.
He joined the United States Marine Corps and trained as a Field Radio Operator at Camp Pendleton and 29 Palms, Calif. He had two overseas tours in the Marine Corps — the first in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
He attained the rank of Lance Corporal and is remembered by comrades as a trustworthy leader and a loyal friend. While serving his country in the armed forces, Noah achieved expert marksmanship in several weapon systems, and received numerous medals including the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal.
Noah attended the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs pursuing a business and accounting major. Most recently he worked for Northwestern Mutual as a college financial representative.
Noah also was co-owner of his own online business, EvoWear, LLC., which is a business for the evolution of winter wear.
He had a love for music and composed many songs, complete with lyrics. He was an expert guitarist, and enjoyed snowboarding, bowling, golf and pool.
Noah dearly loved animals, especially his canine companion “Melo,” the “marshmellow.” He was an excellent creative cook, wine connoisseur and fitness buff. He and Melo often would run up the Manitou Incline twice a day.
He best will be remembered for his love of family, generosity, loyalty, sense of humor and his wonderful smile.
Noah is survived by his parents, Mark and Kimberly Harter of Colorado Springs; his sisters, Joanna and Kristina Harter of Colorado Springs; his paternal grandparents, Wayne and Helen Harter of Jefferson, Wis.; and his maternal grandfather, Severin Krawiecki of Buckman, Minn. He also has numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his beloved grandmother, Darlene Krawiecki.
https://www.dailyunion.com/obituaries/noah-henry-harter-25-colorado-springs-colo/article_ca930fc6-fd6f-11e4-902e-b3ab7573c7ba.html
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Nolan E. Stites | PV2 | US Army | Nolan E. Stites, 18, of Colorado Springs Colo., died Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2000, at Ft. Leonard Wood, where he was engaged in basic training in an early-entry program. Pvt. Stites was an Army reservist with C Company 52nd Engineering Battalion. He was born Aug. 31, 1981, in Colorado Springs to Richard R. and Marilyn A. Stites, who survive. Mr. Stites was a member of Vista Grande Church, the Colorado Springs Muzzle Loaders and the NRA. Also surviving him are three sisters, Lara Rae Morris and Brenda and Trisha Stites, all of Colorado Springs; his paternal grandmother, Jessie Stites of Colorado Springs, a former Iberia resident; and his maternal grandmother, Jeanette Mertens of Union, Missouri.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40358951/nolan-edward-stites
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Quincy Johnson | CPT | US Army | ||
Richard Ferguson | MSG | US Army | Army Master Sgt. Richard L. Ferguson 45, of Conway, N.H.; assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colorado was killed March 30 while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom when the military vehicle he was riding in rolled over in Samarra, Iraq. Ferguson was assigned to the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group based at Fort Carson. Ferguson grew up in Coventry, R.I., where his father, Lee Ferguson, still lives. “He was military all the way,” the father told Rhode Island television stations. “He did what he had to do.” MSG Ferguson had served in Bosnia, Germany, Iraq, and elsewhere, but his missions and deployments were often kept secret. “What went on, he left at work or with the guys,” said his father. “When he came home, he laughed, he joked, he went camping with the kids, he went on trips, he worked around the house.” He joined the Army, becoming a career military man. “Once he got in, he loved it and he stayed with it. That was his home,” he father said. He was also a history buff, and spent 20 years putting together a family tree tracing his roots back to the 1700s, the family said. In his early days in the Army, Ferguson had premonitions about his death. He’d wake up in a cold sweat after bad dreams, his brother recalled. Ferguson’s Rhode Island family members remember him for his dedication and bravery. “He was strong-willed,” his father recalled. Despite being a member of an elite military force, Ferguson was humble, more often found in fatigues than in his dress uniform. He turned down a promotion that would have taken him out of the field, his father said. “He wasn’t a person to stand out there and say, ‘Look what I did,’ ” his father said. “He liked being in the field. He was behind the scenes. He was a team leader.” His father would sometimes spot his son on television, recognizing Richard by the way he walked or moved his hand or held a cigarette. Master Sergeant Richard L. Ferguson is survived by his parents, his wife, a brother, and a sister, who all still reside in Coventry, and his 4 children.
http://48sfa.org/Taps/Ferguson_Richard_L_MSG.php
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Richard McShan | CPL | USMC | Marine Corporal Richard McShan, formerly of Colorado Springs, Colorado, beloved son of Paul and Angelika McShan.
Cpl Richard McShan passed away while on active duty with the United States Marine Corps. He was with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Fox Company based out of Twentynine Palms, California.
An excerpt from Marine Parents:
Ricky McShan, who had been deployed once to Iraq and once to Afghanistan, had recently re-enlisted. He was scheduled to join a company preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Busy with the process of leaving Twentynine Palms, he did not attend the suicide-prevention session.
His memorial service at the base chapel reflected the heightened attention suicide is getting among the troops. It was more a warning than a remembrance.
“My sole purpose in being here today is to keep someone else from feeling this pain,” McShan told the gathering of Fox Company, in which his son had served. He stood before pews of Marines in camouflage uniforms and told them that standing at his son’s bedside in the hospital and watching him die “is the most miserable feeling you can have. Don’t let what I feel now happen to your parents.”
Cpl Richard McShan lost his battle with PTS on April 1, 2009. He was 23 years old.
https://www.lutzlivetotell.org/richard-mcshan-23/
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Rob L. Nichols | SPC | US Army | Spc. Rob L. Nichols, 24, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died July 23, in Soltan Kheyl, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
SPC Rob Lee Nichols, United States Army, age 24, a resident of Colorado Springs for 20 years, passed away on July 23, 2013 during an Active Duty tour in Afghanistan. He was a loving son, grandson, brother, and friend.
Rob was born on December 29, 1988 in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was a 2007 graduate of Sand Creek High School and a graduate of WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming. He enlisted in the United States Army in 2010 and was stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Rob served in two overseas deployments: a tour in Iraq beginning March 2011 and most recently in Afghanistan beginning February 2013.
Rob loved the outdoors! He enjoyed riding dirt bikes and ATVs, four wheeling, camping, snowboarding, and playing ice hockey.
He is survived by his mother, Donna (husband, Robert) Ribisi of Colorado Springs; his father, Bruce (wife, Jeanne) Nichols of Denver; his brother, Chad Ribisi of Colorado Springs; his sister, Molly Nichols of Denver; and his grandparents: Shelby and Judy Moore; and Neil and Beverly Nichols.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114355339/rob-l-nichols
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Robert "Mike" Shetler | SSG | US Army | While assigned to 748th ordinance company of the 71st Ordinance Group at Fort Carson, SSG Shetler drowned in the Skagway Reservoir in May 2011. He was 27 years old.
https://www.denverpost.com/2011/05/31/fort-carson-soldier-drowns-in-skagway-reservoir/
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Robert J. Long | Capt | USAF | Capt Robert J. Long was born on 7 November 1967 to Michael and Charlotte Long in Tishomingo, OK. He graduated from Wheat Ridge High School, CO in 1986.
Robert attended the University of Colorado Boulder where he became a member of the Pershing Rifle Team. He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was commissioned as an Air Force 2nd Lieutenant in May 1990 by Lieutenant Colonel Corry Mordeaux.
Capt Long attended training at Tyndall AFB, FL, and Tinker AFB, OK before going to his first operational assignment at the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan, where he served as a Weapons Director and instructor from November 1991 to May 1995. Capt Long deployed to Panama several times to fight the President’s War on Drugs and coordinated deployments to Cope Thunder, PACAFs largest war-fighting exercise. In September 1992, he commissioned his sister, Kathleen Long, as an Air Force 2nd Lieutenant.
Capt Long upgraded to Senior Director and then transferred to the 962nd Airborne Air Control Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, AK. He loved the outdoors and organized several adventures in his short time in Alaska, including trips to remote Forest Service cabins. Captain “Cowboy” Long was Senior Director on Yukla 27. He, along with 23 other flight crew members on board, perished on 22 September 1995, when the starboard side engines of their flight suffered a catastrophic bird strike.
His military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (Posthumous), the Aerial Achievement Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster), the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the 18th Wing’s 1992 Top Gun award.
https://www.colorado.edu/afrotc/about-us/remembering-our-fallen/captain-robert-john-long
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Ronald L.Barley | TSgt | USAF | ||
Ryan E. Reed | SPC | US Army | 11 November 1983-29 April 2004 (20 years old, in Iraq)
PFC Ryan E. Reed of Colorado Springs, Colorado joined the Army in September looking for a better life and some money for college so he could become a teacher. He entered combat a few months later. Ryan was supposed to return to Germany the month before, but stayed in Iraq after a growing insurgency stopped military plans to move troops out as fresh ones arrived. Alicia Reed said she knew something was wrong when her husband of four months didn't call on April 30. He called nearly every morning from Iraq or e-mailed her. She was about to e-mail him when the officers came to the door. He was as serious about his faith as he was about his humor. The two met in high school. In addition to his wife, Ryan is survived by his mother, Mary K. Reed. He was 20.
Army: 4th Battalion - 27th Field Artillery Regiment - 1st Armored Division - Baumholder, Germany
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15156715/ryan-e-reed
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Ryan P. Hall | Capt | USAF | ||
Sasha M. Finan | SPC | US Army | On 08/01/2013, Sasha Marie Finan passed away and was 28 at the time. Colorado Springs, CO, is where Sasha Finan had lived. Sasha's last occupation is listed as a US Army 88M (Truck Driver) at Fort Carson, CO.
https://www.mylife.com/sasha-finan/e15767263867056
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