A memorial service to honor the nine Fort Campbell soldiers killed in an aviation training accident in western Trigg County three years ago will be held Saturday at the site of the Trigg County Veterans Memorial.
The program will begin at 10:00 at the memorial site at 3300 Old Canton Pike, near the intersection of US 68 and Kentucky 272.
Two HH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters assigned to Fort Campbell’s 101st Airborne Division crashed shortly after 10 pm on March 29, 2023, during a routine nighttime training mission. The crash happened in a field near Lancaster Road off Maple Grove Road.
All nine soldiers aboard the two aircraft were killed — four were in one helicopter, and five were in the other.
The nine soldiers killed were:
Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Florida
Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, Texas
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri
Sgt. Isaacjohn Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles, California
Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina
Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida
Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri
Sgt. David Solinas Jr., 23, of Oradell, New Jersey
Some of the family members of those killed in the crash are expected to be at Saturday’s ceremony.
The Trigg County Veterans Memorial in Cadiz began as a project to honor the nine soldiers killed in the crash.
Judge-Executive Stan Humphries said the original memorial was intended solely for the 2023 crash victims, but a long-term vision was developed that includes additional memorials honoring other veterans who died while serving the country, turning the site into a broader community tribute to military service.
click to download audioIn February, members of the veterans memorial committee told the Cadiz Rotary Club the project had moved into a new fundraising and development phase. Committee member Donnie Holland said the project had already raised more than $150,000 toward Phase 2, which is estimated to cost about $450,000.
He said Phase 2 is planned to include a 300-foot concrete learning path, several interpretive panels, 12 obelisks recognizing Trigg County’s military history across multiple American conflicts, additional signage, sidewalks, and landscaping around the existing monument.
Humphries says the project is a way to honor both Trigg Countians and nearby Fort Campbell.
click to download audioSaturday’s program is expected to begin at 10:00.
