75th OSS pays tribute to fallen Airmen with ‘Wall of Exemplar’

  • Published
  • By Todd Cromar, 75 ABW/PA
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  As a way to remember those who have fallen and inspire others to carry on the warrior ethos, the 75th Operations Support Squadron recently established a "Wall of Exemplar" within the squadron’s Heritage Room, located in Hangar 1.

The memorial was started by Lt. Col. Joseph Michaels, 75th OSS commander, who modeled it after a similar program at the U.S. Air Force Academy where each year cadets vote-in their class’s exemplar, or role model.

The first inductees on the 75th OSS’s wall were Maj. Walter “David” Gray and Capt. Nathan “Nate” Nylander, whom Michaels nominated from within the Air Force’s operations support career field. Both lost their lives in the War in Afghanistan.

Gray, of Conyers, Georgia, was assigned to the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron based in Fort Carson, Colorado, and died Aug. 8, 2012, from injuries suffered during a suicide bomb attack in the Kunar Province, Afghanistan, in support of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

Nylander, of Fairbury, Illinois, was assigned to the 25th Operational Weather Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and died April 27, 2011, from injuries suffered during a small arms fire exchange at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, as an air advisor with the 483th Air Expeditionary Wing.

“The reason I decided to honor these two particular Airmen is because they were heroes long before their lives were taken. Both were great people and embodied (the Air Force’s core value of) service before self,” Michaels said. “I believe there are a lot more heroes than we realize walking around and, given the same circumstances, they too would act in a similar manner.”

Plaques of the two Airmen will be displayed on the squadron’s wall to serve as a visual reminder of their service and sacrifice. In addition, street signs bearing their names will be used as a memento and referred to when specifying locations for meetings for commanders calls and official functions.

“This is our opportunity as a squadron to pay it forward, and celebrate what it means to be a selfless leader, as both of these individuals were,” Michaels said. “What you see is that people of this caliber have the ability to inspire trust in those around them, and that’s when units are operating most efficiently. I believe that our military draws the best of what our country has to offer.”

The 75th OSS is responsible for airfield management and has a diverse mission, including control tower, weather, transient alert and many other additional functions involved with airfield operations. Established with the creation of Hill Field in the 1940s, the squadron has a long legacy and rich history tied to Hill Air Force Base.