Oklahoma State University

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OSU Remembers
Honoring those who lost their lives in the January 27, 2001 plane crash

On August 25th, Oklahoma State University President James Halligan and the families of 10 men who died in a January plane crash will gather in a Colorado pasture to dedicate a permanent memorial. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. (Mountain). It is open to the public.

The memorial is located a little more than 1,000 feet from the site of the crash and consists of contrasting bands of granite and marble. Pictures of the ten men and words chosen by their families form the ten sides of the decagon.

In its center are ten stars, which surround the OSU Spirit Rider. On the outer edge are two arrows, one pointing west to the crash site and the second pointing southeast toward Stillwater, Oklahoma, 465 miles away. Darrel Haerther, the rancher who owns the property where the plane crashed, has provided land for the monument.

The January 27 crash killed OSU players Daniel Lawson and Nate Fleming, Oklahoma City broadcaster Bill Teegins, OSU athletic media relations coordinator Will Hancock, student assistant Jared Weiberg, director of basketball operations Pat Noyes, athletic trainer Brian Luinstra, broadcast engineer Kendall Durfey, and pilots Denver Mills and Bjorn Fahlstrom. The memorial was designed by Gary Sparks, the OSU alumnus and architect who designed the renovations to Gallagher-Iba Arena. A memorial featuring many of the same elements is being prepared for a late fall dedication in the new arena in Stillwater.

The memorial is located about one-half mile north of Arapahoe County Road 2 on the Bradbury-Krebs County Road.

Driving Directions

The memorial is 30 miles from the I-70 and Pena Blvd interchange in Denver. It is in an exposed location. In cold weather take care to bring suitable clothes to protect against wind and in warm weather be sure to pack sunscreen. Note that the memorial inscriptions will likely be dusty. If you wish to photograph the inscriptions, bring water and soft rags to clean the area.

Directions:

* Travel on I-70 to Exit 310 (Strasburg Exit) You can also use the Byers exit, where there are signs to direct you. (East from Denver; West from Limon)
* Go north to Strasburg (left hand turn, approximately one-fourth mile)
* Turn right (East) on State Highway 36. An OSU Memorial sign will direct you.
* Go 1.2 miles east on State Highway 36 until the road Y's. Take the left fork of the Y (unimproved section road labeled Arapaho County 02). An OSU Memorial sign will direct you.
* Go 3 miles East on Arapaho County 02. You will pass Comanche Road and Road 165. Turn left on Bradbury-Krebs Road. An OSU Memorial sign will direct you.
* Go north approximately .6 miles to the top of the rise, the memorial is on the left hand side of the road.