Fallen aviation firefighters memorialized near where 4 died in Larimer County

Marc "Thor'' Olson was circling to make one more water drop on the Kruger Rock Fire on his historic night aerial flight near Estes Park before heading home to celebrate his 27th wedding anniversary the next day.

But on the night of Nov. 16, 2021, gusty winds in mountainous terrain doomed his final pass, leaving Olson’s wife, Rhonda, and family to mourn his death instead of celebrate the couple's marriage.

Olson’s Air Tractor AT-802A plane crashed during what is believed to be the first fixed-wing aircraft night firefighting mission in the state, landing in a wooded mountainside near Hermit Park Open Space.

The crash site is not far from where Olson, along with four other aviator firefighters who lost their lives in Colorado, were honored Wednesday at the dedication of the Fallen Aviator Firefighter Memorial near Hermit Park Open Space's pavilion.

Russell Myers served with Olson for many years when they were pilots in the U.S. Air Force and was a fellow pilot at CO Fire Aviation in Fort Morgan at the time of Olson’s death. He said Olson’s wife wanted to be at the memorial but that she was too grief-stricken.

While holding back tears, he shared with the gathering of first responders, Larimer County commissioners, law enforcement officers and nearby residents words that Rhonda wrote for him to recite.

Those words read, in part: “He was steady and secure. His example was clear: Do your best in all things and be in service of others whenever they call and for whatever that call comes.’’

Myers finished with words written by Gen. George S. Patton: “Mourn not the men who died. Thank God such men lived.’’

Previous coverage:Firefighter pilot Marc Thor Olson remembered: 'He was like the godfather of the fire pilots'

The dedication was held in a meadow surrounded by mountains and marked with bagpipes, singing of the national anthem, the playing of taps and a jet flyover. It also included two traditions that reflect the service and sacrifice of firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty: the ringing of the bell and reading of the Firefighter’s Prayer.

Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith told the crowd that after Olson’s death, officials began working on a way to memorialize aerial firefighters who died in the line of duty. He said because the five people honored by the memorial were all employed by private contractors, a memorial could not be placed on federal land.

So officials decided to erect the memorial at Hermit Park Open Space.

It includes a plaque on a local granite boulder with the names of those who died, along with benches built from nearby trees and the American and Colorado flags.

The open space is managed by Larimer County and is located near where Olson crashed and where three aviation firefighters lost their lives in the Big Elk Fire of 2002 just miles south of the open space.

Milt Stollak and Rick Schwartz died when their plane crashed while fighting the Big Elk Fire on July 18, 2002. Helicopter pilot Gordon Knight died in a crash fighting the fire July 30, 2002.

Gert Marais died in a plane crash while fighting the Fort Carson Fire in El Paso County on April 15, 2008.

“This marks somewhat of a special place,’’ Smith said. “I don’t know of anywhere else in the country where you had four aircraft go down (in a relatively small area). Typically, they are spread out over a large area. That really hit us and we thought these ... need permanent recognition for their service and sacrifice.’’

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fallen aviation firefighters memorialized near where 4 died in Colorado