ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
Mourners attend memorial service for Air Force sergeant killed in Afghanistan
Abattle cross, a striking memorial used to honor a fallen U.S. military member, inevitably drew the gaze of even those hundreds of feet away as they entered the cavernous auditorium of the Impact Christian Church in Moon on Thursday.
Silent yet poetic, moving yet static, it contained a vertical M-4 rifle, barrel down, flanked by tan combat boots. A helmet with night vision goggles was perched atop the rifle stock. At the base was a crimson beret, worn by those of the Air Force’s Special Tactics Squadron (STS), akin to the Navy SEAL or Army Ranger teams.
A gold plaque above black bunting identified the fallen hero as “Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin.”
Sgt. Elchin, 25, of Raccoon Township, a decorated combat controller with the 26th STS at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico, and two other servicemen were killed Nov. 27 when their vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. A fourth service member, Army Sgt. Jason McClary, 24, of Export, died of his wounds Sunday in Landstuhl, Germany. Two other service members and an American contractor also were injured
in the attack. The Taliban claimed responsibility.
Sgt. Elchin had enlisted shortly after graduating in 2012 from Hopewell High School. He entered the physically and mentally grueling two-year combat control training program and was assigned to the STS upon completion.
In front of the battle cross before the start of a memorial service for Sgt. Elchin stood another STS staff sergeant. He wore a crisp blue Air Force service uniform, like the more than 160 other Air Force service personnel who traveled from across the country to attend the service. His eyes showed his pain.
“It’s kind of blowing my mind,” said the sergeant, whose name is not being used at the request of the Air Force. “We’ve all had experiences with other guys getting killed and stuff, but it never really hits home as hard as when you know the guy.
“We went through training together. He was a great dude. You could never keep him down. Always had a smile on his face. He was the guy everybody wanted to be around.”
Outside in the lobby, hundreds of service members and civilians milled about for the two hours before the memorial ceremony. They comforted Sgt. Elchin’s parents, siblings, grandparents and other family members with hugs.
Also there was Sgt. Elchin’s fiancée from Las Vegas. They had planned to marry sometime after midJanuary, when his unit was to end its deployment, which began in August. Now, instead, the family is waiting until his unit ships home to schedule a funeral with interment following at Arlington National Cemetery. Sgt. Elchin’s body was brought back to the U.S. early Nov. 29 but was not transported here.
“We’re just very appreciative of the outpouring of love for Dylan,” said his uncle Dwayne Bogolea of New Brighton. “We’re very proud of him for his service and laying down his life for our freedom. I’m sure he’s watching down from heaven. He would be very proud to see all his brothers in the military and family and friends.”
Nearby were Sgt. McClary’s parents, Raymond and Jolynn Maiolie. Sgt. McClary’s body remains in Germany, so funeral arrangements have not yet been set.
Mr. Maiole said he as holding up “as well as can be expected.” Mrs. Maiolie said she learned to take on a different attitude after speaking with her daughter-in-law from Germany after Sgt. McClary passed away.
“I asked her to please take a picture of him for me so I can see him. She said no, she couldn’t do that. She could not keep that memory. She said we are going to keep Jason’s memory alive as he was.
“That has stuck with me. I have been pushing my husband and daughter into that — stop thinking about what you’re not going to do with him, think about what you did with him and laugh because that’s what he would want us to do, to laugh.”
One theme during the 40minute memorial ceremony, attended by more than 500 people, was the idea that while heroes have passed, their goodness remains.
“His spirit lives on with us. His courage and his commitment inspires us to do better, to be better and to live up to the standard he set in his life in service to his nation,” said Air Force Major Gen. James Scanlan from the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
“If Dylan could be here right now, he would tell us, ‘Don’t worry, be happy, enjoy your life,” offered Ron Bogolea, Sgt. Elchin’s grandfather.
“He knew full well he might be required to pay the ultimate sacrifice. Dylan knew the freedom that all of us are enjoying here has to be protected from evil people who want to destroy our life,” he continued.
“Such love a man must have to lay down his life for his friends and his country. But this is who he was. He truly died a noble death.”
Air Force Col. Claude Tudor, commander of the 24th Special Operations Wing, also in Florida, noted that there are only about 800 STS members, “and we were lucky enough to have Dylan as one of them . ... We honor Dylan’s courage, bravery, dedication, compassion and commitment.”
The service in the auditorium lasted 40 minutes. Then everyone filed into the adjacent gymnasium. STS members were joined by other Air Force personnel in the middle. They dropped to the floor and on command did coordinated pushups — a memorial tradition among STS members to honor the fallen.
Hooah! they yelled in unison before rising to their feet. The service for a hero had ended.